Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-09-09

csty ana cOsrupnUn aaaggcu against
them had failed completely to measure
up 10 the real situation
The pay rolls were found 10 be padd-
cd, not only with names Of those who
neer performed a stroke OF work a the
warehouses, but even with names OF nc
titious peTsonages. Some OF those
named III the pay roIis--aot the mere
creature Of political fancy. but real
flesh and blood Republicans. capable Of
turning so many votes apiecc--had
never seen the warehouses. and did not
even come mp for their salaries In
stead OF this they had their checks
mailed TO them with agreeable regular
ity-about as fair an illustration 81 calm
and sublime irnpuaence as might Be cit
cd.
As an example OF the seli-indulgent
mode OF work under the Mudd-Lown-
des machine. the experience OF tobac-
co grower from one 81 the counties may
be mentioned. This gentleman sent
some tobacco on for inspection, and
after waiting reasonable time for some
reply or action from the authorities, he
came on himself TO investigate He
found that the officials knew absolutely
nothing about his tobacco. beyond the
fact OF It's reception. 1t had disap-
pcarcd. and was rot 10 be accounted
for. The officials were called on TO
make goodtIIcioss. which they proceed
ed to do in = manner pecrliar to them
selves. The owner OF tlEe Missing to-
bacco was put or The sayroll and con-
tinued to receive checks on the State
Treasury until his loss WAS made good
Another discovery of Col. Tompkins
was that several checks had been made
out to Southern Marylanders who had
not the slightest Identification with the
institution. Conspicuous among these
was A check made ont TO Sydney Z.
Mudd. Just why Mr. Mudd should have
been paid out OF the iGnds OF the ware
house. and what service he could have
rendered TO warrant such payment, was
question which has puzzled those who
learned OF this disclosure This lack OF
positive information on such an inter-
esting subject led to numbcriess con-
lectures, many OF which did n reflect
favorably on the distinguished subject,
but Mr.. Mudd himself has set all doubts
at rest by stating that the money was
one OF the voluntary" campaign con-
tributicns he received and that mad
vertently the public money had been
used, but that the loss had been immed-
lately made good This explanation is
reassuring and should set all anxiety %
at rest
Another result OF Col Tompkin's in
vesfigation showed that 60 men were on
the pay rolls who had no right to be
there, and Secretary OF State Dallam
says that at least 20 were fictitious and
that no such men existed except in the
imagination OF the scheniing politicians
who had them placed mere. Who got
the money on the fictitious names Col.
Tompkins is now trying to find out, but
up to the present time with poor sue
cess. o The men who were caught red
handed in perpetrating these frauds and
outrages on the people OF the State are
attempting to brazen the whole thing
out, and, while they do not deny the &C
cusations against them, they refuse to
explain them.
Readers should remember that all the
above statements have been made as a
result of an investigation ordered by an
executive who appointed the guilty men
to Office and placed them in charge oil
valuable State interests without know
ing anything about their fitness or hon.
estv. The men were admittedly ap-
pointed in fulhllment of a deal to get
pointed in fulfilment of a deal to gel
votes for George L. Wellington as u
S. Senator and no other reason was
ever given for their appointment. The
man who made the investigation, Col
John A. Tompkins, is Republican and
is one of the ablest and best known ex.
pert accountants in Baltimore.