Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-10

end fraud ii favor Of the wise bust-
ness methods" Of the present Republf-
! Gun State administration, is enough to
excite the visibility of horse.
The Intelligencer, fioundering in the
food turned loose upon Republican
hopes by this voluntary settlement OF
| the States claim, in its wild endeavor
to rescue something in the shape of
| campaign material from the deluge,
loses it's head and hits it's own party
the present State administrations re-
sounding whack, which it meant for the
/ late Democratic administration.
| While there can be no excuse for the
failure Of the late administration to
thoroughly investigate the character Of
Secretary Chilton's bond-although
it's confidence in Mr. Chiffon has been
fully justified-the failure to take furth-
er action in the matter has not been so
much the fault, or the virtue, of the
late administration as of the present
administration. 1t has been acknowl-
edged by the Intelligencer. itself, that
the fact that ex-Secretary Chiffon owed
a sum to the State was known by the
present administration from the be-
ginning, yet the present administra-
ton said nothing about it, and did
nothing about it. Indeed, it has only
been recently and since the matter has
been the subject of much loud comment
in the public press that the present adj
ministration took the care to figure
out just what the ex-Secretary owed.
Speaking of "loose business methods"
in connection with this subject, it will
strike the average observer that the
present administration is quite as open
to criticism as the late administration.
Neither, however, has earned the blind,
partisan fault-finding of the Intelligent
Ger. The late administration had con-
fidence in Mr. Chilton's intention to
cover the shortage, while both it
and the present administration were
ton did not settle with the State vol
UNFAIRLY, he could not be forced to do
So He has voluntarily settled and that
ends the matter. And in this, how diff
ferent his action from that of numer-
GUS Republican officeholders who, not
through oversight have been short in
their accounts, but have deliberately
stolen the funds of the State and ap-
propriated them to their own use, who
have never paid up and who never will!
There is one very fragrant and motor
ious case already before us wherein a
Republican oficeholder has stolen
thousands of dollars from the State,
has never settled and in all human
probability never will, yet we have not
heard the virtuous Fourteenth street
organ Of the grand old party of high
morality discuss or even mention this
case in it's immaculate columns. And
this in one case among dozens of SINH
lar cases where Republican officehold-
ers have robbed the State of thousands
upon thousands of dollars-not occur
ring during the present Republican
regime, but when the Republican party
really and truly and thoroughly were
intrenched in power in the new State
of West Virginia by aid Of the bayonet
and the prescription law, which would
not allow a Southern Democrat to cast
vote.
If our virtuous neighbor wants to
learn something about the official honor
and business capacity Of real Republic
can administration in West Virginia
all Of which happened in the Intelli-
gencer's time-let it turn to the State
reports Of say 1871. Not only is it
shown how the State was robbed right
and left by dozens of Republican Off
GERS, but it shows that many of these
official thieves were quietly relieved of
their obligation to settle with the State
by the vote of Republican legislatures!
In all the long years of Democratic
rule, since those days Of infamy, the
Chiffon shortage-due more to over
sight than ought else-is probably the
only instance where a Democratic Off
cial has not left his account thoroughly
squared at the end of his term of office,
and this solitary case has now been
voluntarily and honorably settled with
the State. In no case of--ca!l it shortage
among officials of its own political
faith can the Intelligencer cite one case
where a Republican, short in his ac-
counts, ever paid up or was ever prose-
cuted by Republican administration.
Is it not time, o! most virtuous
neighbor of a most virtuous party, to
cast the beam out of thine own eye?