The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-15

n cneering News that the es-
scntial principle involved in
the Carter case is fidelity to trusts.
This. as that journal impressively ar
CUES. has become absolutely necessary
to the conduct of all our industry and
to the very existence of our modern
civilization. In whatever field OF
human activity we look, we see men
directing the course of great enter
prses which are owned by others and
controlling the expenditure of thou
sands and millions of dollars which be-
long to the nation, or state, or a munich
pal or private corporation. Each and
every such man has it in his power to
enrich himself by sacrificing, to
greater or less extent, the interests of
which he is a trustee, and the only as
surance the public can possibly have
that the trust will be faithfully dis
charged is the honor and honesty Of
the officer on whom it is laid"
Our contemporary is equally correct
in it's assertion that there ARE two
enemies of the public welfare abroad to-
day who strike a worse blow at civil
ization than the anarchist, and whose
treason threatens the nations exist
enCe more than that of the traitor in
time of war The first of these is the
man who houts honor and honesty and
aims to get wealth by any means, fair
or foul. 1t is such men as this that
lay the temptation in the way of those
in positions of trust. The second Of
these public enemies is the man who
being in a place of trust, yields to his
temptation and enriches himself at the
expense of those who have conferred
upon him honors and responsibilities" >"
Regarding Captain Carter as guilty
as charged, the News views in him a
type of the second class of public en-
emies, whose punishment is demanded
as an example to society at large-a
conclusion beyond controversy if we
accept our contemporary premise
The News broadly hints at the exist
ence in the Carter case of the other
class of public betrayers when it SAYS:
at is more than two years since knowl-
edge of the frauds at Savannah became
known to the authorities at Washing
ton, During all that time not one step
has been taken toward the punishment
of those others who profited by the
frauds at that place or the recovery
from them of the stolen millions. They
have had ample time to transfer all
their property and make it impossible
for the government to recover a penny
from them Rumor says they have
done this. The query comes. then, who
among the authorities at Washington
has been false to his trust in this mat
ter? Where was the pull exercised of
these contractors who were (and could
well afford to be) such liberal con-
tribtuors to campaign funds?"
This pointed innuendo, coming from
the recognized mouthpiece of the en-
gneering profession in America. will
carry weight Does the News dispute
the assertion Of Attorney General
Griggs that means exist in amplitude
for the recovery of these stolen mill
ions, if it shall appear on final judg,
ment that there has been deliberate
theft? Does it take issue with the ad-
ministration on the proposition that
before proceeding to say the last word
In case of such exceptional import
ance the president is determined, AT
any cost Of time or patience, to get
down to the bedrock bottom OF all the
facts and ramifications and to have
the programme of action in complete
readiness for the time of action?
This Carter case looks bad, on the
surface; but we do not consider that
any substantial reason exists why the
people should direct suspicion or with.
draw confidence from the president OF
the United States.