The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-10-16

| only communicated such facts,
as ! considered necessary for her
information, that the course of
life in which was engaged, de-
manded on her part, the most Sc.
crecy, as well as good manage
ment and ingenuity, to prevent a
disclosure of my guilty conduct,
which inevitably would bring
down disgrace and ruin on my
head, and blast the future pros.
poets of us both. The explana.
tion l gave, could not fail to shock
her sensibility, wound her pride
and alarm her fears. Until this
disclosure was made, 1 succeeded
in making her believe, that my
commitment for the horse affair
at Troy, was conspiracy between
Root and his accomplices, and
that the com bination thus formed
and carried on between them, to
charge me with this offence, was
called a prosecution under color
of law, but was, in reality, moth.
ing short of a persecution against
all law, or rather justice, original
ing in political revenge for my re-
fusing to support the election of
Gov. Tompkins. l had entertain
ed a strong dislike against this
man on account of certain whis.
pers, which then began to spread
among the people about his being
public defaulter," "and having
a great itch to handle once more
the public money. These sus
picions, it has since appeared,
were but too we'll founded, for the
people of New York being salts
fed of his guilt refused to vote
for him, at recent attempt made
by his friends to have him re-
elected. Neglected as my edu-
cation had been, young as I was
in years and experience, deprav.
ed as my heart, and ignorant as 1
might have been, on most sub
jects connected with the admin
istration of political affairs, moth
ing could excite my wonder more
than the great inattention paid by
the people to the selection of their
public agents. When 1 have OBJ
served the people hold meetings
after meeting, and pass resolu-
tions after resolutions, approbat-
ing some 'great partizan" who
had been public defaulter, and
had embezzled the public moneys,
perhaps one, who had been tried
in the scale and found wanting,
and saw the same people again
nominate the same man for re-
election to the same office, or per-
haps one of higher grade, l con-
cluded in my own mind, that it
was not always profitable to be
honest, and that honesty now:a-
days was too much overlooked IN
the public estimation, as requi-
site for office. When | saw men
who had cheated the people, de-
frauded the public and plundered
the treasury, become the great
est favorites of the people, thinks
l to myself, surely "honesty is
not the best policy" When per-
ceived that men in high station
had been guilty of diverse evil do
ings, and instead of meeting with
punishment, were loaded with
"honor and l eceived rewards, ap-
plauses, powers, dominion, Office,
influence, and patronage, the re-
Election had an unhappy effect in
extingulshing every remorse of
conscience, and reconciling me
more and more to the vicious
course of life in which | was then
engaged. Alas how often and
how foolish did l argue with my
self, "that if it was not dishonor-
able" in man who holds a high
place of profit and trust, to"cheat
the people and oppress the poor, >
how can it be very criminal in me
to depredate on the rich, while ]
spare the poor: nor could l, fol
my life, discover the mortal dis
tinction which many made, be
tween a robber on the highways
against law, and public agent
who rohS and DlunderS i'm his of