Evening journal., 1912-08-12
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Voucher That Cleared
the Name Of Great War
Governor of 1872
By Holland

Il think one OF tne mobl eAlidoi
dinarily fortunate accidents or
chances Of which | ever had any
knowledge was the manner in which
the first evidence was discovered OF
the falsity OF the charges of personal
dishonesty which wrecked the life OF
Daniel d. Tompkins,' said the late
Charles c. Clarke, who, in the mid
forties. was assistant treasurer of
the State Of New York. Mr.. Clarke
subsequently became identified with
Commodore Vanderbilt when the lat
ter began his railroad career. For
many years Mr. Clarke was vice-pres-
ident OF the Vanderbilt system, hav-
ing in charge the financial depart
ment
Il suppose there are very few per
sons at this time" said Mr.. Clarke to
me, who know who Daniel d Tomp
kins was Yet he was at one time
the foremost citizen Of New York
State.
"Mr. Tompkins was elected Cover
nor of New York four times, and he
was Governor when the War Of 1912
began / have heard a good deal
about the patriotism of governors at
the time of our Civil War and of the
personal security which some OF
them gave TO banks when money was
needed to pay the expenses Of enlist
ing and mastering in volunteers. Yet
I am certain that none of these re-
cords surpassed that of Governor
l.Tompkins under war conditions. He
raised forty thousand troops. and he
raised much of the money needed TO
paw the expenses entailed by the
raising of troops Some of the banks
of the State refused to lend the State
any money and the only way in which
Governor Tompkins was able to get
loans was by personal Endorsement
of the notes His vigorous admins
tration did much to prevent the inva-
sion Of Northern New York by the
British
The country was so greatly pleas
ed with the work done by Governor
Tompkins during the War OF 1912
that when James Monroe was nomi-
mated for President, Tompkins was
unanimously nominated for Vice
President He served as Vice Presi-
dent in both administrations Of Mon
roe
Just as his second term as Vice
President was expiring his party in
New York State proposed to renomi-
nate HON for Governor. Suddenly
there came charges that the accounts
at Albany showed that Governor
Tompkins was a defaulter to the
State He was accused of having
misappropriated and diverted to his
own use State funds
1T was impossible to furnish evi-
dence that this charge was untrue, for
vouchers for payments he had made
could not he found. Governor Tomp-
kins denied the charge, saying that
instead of being a defaulter the State
owed him money, in repayment Of ad-
vances which he had made
Politics ran hot at that time and.
az " was impossible 10 refute the
charge Governor Tompkins was
branded as a dishonest man. The
accusation SO grievously affected him
that he lost his reason, and died prac-
tically insane
Some ten or twelve years after
Governor Tompkins's death II was
accidentally discovered that instead
of being . defsulter he was actually
a creditor of the State, as Governor
Tompkins had claimed New York
State owed Governor Tompkins' E
heirs a good many thousand dollars
which. 7 believe, was never paid
"I was chatting one day with one of
my predecessors as assistant treasur-
er Of New York when he told me that
II was by the merest chance that the
discovery was made that Governor
Tompkins had been unjustlv accused
II seems that occasion arose for the
examination of box containinf
some archives or accounts that haC
been filed away in the treasury offic'
and forgotten As these archives
were being looked over there was un
earthed a voucher for an expenditure
! made by Governor Tompkins while tn
War Of 1912 was in progress. Vouche
I after voucher for payments Governo
Tompkins had made was brought n
E light The old books we're re-exam
ined by accountants. and when th
work was done " was announced in
formally. almost conhdentially. tha
\ the complete account Of the State q
x New York with. Governor DAME
Tompklns showed that every penn
which he had expended was account
z ed for and, furthermore. that tn
State owed him instead Of he OWN
;. the State.
u But for the chance discovery
that first voucher the truth concern
ing the charges brought against III
great war governor Of 1912 woul
{ probably never have been learned
j. (CopyriEht 1912. by F. J Edward