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Show - ' 1 - A PAINFUL EPISODE. The latest sensation in local political and social circles is the result of the investigation of the deficit de-ficit in the funds of the Louiisana Purchase Exposition Ex-position commission. This investigation has developed de-veloped the . fact that a number of orders, aggregating aggre-gating a sum something in excess of $"J.000, were irregularly issued; that, in fact, the name of the chairman of the commission, ex-Governor Hcbcr M. Wells, appearing upon these orders, was a forgery, and that his brother-in-law, John Q. Cannon, the firs secretary of the commission, wa9 the beneficiary bene-ficiary of the fraud. It was Governor Wells himself Avho furnished the evidence, to the investigating committee of the house; of representatives, that implicated Mr. Cannon. Can-non. . , j . The circumstances .attending this defalcation arc peculiarly painful. By his vicious weakness, the culprit has fastened a stigma upon an honored man. No one, however, who is conversant with the circumstances, as brought out by this investigation, investiga-tion, will be so rash or unjust as to hold Governor Wells. in any sense responsible. The fact that The crime was committed by his friend and relative renders his position, necessarily, doubly painful; but aside from this unfortunate circumstance his position is identical with that of the other members of the commission no better and no worse and upon them no blame whatever attaches. With society as a whole, however, rests no small degree of responsibility in connection with these lamentably frequent defalcations by men in positions posi-tions of trust. As long as money and the things that money will procure are popularly held to bo the chief desideratum, just so long will all else honor, friends and conscience be sacrificed in order or-der to secure them. The public conscience must be sadly awry ; otherwise would scandals of this character be of much less frequent occurrence. 1 |