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- Теодор Драйзер
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- Стр. 166/297
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In
the
meanwhile
,
finding
that
the
rumors
were
growing
in
volume
and
that
no
one
appeared
to
be
willing
to
take
steps
to
straighten
the
matter
out
,
Mr.
Skelton
C.
Wheat
,
President
of
the
Citizens
'
Municipal
Reform
Association
,
was
,
at
last
and
that
by
no
means
against
his
will
,
compelled
to
call
together
the
committee
of
ten
estimable
Philadelphians
of
which
he
was
chairman
,
in
a
local
committee-hall
on
Market
Street
,
and
lay
the
matter
of
the
Cowperwood
failure
before
it
.
"
It
strikes
me
,
gentlemen
,
"
he
announced
,
"
that
this
is
an
occasion
when
this
organization
can
render
a
signal
service
to
the
city
and
the
people
of
Philadelphia
,
and
prove
the
significance
and
the
merit
of
the
title
originally
selected
for
it
,
by
making
such
a
thoroughgoing
investigation
as
will
bring
to
light
all
the
facts
in
this
case
,
and
then
by
standing
vigorously
behind
them
insist
that
such
nefarious
practices
as
we
are
informed
were
indulged
in
in
this
case
shall
cease
.
I
know
it
may
prove
to
be
a
difficult
task
.
The
Republican
party
and
its
local
and
State
interests
are
certain
to
be
against
us
.
Its
leaders
are
unquestionably
most
anxious
to
avoid
comment
and
to
have
their
ticket
go
through
undisturbed
,
and
they
will
not
contemplate
with
any
equanimity
our
opening
activity
in
this
matter
;
but
if
we
persevere
,
great
good
will
surely
come
of
it
.
There
is
too
much
dishonesty
in
public
life
as
it
is
.
There
is
a
standard
of
right
in
these
matters
which
can
not
permanently
be
ignored
,
and
which
must
eventually
be
fulfilled
.
I
leave
this
matter
to
your
courteous
consideration
.
"
Mr.
Wheat
sat
down
,
and
the
body
before
him
immediately
took
the
matter
which
he
proposed
under
advisement
.
It
was
decided
to
appoint
a
subcommittee
"
to
investigate
"
(
to
quote
the
statement
eventually
given
to
the
public
)
"
the
peculiar
rumors
now
affecting
one
of
the
most
important
and
distinguished
offices
of
our
municipal
government
,
"
and
to
report
at
the
next
meeting
,
which
was
set
for
the
following
evening
at
nine
o'clock
.
The
meeting
adjourned
,
and
the
following
night
at
nine
reassembled
,
four
individuals
of
very
shrewd
financial
judgment
having
meantime
been
about
the
task
assigned
them
.
They
drew
up
a
very
elaborate
statement
,
not
wholly
in
accordance
with
the
facts
,
but
as
nearly
so
as
could
be
ascertained
in
so
short
a
space
of
time
.
"
It
appears
[
read
the
report
,
after
a
preamble
which
explained
why
the
committee
had
been
appointed
]
that
it
has
been
the
custom
of
city
treasurers
for
years
,
when
loans
have
been
authorized
by
councils
,
to
place
them
in
the
hands
of
some
favorite
broker
for
sale
,
the
broker
accounting
to
the
treasurer
for
the
moneys
received
by
such
sales
at
short
periods
,
generally
the
first
of
each
month
.
In
the
present
case
Frank
A.
Cowperwood
has
been
acting
as
such
broker
for
the
city
treasurer
.
But
even
this
vicious
and
unbusiness-like
system
appears
not
to
have
been
adhered
to
in
the
case
of
Mr.
Cowperwood
.
The
accident
of
the
Chicago
fire
,
the
consequent
depression
of
stock
values
,
and
the
subsequent
failure
of
Mr.
Frank
A.
Cowperwood
have
so
involved
matters
temporarily
that
the
committee
has
not
been
able
to
ascertain
with
accuracy
that
regular
accounts
have
been
rendered
;
but
from
the
manner
in
which
Mr.
Cowperwood
has
had
possession
of
bonds
(
city
loan
)
for
hypothecation
,
etc.
,
it
would
appear
that
he
has
been
held
to
no
responsibility
in
these
matters
,
and
that
there
have
always
been
under
his
control
several
hundred
thousand
dollars
of
cash
or
securities
belonging
to
the
city
,
which
he
has
manipulated
for
various
purposes
;
but
the
details
of
the
results
of
these
transactions
are
not
easily
available
.
"
Some
of
the
operations
consisted
of
hypothecation
of
large
amounts
of
these
loans
before
the
certificates
were
issued
,
the
lender
seeing
that
the
order
for
the
hypothecated
securities
was
duly
made
to
him
on
the
books
of
the
treasurer
.
Such
methods
appear
to
have
been
occurring
for
a
long
time
,
and
it
being
incredible
that
the
city
treasurer
could
be
unaware
of
the
nature
of
the
business
,
there
is
indication
of
a
complicity
between
him
and
Mr.
Cowperwood
to
benefit
by
the
use
of
the
city
credit
,
in
violation
of
the
law
.
"
Furthermore
,
at
the
very
time
these
hypothecations
were
being
made
,
and
the
city
paying
interest
upon
such
loans
,
the
money
representing
them
was
in
the
hands
of
the
treasurer
's
broker
and
bearing
no
interest
to
the
city
.
The
payment
of
municipal
warrants
was
postponed
,
and
they
were
being
purchased
at
a
discount
in
large
amounts
by
Mr.
Cowperwood
with
the
very
money
that
should
have
been
in
the
city
treasury
.
The
bona
fide
holders
of
the
orders
for
certificates
of
loans
are
now
unable
to
obtain
them
,
and
thus
the
city
's
credit
is
injured
to
a
greater
extent
than
the
present
defalcation
,
which
amounts
to
over
five
hundred
thousand
dollars
.
An
accountant
is
now
at
work
on
the
treasurer
's
books
,
and
a
few
days
should
make
clear
the
whole
modus
operandi
.
It
is
hoped
that
the
publicity
thus
obtained
will
break
up
such
vicious
practices
.
"
There
was
appended
to
this
report
a
quotation
from
the
law
governing
the
abuse
of
a
public
trust
;
and
the
committee
went
on
to
say
that
,
unless
some
taxpayer
chose
to
initiate
proceedings
for
the
prosecution
of
those
concerned
,
the
committee
itself
would
be
called
upon
to
do
so
,
although
such
action
hardly
came
within
the
object
for
which
it
was
formed
.
This
report
was
immediately
given
to
the
papers
.
Though
some
sort
of
a
public
announcement
had
been
anticipated
by
Cowperwood
and
the
politicians
,
this
was
,
nevertheless
,
a
severe
blow
.
Stener
was
beside
himself
with
fear
.
He
broke
into
a
cold
sweat
when
he
saw
the
announcement
which
was
conservatively
headed
,
"
Meeting
of
the
Municipal
Reform
Association
.
"
All
of
the
papers
were
so
closely
identified
with
the
political
and
financial
powers
of
the
city
that
they
did
not
dare
to
come
out
openly
and
say
what
they
thought
.
