THE ALLIANCE -INDEPENDENT.
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ME THEVCUILTY ?
Crooked Dealings at the State House
The Property of the State Myster
iously Disappears.
HOW THE G. 0. P. HEADQUARTERS
ABE PUENISHED.
Children and Fools Will Tell the Truth
The State Officers Should Be In.
vestigated Crookedness at
Norfolk.
The exposures of corruption in the
in the management of the Lincoln in
sane asylum have c . ated a sensation
in political circles, and have compelled
recognition from the republican state
officers. They have at last become
convinced that an assumption of
supremo dignity and perfection are not
sufficient to shield them from criticism.
It is very doubtful if they would have
taken any official notice of the charges,
had not Governor Boyd made it abso
lutely unavoidable by the following
communication:
Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 29, 1892 Hon.
A. R Humphrey, Chairman State
Board of Public Lands and Buildings
My Dear Sir: I would respectfully call
you attention to the statement made at
a public.meeting in this city and dis
cussed in the press of dishonest man
agement of the hospital for the insane
at Lincoln, and state that I feel it my
duty as chief executive of the common
wealth to respectfully urge your board
,to make a thorough investigation of
the charges made for the purpose of
bringing the parties, if proven guilty,
to justice and the recovery, so far as
possiblo from their bondsmen, of
amounts stolen from the state, if such
theft shall be established, j am moved
to this course in the discharge of my
duties by certain facts having come to
my knowledge through official channels
which would seem to lend corroboration
to some of the published charges. I
am, very respectfully, jours.
James E. Boyd,
4 Governor."
Acting on this suggestion the board
decided to investigate and appointed
Wednesday afternoon October 5th, for
that purpose,
The exposures made by Mr. Re wick
were so damaging, and so definite, that
with the exception of the State Journal
(one of whose proprietors is implicated
by the charges) all the republican papers
and leaders have acknowledged that
there is something wrong. But they
have consoled themselves with the
claim that none of the republican state
officers were guilty. The blame must
be placed on the men holding positions
at the asylum.
Independents are excusab'e for look
ing upon the proposed investigation as a
farce, inasmuch as it is to be conducted
by the very men who ought to be in
vestigated. It looks too much like a
judge proposing to try his own case.
The best that can be expected is that
an employee will be made a 6cape-goat
to carry the sins of the state officers
into the wilderness.
But they will not escape so easily. I,
for one, propose that the members of
the board of public lands and
buildings shall not escape on
the plea that nothing has been
charged against them.
For years there has been a general
rumor afloat to the effect that furni
ture purchased by the legislature reg
ularly and mysteriously disappears
from the state house during the inter
val between the sessions of that body.
It is believed by many that this furni-
turo finds its way not only into tho
homes of tho employees but of state
officers.
Knw t.liA law niflVpa It ihn dntv of tho
. . ; . ... .1
secretary oi state "to taicecnargcanno
close of er.ch session of the legislature
of all tables, desks, chairs atd ether
furnituro of the two houses thereof,
and not permit the same to be traded or
used for other than public purposes during
the recess of the legisla lure"
Now I have succeeded in reducing
the general rumor already spoken of to
a specific form as follows:
When Capt. Crawford, who was head
janitor at the state house under Thayer
went out last spring I am told that a
herge amount of furnituro disappeared
from the state houe, particulaily tho
following articles: Half a dozen fine
chairs, ona leather covered settee, one
antique oak writing desk, one black
onyx clock worth about $25.
I am further reliably informed that
Secretary Allen was informed in writ
ing where this furniture could bo found,
much if not all of it being at the house
of Capt. Crawford. Did Secretary
Allen invest'gate this matter? If ho
did the public has not hoird of it.
Again I have positive information to
tho effect that the republican state
central committee have furnished their
headquarters in the Lansing building
with furniture from the state house,
and there can be found at this writing
in their committee rooms some dozen
chairs, two desks and two tables be
longing to the state. Does Secretary
Allen consider that this property -is
being used for a "public purpose?"
And now I want to bring this matter
a little closer home to Mr. Allen. At
the time of the silver celebration
about May 25, 1892, two men went up
into what is callled the Grand Army
room of the s'ate house to get some
chairs to use in the senate chamber.
Mr. Allen's son, a boy some t ight years
old, accompanied the men. Now it is
an old saying that "children and fools
tell the truth." There wore some half
dozen chairs not exactly like tho rest.
When some of these were approached
the boy said "don't take them. They
are our chairs." Asked what he meant
he said: " Why we brought them from
McCook, and my pa changed them and
got some better ones." This is substan
tially the language used. The gentle
men smiled at each other, and Prof. T.
remarked that "children sometimes
tell tales out of school." Not long
after that these chairs disappeared from
the state house and rumor says they
went back to Mr. Allen's house.
Whether the "better ones" were re
turned or not, rumor saith not.
There is another well founded rumor
to the effect that the carpet which was
on the floor of the attorney-general's
room now graces the floor of a janitor's
private residence, and that the carpet
from the Lieutenant Governor's room
was transferred to the attorney gene
ral's room."
At the close of the session there were
large quantities of House and Senate
bills stored in the bill rooms. It is re
ported that the janitors sold these to
the Lincoln paper mill and pocketed
the money.
The beard of public lands and build
ings is required by law to pay every
expense out of its "proper fund." But
an examination will show that the en
gineer at the state house is paid out of
the appropriation for "fuel and lights,"
instead of the appropriation for "em
ployees wages." Tho only possible
reason for this is that there are six
janitors employed to do what two active
able-bodied men could easily perform,
and tho employees fund is thus exhausted.
Another employee, J. II. Naden is(
drawing two salaries, one of $500 as
bailiff of tho supremo court and an
other of $200 or there abouta as janitor.
Is there any law for this? If tho hoard
of public lands and buildings set such
an example of disregard for law, hew
can we expect anything but rottenness
in our state institutions?
CEOOKEONESS AT NORFOLK.
Now let us look in a different di
rection and see if the members of the
board have been in such blissful ignor
ance of existing crookedoess.
One John T. Leo who was a super
visor in tho hospital for the insane at
Norfolk from Dec. 10, 1887 to Juno 1892,
not long ago sent mo a written state
ment which was published in tho Alliance-Independent
of Sept. 15, in
which he states eight specific and very
damaging charges against tho manage
ment of that institution. He also
affirms that ho laid theso charges be
fore the hoard of public lands and
buildings and demanded an investi
gation, but tho board absolutely re
fused to investigate. This statement
was published three weeks ago and yet
the board has utterly ignorod it.
Considering tho facts herein set forth
and the other facts set forth
in Mr. Rewick's exposure, is there not
just and ample ground for suspecting
that the members of tho board have
been guilty of complicity in tho crimes
committed by men who handls the
state money?
The only investigation that will
satisfy the people of the state is an
investigation of the board of public
lands and buildings by the state legis
lature. Let every man who wans to
see the truth laid bare no matter who-c
reputation suffers vote for members of
the legislature who will make such an
investigation. Yours for truth,
S. Edwin Thornton.
In Old Richardson.
Stella, Neb., Ocf. 3, '92.
Editor Alliance-Ihdependent:
Hon. J. H. Powers and Hon. Logan
Mclleynolds addressed a good audience
in city park at Auburn, Nemaha
county, last Saturday.
The people were highly pleased with
Mr. Powers' very forcible and convinc
ing presentation of the people's party
principles. , His plea for the people to
unite and wrest the reins of govern
ment from tho trickster politicians met
with general approval. And his glow
ing tribute to Gen. J. G. Field put
many a man to shame for having tried
to prevent people voting for him be
cause of his having been enlisted on
the wrong side thir y years ago. Mc
lleynolds also spoke well and made
many friends and the meeting was a
decided succe? s. T. G. F.
Hall County Safe.
Not long ago tho independents, of
Hall county met in county convention
and nominated the following ticket:
For representatives, Henry Schlot
feldt, and John L. Johnson; for county
attorneVi the present incumbent, Chas.
D. Kyan. Mr. Schlotfeldt was a mem
ber of the last house, and made an ex
cellent record. The democrats met
October 1st, and endorsed the whole
ticket.
la Oregon.
Governor Pensoyer of Oregon is on
the stump for tho people's party. He
addressed a zreat meeting at RDssberfir.
Oregon, October 1.
Independent Swedes.
The Swedes of South Omaha organ
ized an independent club September
29th. They propose to make their in
fluence felt where it will do the most
good.
At Franklin.
About 4,000 people attended the grand
rally at Franklin, S?pt. 30. Hen. W,
S Prickett of r airfield was tho princi
pal speaker
In Colfax.
Tho independents met at Schuvler
October, 1st, and re-noralnated Francis
Dunn for the legislature. Frank Sucha
and C. Funk were nominated for rep
resentatlves. J. A. Grimeson was
chairman of tho convention.
Gale's Successor Named.
The independent convention of the
rcprescnta'ive district comprising
Brown and Rock counties met at lias
sett October 1. An excellent speech
was made by Robert Wilbert. 11. Ford
a substantial and popular farmer was
nominated for tho legislature.
Van Wyck at Columbu.
When tho time came for the third
joint debate between Van Wyck and
Crounse at Columbus, Judge Crounso
failed to appear; but chairman Cady
appeared to say that tho Judge was
suffering from a sore eyo and couldn't
bi tere. So he tok tho Judgt's place
and tho debato went on
At Stromsburg.
Rosewa'.er went out to Stromsburg,
Polk county, Sept. 28, and delivered a
t poech somo three hours long to a small
tired looking crowd of republicans.
Tho principal features of his speech
were the advocacy of tho sugar bounty,
and a piece of doggerel about the peo
ple's party written by himself.
: Weaver in No. th Carolina.
General Weaver and Mrs. Lease ad
dressed a large crowd at Greensboro,
N. C, September 28. Dr. Exum, candi
date for governor, alsa spoke. They
were courteously treated.
They spoke on the 29th at Raleigh,
the capital of the state, to a very lare
and enthusiastic audience.
Wayne Wakened Up.
Wayne, Oct. 1.
September 20th, was tho date of the
bi blow out here. J. M. Devine spoke
to a fair-sized audienca in tho opera
house. In tho evening we bad a torch
light procession, and Hon. W. A. Poyn
ter addressed a lare audience. All are
well pleased with his speech. It looks
like the indepenpents will carry this
county. L. R.
liusinesg Men Awakened.
Louisville, Oct,, 1st, 1892. Hon.
Jerome Shamp spoke here to-night and
was well received and enthusiastically
applauded. "
His speech though short was well re
ceived, and made a decided impression,
Mr. Cundiff of Lincoln also spoke and
made an especial appeal to the business
well received and to-day many business
men are conceding there is much truth
in what he said.
In Valley County.
Edgerton and Mr. Howard
w KSVSU
here. They had a good audience on
the fair grounds. But few TT1AI1 nan"
- - ,. vsv &4
spjak successfully at a county fair
1 X. L'. T t i
out our joo can ana did. Then at
tho night meeting at the court house
Howard fil ed us full of thrilling mnofe-
The vast audience was delighted and
enthused. Our home vocalist Mr
Cronk sang one of his own songs.
J. W. Edgerton was introduced and
delighted, instructed and convinced his
audience that the people's party had a
j ust cause,a sound platform and a rapidlv
increasing following. One family came
twenty-five m:les to hear the speech
The wife said "it wa3 such a grand talk
somo of it seemed like a sermon and all
of it gospel." In short the speech was
one of the best over made in thiscountv
mar.y pronounce it tho best they ever
heard. H AfrrT
uru, uui., isi.