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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1898)
'4 i ? ia P K. fni- L t h. m r !'. It ,t I'N ' )-:. VOLUME XXVI. 1 -;-.-zzr -."Tff 1 H UNU UK Judge M. L. Hayward, Hepublican Candidate For Gov- eraoiyLays Bare POPULIST ECONOMY A Judgo lla-mnrd'a iptrcli, Delivered Before the KepublUin County Convention at Kanoaster County. I JudgoIIayward Bald: In January, 1897, tho rulmltilHtmtlon of this Htnto passed undor Popullstto. control. A circular re cently Issrcd, slgnod by tho threo chair mon nuil thrco secretaries of tho threo al leged "reform" partloi, entitled "Tho Reform Record," and bearing rt logond, "Truth wears no mask, Books neither filooo nor appluuso, nil sho socks la a hoar ng," contains tho claims and undertakes to glvo a iikihs of figures upon n consider ation of which tho l'opullflt stato ofllcors nsk for roolectlon. This olroularJs au thoritative and Is bclng,largoly.olroulatod oror tho state. Thoso claims and figures in brlof nro that in tho office of commis sioner of public lands nut buildings thuy have gained to tho state, jn comparison with Republican record, in round num bers, $358,000; in tho office of secretary of tote, 119,000. Not savings by appropria tions for the year 1897 ovor 1895, 071,000, and In addition to this, largo sums of monoy in tho conduct pf .the office of superintendent of publio instruc tion, state treasurer aild' various state in itlt;Mons generally. Accoptlng tho figures of this circular, Jho voter Is led to bellevo that during tho past 80 months thoprcsont administra tion has saved tho peoplo of this stato nearly $1,000,000, or to bo inoro accurate. 959,0' $.4JJ,in- addition to tho high sound ing claims mndo for tho attorney genoral on account of suits brought and not yet determined. These olalms, neither small nor modest In amount, rcquiro candid consideration. The clroular parades theso Btato ofllcors as personifications of truth "wearing no mask, Becking nolthor place nor applause, and only seeking a hear ing. " Aro those, figures a plain statement of unvnrnlBhod fuots, or aro thoy, on tho r contrary, a distorted, jumbled mass of misleading statements, containing horo aiyl thoro a half truth, constituting in their entirety an Imposition and a lief Aro theso ofllcors truly seeking noplaco, hoapplauso? Are they simply asking n hearing, or is tho circular but a specious plea of thocotcrlo seeking place and re election to positions far mora remunera tive than art open to any of them in the walks of private life? A Party Hay Claim What X J ant. A party may justly claim credit for tho legitimate and natural results flowing rom putting its distinctive party prin liples into practical operation. It can c lalm no monopoly on individual honesty, lonesty and patriotism aro a common teritago of good citizenship, Those high Attributes are found in tho great majority of peoplo without regard to political afllli itlon. I appeal to tho oltlzons of No iraska, bo they Populists, Domoorats of llthcr varloty, Prohibitionists or Repub loans, only because I have confidence in heir Intelligence to discern the truth and equal confidence in tholr honosty to act upon the truth as they sco It. Tho citi zens of this state aro law abiding, honor able and patriotic, thoy Uvoln high hope And have lofty ambitions for thomsolvos Individually, aud for tho state at largo; hoy havo nothing in common with tho hlcf, the mlsohldf maker, tho disturber it publio peace or tho unpatriotic. It is a tonot of every Amorlcan that honesty, faithfulness, efficiency, Jovo of country and fidelity in her service should bo recognized and rewarded, and equally as strongly embedded in tho heart and brain of every true man of whatsoever party is the proposition that the lawless, the false, he who has betrayed a trust roposod in him in either publio or private llfo, should be certainly and Adequately punished. Wo mako no dofonso for wrong doing; we ask no Immunity from punlshmont for the defaulting official who has vio lated tho trust and the cbnfldenco of his follows and has brought disgrace upon his party and the stato. I go f urthor; Whatovor may bo said of tho defaulters who belong to othor parties, and their name is legion, I believe the severest pen alties of the law should bo visited upon a Republican who is false to his trust, for ho reason that ho sins against n greater Ilght; ho has been taught better; ho ihows better and, therefore, If ho falls, is hla sin greater and his punishment &ould be morn severe, p 1 An Unjnit Condemnation. But slnoe honesty and fldollty aro tho teaohlngs of ovory party it is manifestly unjust to punish a party for th6 dishon esty of one who, at the time of his nomi nation and election to office, after duo in quiry and care exercised, was found to bear a good reputation among his fellows and counted by thoso who know him best as fit for tho place, but who after his elec tion proved falso and betrayed tho peoplo who put their confidence In hhn. Inovery i it i. ii. , , y, MMl.-. ,M,...l..,Jl..M..trJ1.,-.1lrtr...r -Tfr-ir--1lrlr-TafniL-1-Tr,rln1-1-,1g,LL H LAMPAKN. I Fusion Sophistry. YEBY EXPENSIVE LUXURY. walk of prlvnto lite, lb ovcry profession, in ovcry day and ago of tho world hoihu men havo fallen. Arnold betrayed tho counsels nt Washington; Lincoln was do celved and imposed upon hundreds of times, and oven holy writ tolls us that ono of tho twelvo chosen of the Infinite and all wso Ono betrayed him for a few paltry dollars, and yet- no considerate, patrlotto man was justified In abandoning thocauoo of tho revolutionary hcroc3, tho union, or tho rollglon of Jesus Christ. Parties nro to bo judged for tholr princi ples and tho practical operation of thoso principles upon tho wolfaro of tho people. wo should not condomn tho wholo Domo cratlo party simply bocauso of tho opera tions of Tweed in Now York or tho de falcation of Stato Treasurer Ramsoy, bosom frlond of Altgold, tho Donvtcrntlo idol of Illinois; wo should not condomn the wholo Populist party bocauso of Its Taylor who sold out In tho stato legisla ture in 1891; its numorous defaulting county treasurers and township treas urers throughout tho stato, nor can you fairly condemn tho Republican party bo causo'it has boon cursod with a Burtioy and a Moore. Pops Twist Facts. In the clroular of whloh I speak tho Impression is sought to bo given that In somo way, as tho natural results of fu sion, thoro has resulted nn immenso sum of monoy made for tho state. Does tho fact justify tho impression? Tho cardinal principles of tho comb! no, stated in the national Populist platform of 1893 and reiterated in tho succossivo platforms, aro tho lssudnco by tho govern ment of Irredeemable papc or flat monoy with free and unllmltod colnngo of silver at 18 to 1 as a stepping stone; tho inflation of our curroncy to at least $40 por capita; tho sub-treasury sohomo as, a means of distribution; tho government ownership and operation of railroads, telegraphs and telephones, with their regulation to suit, pending their absolute acquisition, and ownership oi tno sources or wealth gen erally. Tho circular is scar-.hod in vain for evi dence that the largo sums of money claimed to have been made for the peoplo aro duo in tho least to putting into opera tion any of these dootrlnes which, with the exception of frco coinage of silver, are not now seriously advocated by any con siderable number of , loaders or followers of tho opposition. Their present claims, thon, do not follow from putting into law or practlco their distinctive dootrlnes. Thoy aro not party olalms. They aro olalms mado in behalf of individuals only claims of oxccutlvo officers whoso only power Is to oxoouto tho laws and dispense .the appropriations mado by tho legisla ture No stato officer can mako monoy for tho stuto. Tho stato can mako no monoy, for itself. Tho stato is supported by tho tax payer. Stato institutions and stato offic ers aro at best but taxcaters. Every dollar handled by any officer, bo ho elected or appointed, must first bo col lected from tho peoplo by the tax gath erer. Theso taxes aro levied by tho proper officor, and whon collected aro placed In certain doflnlto funds to bo oxpcndodao cording to law. Lot mo illustrato with tho school fund about which so much is aid in this clroular: About the School Food, Section 8, artlole 8, of tho stato constitution- (mado by Republicans) provides: "The following are hereby doclarod to bo perpetual funds for common school pur poses, of which the annual interest or in come only can bo appropriated: First, suchperoentum as has boon or may here after bo granted by congress on tho salo of lands in this stato. Second, all moneys arising from the salo or tho leasing of sections number 10 and 80 in each town ship in this state, and tho lands selected or that may bo selected in llou thereof. Third, tho proceeds of all lands that have been or may hereafter be granted to this state whereby tho terms and conditions of suoh grant, the same aro not to bo other wise appropriated. Fourth, the net pro ceeds of lands and othor property aad ef fects that may oome to tho state by escheat or forfeiture or from unolalmed dividends or distributive shares of the estates of de ceased persons. Fifth, all monoy s, stocks, bonds, lands and othor proporty now be longing to common school fund." By sections 4 and 6 of tho sumo article of tho constitution all rents of unsold school lands, gifts and tho llko, Interest arising from tho permanent fund, nil flues, penalties and Uconsa moneys and such other means as Mm legislature may provide, are applied to tho support of our common aohaaUaiid constitute the "tem HED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, SEPT. BO. 1898. porary scnoof lutul." Tho constitution expressly forbids tho diminution of thoporuinuctitschool fund; that fund must remain Inviolate. Tho stato temporary school fund Is for current use and Is made up principally of: First, interest on porninuent school fund; second, rents on unsold school lands; this fund Is apportioned to tho sev eral counties In January and July of each fear as collected. With tho oxeoptlon of lntorcst derived from tho Invested school funds, overy dollar of this temporary fund Is collected by tho oounty olllcorn from tho people, and by thorn turned into tho state treasury. Tho stato ofllcors havo abso lutely nothing to npjHirtlon until It Is first collected by officers In tho counties whoso actions thoy cannot command and over whom thoy havo practically no con trol. If tlmos oro good and tho people pay the county treasurer ho In turn pays over to the btato treasurer and tho reform state officers may apportion tho collections made Tho rule and practlco has Hot been changed and Is tho samo now that it has been over since tho adoption of tho constl trtlon in 1875. Delinquent Tuxe Aro AioU. Tho puyment of taxos reflect tho busi ness conditions of tho country. In pros perous times tho peoplo havo tho means and pay their taxes. Whon times aro bad they hao not tho means, they cannot and do i:ot pay. Let It bo remembered, how ever, that tho unpaid tuxes do not lapse, but thoy rotnaln on tho books as ho much assets of tho stato to bo collected In addi tion to the regular annual tax, as soon as times improve and tho people havo tho monoy wherewith to pay. "Taxes aro as suro as death," Is an old adago worthy of acceptation. IIow misleading and untruo it Is, thon, for an ofllcor or a party to tako credit for pay mont of taxes by tho pooplo I Wo cheer fully concodo that collection of taxos lias boon much larger and caslor since No vember. 1890, than for four years no.xt preceding. It is a significant fact, which tho intelligent voter will not ovorlook, that tho date and duration of advorso bal ances Is tho prcelso date und duration of a national administration, and policy for which tho fusion forcos and not Republi cans aro responsible, and tho dato and du ration of tho prosperous finances, of which boast Is mado, is identical with tho ad ministration of tho idol of our party, President MoKlnloy. During tho years from 1803 to 1890, in clusive, our stato suffcrod nn unprece dented series of crop failures, and theso, added to tho business depression over tho entire land, mado and kept our pooplo In more straitened circumstances than over beforo in Uio history of tho stato. Lot mo submit to tho candid Judgment of my follow citizens a fow plain facts and fig ures which mako their own argument more convincing than declamation facts and figures which may not bo juggled: Showing Made by Bankars. Tho reports of stato and private banks of this state show that on Nov. 5, 1893, wo had of these banks 539, capital stock, $11, 867,090; gonoral deposits, $34,891,118.29; loans and discounts, $38,889,070.40. On Deo. 9, 1894, thoro were of thoso banks 493; capital stock, 110,407,888.86; general deposits, $18,074,833.48; loans and discounts, $23,658,003.41. On Deo. 81, 1890, there were of those banks only 403; capital stock, $8,883,005.60; genoral deposits, $10,837,637.93; loans and discounts, $14,003,808.88. In other words In thoso four years, 77, or ono out of ovory seven private and stato banks, went out of oxlstonco and thoro was a reduction of over $3,000,000 In tholr capital stock; ovor $14,600,000, or three-fifths of tholr genoral deposits, and nearly ;14,000,000, or nearly ona-half, in their loans and discounts. Tho cxpor lonco of national banks In our stato was equally as disastrous. Turn to tho real estate mortgage in dobtednoss of our pooplo. In Gngeo ounly in 1891 thoro was an increase of $01,683, and as late as 1890 there was in Otoo county an lncreaso of $95,051; and in York county $180,129.68. Tako collections for this stato temporary school fund, of which I have spoken, using Jefferson and Kear ney count los as illustrations: Jefferson county, in 1895, $3,083.47; 1890, $8,044.10. Kearney county, 1895, $3,181.75; 1890, $3, 803.01. Their own clroular shows, what we all remember as an Instance of that horrlblo four years nightmare, that tho legislature was compolled to appropriate $860,000 to feed and furnish seed grain to our desti tute pooplo. Wo were practically forced into dobt as a state for that amount to meet the awful emergonoy forced then upon us. IIow could a people in that con dition pay tholr tax, tholr rental, either interest or principal on what they owed, tfnjuttt Credit Claimed. Tho state, as well as Individual creditors was unablo to collect, but unllko individ ual creditors, tho claims of tho stato aro not barred by tho statute of limitations and when times Improve tho claims of tho state are made good. Rentals on school lands and payments on school V nd con tracts, where theso woro not CtnoMled, and all demands of tho stato on citizens remained unpaid for tho tlmo being for tho samo reasons which compolled tho banks to break and tho farmers to in crease tholr mortgages. In tho light of thoso facts, which no ono can dispute, is It not tho greatest of absurdity and im position to claim a superiority for tho S resent state officers for eollootlons and Isbursemonts mado In these prosperous tlmos, und which wero not possible in tho days of drouth and tho development of Populism. -ifrrtHfJ-t-x-MiMn;-)i. w. hi tno Niuin circular thoy claim a "bal ance In favor of reform" In school appor tlonmontof $.11,119:1.83 In Douglas county, and $8:1,635.07 In Umcnster county for tho year 1897 and tho Ilfrt half of Ib'.W, ih com pared with tin second half of 1895 and tho year 181W. What Is tho truth about this? 1 havo already shown you tho apportion ment Is made to tho several counties front the money collected. Tho distribution Is mado In proportion to tho children of school ago lit the fcoveral counties. It Is Important then to ascertain what Is col lected from each county. Nothing Is ;ald out of tho state treasury until It is paid In by tho people. What havo tho people of theso counties pnld lnr Resides the tem porary school fund drawn front sources atxivo stated, tho stato levies it school tax which was, In 1H9U, one-half mill, In 1891, raised to .076 of a mill, In 1896, .75. In 1890, eollected by tho fustonlstsnt 1.86 and In 1897 tho levy was 1.(176, or ntoro than dou ble earlier levies, Theso levies all rofer to Lancaster county, Wliero l'roancrlty Count. In tho laxt 1ml f of 18111. Lancaster coun ty paid to tho state upon such school levy 12,010.18, In 189U sho paid $5,805.07, a total in tho 18 months mentioned by thu fusion proolamatlon of $8,485.b0. From January 1, 1897, to July 1, 1898, tho same county paid tho stato upon tho school low 819,ils:i or $10,897.80 more thnii was paid tho Re publican administration In tho tlmo men tioned. From July 1,1895. to January 1,1897. the sitmo county paid thu state for rent mid lutorest upon school lauds, $U,li92.&3, and from January 1, 1897, to July 1, 189S, from tho samo funds, Lancaster county paid tho stato $36,749.80, or $31,858.08 more than wits tald tho Republicans In the 18 months mentioned. To this add tho f 10, 897.80 excess paid the stnto on school lands and wo find that this county paid to tho prosent administration $:t3,255.38 more than the samo county paid lit tho preced ing 18 months. It Is only claimed that tho stnto paid this county in tho tlmo montloned $33,625.68, so that tho county lost in this deal $3,720.88. The samo Is probably true of other counties. Cunning Funlun Sophistry. Tho party making up tho fusion circu lar cunningly makes tho tlmo fixed for tho Republicans from July 1, 1895, to Jan. 1, 1897, thus Including the last half of two years aud tho first half of only ono. For Ihomsclvcs they reverse this order and In clude tho first half of two years and thu last half of only ono. This was liccauso, as thoy well know, nearly all taxes In Ne braska and nearly all rents and interests on school lauds nro paid in tho first half of caohyear, us wo seo by tho following figures: Douglas county jwild taxes In tho first half of 1890, $358.683.4 ; In tho last half, $111,033.63. In the year 1897, first half, $303,000.57; in tho last half only $143,803.20. Lancaster oounty iald in tho first half of 1897, $313,403.91; in tho last half, $189,748.01. These flgurec speak for thomsolvos and show tho cunning crafti ness with which tho circular was pre pared. Another reason why tho apportionment of school monoy was increased in 1897 and tho first half of 1893 Is sho n by tho faet that the state collected In 1895, from in terest on sohool lands sold, $149,481.68, and In 1897, $398,045.85, and In tho first half of 1898, $300,903.80. and from rents of sohool lands in 1895, $43,841.00! in 1897, $115,878.03, and in tho first halt of 1898, $44,088.98. In view of thoso collections, it is not strango that tho disbursements for schools wore Increased. Increase Apportionment Hoax. Tho simple truth Is, the peoplo have been taxed more heavily, havo paid mora liberally and thortforo enjoyed a larger apporuonmoni. it is tne rankest ueraa goguory for those self styled "reformers" to claim thoy havo given this increased apportionment to the pooplo. Tho condi tions have in tho past; two yours most wondorfully improved. The foot Is potent, orops havo been bountiful, prices for cereals of all kinds, of sheep, hogs, cattle and horses, everything raised on tho farm, have boon gratlfylngly higher. Duslnosa has revived; f armors and moohanics, la borers and professional mon nro all en couraged, Noto again somo figures: As shown by tho roports of the state and private banks Of this state, on July 14, 1898, tho gonoral doposlts wero $17,009,231.44; loans and dis counts, $15,160,053.89,- or a gain In 18 months of over $7,000,000 In deposits; an lncreaso of only about $500,000 in loans. Tho samo report shows that in all bunks of this Btato thero was an Increase of over ft-1 IWI IVA In .lnnA.ll. MA.rt TC..1. Oil 04O n y'UW.VW 411 UUJfVaibS UUII4 X UU. J.U, 40IKJ, IU uly i4, 1808, whllo loans und discounts woro reduced ovor $090,000. In othor words, bur people now, instead of going into debt for living expenses, aro living better than ever beforo, and at tho samo tlmo lnoroaslng tholr doposlts In tho bank at tho rate of nearly $600,000 per month, and decreasing thou loans at tho bank at tho rate of nearly $160,000. Tho net result is, in our bank operations alone, that our people are going to tho good at the rate of $060,000 per month. Tako tho collections for tho stato tem porary sohool funds, using the samo coun ties for further illustration. Jefferson county in 1897, $0,805, or mora than doublo the amount collected in 1800. First half of 1893, $4,803.96, or a gain of nearly one third over tho corresponding period of 1897. Kearney county, July 1,1807, to July 1, 1898, $18,978.75, or more than six times as much as in tho year from July 1, 1894, to July 1, 1895. This lsprosperlty; thoso aro truly Re publican tlmos, Tho days of busting banks, delinquent taxos, relief bills and partlos tha feed and grow on calamity aro, I hope, toon oil to bo only reminis cences. How tha Dbt Was Iladuoad. Ono of tho principal claims mado by tho roformors ia that in 18 months tholr state treasurer lias reduced tho interest bearing dobt $700,543.99, seeking to create tho iuprosslon that tbey havo given this amount to tho stato. Candor, howover, compelled them to stnto in tho same con nection that tho present incumbent re ceived from Mr. llartley tho following sums of money: Gonoral fund, $301 215,84; sinking fund, $188,787.89. Theso amounts were appll cable JipojU&ft. Uiigres. AtpatiOM Jlt of the sruto una explain now tint trvn-mrur paid $I:I7,9.VI.13 of tho state debt. Ho also received money iKilonglng to other funds at the Kimu date, $190,107.47, or it total of $03 1,000.00. Those figures mnko tho state ment of tho circular that nearly nil tho cash In the treasury had been stolen hard to bellevo. Aside from this cash, thu statu had Jan. 1, 1897, as it cash asset, the delinquent tux list. I'rom this list, Douglas county bus tiuld tho prcsvut treasurer In 18 mouths, UIT28.67. As Douglas county pays ono utlf of tho state taxes, It is fair to assume that the present treasurer hits collected from delinquent taxes levied prior to 1890, $3.3,8'.S.60. In addition to this tho state levied III 1890 a sinking fund nmountlug to $103,510.81 and tho samo for 1897. Thu whole sinking fund tax for 1800, If col lected, and two-thirds of tho tax for 1897, which, as wo have seen, was likely paid In the first hair of 1MW. make $1?.',&U.S.07. These three Items make much mo.ru thnti tho present treasurer claims to havo paid tinou tho Interest bearluir debt of the stato aud mako his claim of dolngso much ior tno suite appear very sum. Hartley Turned Ovor Cmli. Thoro was In his hands on thu 16th day of .September, 1893, tho sum of $10:1,091, 00, of which nearly onu-half Is lit tho perma nent school fund. If tho action of Mr. llartley In holding lit his hands large amounts of money Is tuihtcct to Just criti cism, its tt certainly Is, thou tho holding by tho present treasurer of the amount of $170,010.00 of permanent school fund Is also reprehensible. 1 maintain tlmtr no money taken from tho peoplo which Is available for thu reduction of dobttl or for Investment should bo held for ono mo ment by thu state officer, but on thu con trary should bo immediately Invested or applied to tho reduction of the obligations oi me tutiu, aim i trust, mac tuo next leg islature will seo to It that our reventio laws aro so amended that large hoards of money will not bo withdrawn from tho channels of buslncssand looked up within tho vaults of the stato treasury or fanned out to depositories, but on tho contrary, that collection and payment shall bo, so far as possible, contemporaneous nets. , The claim of tho prosent stato auditor that ho has saved to tho statu In round numbers $100,000 Is equally without foun dation. This saving Is mado up, us ho al leges, us follows: 'Sheriffs' und other fees, $21,024; collecting statu tuxes, $44,800; from office fees, $J8,606.44; by not paying salaries In ndvanco, $5,881.51. Tho change in sheriffs' fees for transortlng prisoners, iuvenlle offenders and Insane persons has icon mado by law. In the curly days when transportation wns by vehicle a Jaw was passed allowing thq sheriff 10 cents per mile for each mile necessarily trav eled, Now that nearly every county seat In the stato Is accessible by railway and thorato of transportation is but 8 cents por mllo, tho luw has bom proiierly changed to allow tho sheriff his por diem and uctualoxpoiittosonly. Similar changes in tho statuto nro being mndo each recur ring session of tho legislature and there is no foundation whatever for the auditor taking credit for this amount. Porter's Falie Poiltlon. The secrotary of state makes a claim of nearly $20,000 mado by his office In 18 months, over that mado by his predeces sor In two years. The secretary omits to state tho fact that of this amount $18,000 was paid by tho Union Paclflo Railroad company for filing Its articles of Incor poration, an net made necessary by tho wise action of the republican national ad ministration, whloh brought to a success ful issue the long standing and vexatious controversy with the Faotflo roods. It is liardlr Ukelv that a similar occasion will occur again in your lifetime or mlno. Tho intelligent voter will also recall that, act ing on tho example set by states around us. notably of Iowa, tho legislature in 1897 passed a law whloh taxed all corpor ations filing articles with the secretary of stato. Previous to that tlmo tho luw pro vided a fee of only a dollar, which wa Iirosumod to compensate for tho actual abor in filing and recording articles of Incorporation. Now tho minimum fco Is 510, with an additional 10 cents for each 1.000 on all articles of incorporation whoro tho capital stock is over $100,000. Undor republican prosperity during tho past 16 months thoro havo been more new creamory compunlos organized lu tho stato than existed therein prior to that tlmo. Kuch of thoso paid a filing foe of $10, whore formerly thoy paid only $1 each. It Is not claimed, nolthor can it bo. that formor secretaries of state havo failed to collect overy dollar duo tho state, or collecting have failed to turn tho monoy into tho treasury. IIow thon. in fulrness, can the secretary claim superiority. When wo recall that tho supremo court, nearly a year ago, rendered a decision that undor tho constitution all fees for services rendered by the office of auditor or secretary must be paid in advance into the treasury "by the party desiring tho service to be performed," and that neither tho auditor nor secretary have, as a matter of fact, in late months, handled theso fees. Their claim for honesty in the pre mises does not scorn to bo baaed on a strong foundation. Tha Appropriation Arg-ameatt Perhaps the most romarkable claim mado in the reform circular Is that in which the reformers plumo thpmselves on tho splendid record of the legislature of 1897, and tno claim is boldly set forth that in their appropriations they paade a "not saving in 1897 over 1895 of $7L878.18. ' Is it possible that these psoudo-rcformcra Srooood on the proposition that the peoplo o not understand the difference between Amounts appropriatod and tho amounts expendodf Do they persumo that tho peo ple do not understand that appropriations aro simply the estimates of tho loglslaturo of the amounts required for tho several uses of tho government, and permission given to oxitend the amount estimated f The Important fuot to tho peoplo not so much whnt Is appropriated, although ap propriations whloh nro permissions to ox pond should ulwuys bo carefully mado and within thu proper limits, but tho impor tant question Is how inuoh Juts boon ex pended and for what purpose, Tho neces sity of ono blonnial term may bo largoly in excess, or much below that of another terio. NUMBER 38 Tiot us compuro tho expenditures, then, of tho two tonus to whloh our attention is challenged by our adversaries. Klttitl Hitting salaries, spcclflo olalniH mid fixed charges, wo find thero wero warrants drawn against tho appropriation for 1895, up to September 1, 1890, $1,470,099.61, but this Includes tV&O.OOO rollof bills fur drouth sulTerers; $10,88.1.80 boot sugar bounty, which warrants havo not boon paid; $31, 127 oxponsos of maximum rato caso und $35,000 for cancellation of prison contract, making nn nggrognto of $353,018.80 to bo deducted from gross nmoiint of tho war rants, leaving a balanco paid for tho or dinary oxpensos of that term, $1,117,080.09, Now tako tho warrants drawn for thu cnrrosK)iidlng time against tho appro priation of 1897. Iteform Kxpsnslve Luxury. Wo find that up to Sopt. 1, 1898, thoro word drawn itgnlnst this appropriation of 1897 $l,l!00,817.7i, Excluslvo from this nmoiint tho warrants drawn on account of tho Tntiisnilsslsslppl exposition, $78, 997,63, and wo hnvuu total net expenditure out of tho appropriation of 1897 up to Hopt. 1, 1898, of $1,237,819.19, or In othor words tha alleged economical reform ad ministration has spoilt lu round numbers ovor $100,000 more than did tho Republican administration for tho ordinary expenses of statu government. In addition to this It must Ihs remembered that tho coltlcmcne and cancellation of tho old prison con tract and tho Buhfttltut Ion thcrcforo of tho present law WUH tho action of tho Kupub'lo an legislature of 1805, and yet In this cir cular issued to tho public, and In whloh thoy pumduiiH monopolists or iriun, tno KcptlDllcuiig nru cuargcu aro with tho $35,000 paid for tho cancellation of tho purchase proporty and tho contract altd of thu contractor's nttho samo tlmo theso Hume o reioi formers claim that undor tho Pomillst admlnl- tratlon the iieitltentinry has locomo self supporting and no longer presents an ex ample of Republican extravagance. I ro grotto bo compelled to mnr this pleasing picture by calling attention to tho fact that tno loglslaturo of 1806, after cancell ing the prison conttftot, appropriated $49,010 for tho maintenance or tho peni tentiary from April 1, 1895, to March 1)1, 1800, and $62,M0 To mfttrifaln it from April 1, 1890, to March 81, 1697. While claiming to have mado this Institution self-supporting, tho reformers used $14,970 of tho first appropriation and $18,970,117 of tho sco oud appropriation; nivi further, In tho summer of 1897, used if -00 of thb 1895 an- Sroprlatlon, making a lotal of $90,860.11 uring tho two years of thu tlmo tho In stitution was under control of tho same ofllcors as now, and whllo tho claim that It wnH self-supporting wns being mado. lluttorlno ICfonoiny. lam sum I need not mora than cull your attention to the fact that tho legiti mate costs of maintaining tin institution vary with tho times, the price of supplies itiKl still more with tho quality of the sup plies whloh aro furnished. A very con siderable dlfforonco may bo mado by sub stituting, as it is claimed, thetfacts are, butterlno for butter, cheaper on, poorer clothing for the moro comfortaub, and reducing generally tho quality of tne liv ing of tho depondont wards of tho state. Tho homo for tho friendless has boon de nied support entirely. The buttqrlae bought for Hasting asy lum In tho last fourteen; months is 11,600 'pounds, for whloh tho state board paid $1,144.80. At that rate por capita tho total Amount during' samo tlmo for All state institutions Was 61,860 pounds. The price paid at that rate, all to a Kan- i Citv nacklns- honse. was $5,185.00. What ought to havo been paid to Ne braska butter makers Is tl0.U71.8O. The amount paid to tho Missouri fac tory is takon out of circulation in Ne braska. It Is a new way to "stand up for Ne braska!" Tho saving mado thoroby onablea them to mako their showing for reform. The plain truth U that tho figures and show ing mado In tho circular, und constituting the specious plea of candidates for re election is accounted for by tho orlmo of Uartloy, tho changes mado by law in the fees of ofllcoj Increased collections, duo to bettor times and tho small saving, if sav ing there bo, due to the supplying with poorer accommodations and poorer food the Inmates of our state institutions. Iloleomb Was Wanting-. For tho crlmo of Bartleyand Moorowo entertain no thought and speak no word other than Everest condemnation. Their offenses will not bo excused nor palllnted, but lot It lie remoiiiucreu mat tnoir ao- faleattont, occurred during their last term and while Silas Iloleomb was gov ernor of tho state. Under tho law And nrru-.tlce whloh nrovalls these officers lawand htado a report of tne condition of their offices overy six months to thegovomor. The governor as chief executive officer of the state" is charged with general oversight and tho duty of conserving ovcry right of tho stato. The successive roports of Moore during his' list tern show upon tholr faco that tho feea re--celved by him had not boon turned Into the state treasury. Governor Iloleomb knew from thoso reports that tho pay ments had Hot boon mado tothosfal. Tho last report made by Moore showing tho paymont of fees was in July, 1800. Three roports were thereafter made by him, each of whloh showed hkf default, and yet tho governor took no step what ever to protect tho interests of tae stato. Tho testimony of Governor Holcomb on tho criminal trial of .Bartley was to the effect that Bartloy fully accounted to him in January, 1805, for every dollar then in his hands, and that there was ot that time no default. On tho trial of the suit brought by tho stato of Nobroska against tho bondsmen to recover tho amount of tho defalcation, lion, Frank T. Ransom, an attorney for tho liondsmen, and a high priest in tho ranks of fusion, of fered to prove by a witness, whom ho then produced, tlutt on .fanuary 8, 1896 aud beforo tho npprovul of tho bond of tho treasurer for tho Bccond term, that thoro wis a fdiortago of inoro tlian $350, 000, und that tho shortugo was known to tno governor at taut time. y ww ' ever mav bo tho jaci on utAf -sracie on tJat.jrapl vttf i) , (CONTINUKD ON : 5- ?'- i A 't-' . i.v M t i i 'A 4- ;i L r U '.J.ifH-- pip,, -X9t W .-..' ,,.'.. V