Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-03-20
From the Iowa Republican.

in the canvass more certain in his estimation,
deem it proper to lay before the people, to some
extent, his pretensions and qualifications Tor the
important post to which he aspires. Judging from
the Report which he made to the last legislature,
constrained to believe that he has manifest
ly shown himself totally unfit to receive the CONN.,
dence and support of majority of the electors OF
the state. In that Report may be found, on page
So, the following language, 70 wit: sI would re-
mark further that difference of opinion, exists as
to the meaning OF the language paid out OF The
school fund.- used in the law Of February "a ls47.
Some contend that the principals and others that the
interest Of the fund is referred to. Finding upon
examination, that, with but few exceptions, Inc SAL
aries of fund commissioners had been paid OUT OF
the principal for the sake Of uniformity refunded
the amounts taken from the interest in the manner
heretofore alluded to. The salaries Of these eti-
then, from the first of April fS47 TO the 3lstof
January 1S49. as far as | am advised, nave been
paid out of the principal OF the school lund.''-
Now if our readers win turn to the Constitution OF
the State, they viii find in Art 10, Sec p the fol-
lowing; to it:-sThe proceeds Of all lands that
have been. or hereafter may be granted BY the
United Staes this State for the support OF Com
mon Schools, which shall hereafter be sold or dis
posed Of, and the five hundred thousand acres OF
land granted to the new States under an act OF
Congress distributing the proceeds OF me Puohc
lands among the several States Of the Union; APP
proved A. D. IS4l and all estates of deceased per
sons, vino may have died without leaving viii or
heir also, such per cent, as may be granted ~
Congress the sale Of lands in this State, sHGn De
which, together with all the rents of the unsold
lands, and such other means as the General Assem-
bly, may provide, shall be invloably appropriated 10
the support of Common Schools throughout the
State, Aud in the 25th Sec. of the School Law OIL
I847 it is made the duty Of the superintendent OF
Public instruction, sbefore entering Oh the duties
of his office, take and subscribe an oath that he
will support the Constitution of this State.'
From these extracts it will be seen, that MI
Benton not only aequiesced IN the appropriation Of
the principal of the permanent school fund 10 pay
the salaries of officers, in violation OF the Constu-
ton of the State. which he had sworn to support.
but that he also participated IN squanderlng TINS
s.perpeual fund.- by approprating 1t, IN person, IN
counties where subordinate officers seemed To un-
derstand their duties under the Constitution, better
than their official head. The actual loss which the
perpetual school fund.- has thus sustained cannot
be gather ed with any thing like accuracy, from Mr.
Benton,s Report. But il will be seen. from the
above extract page 521 that the School fund Com
missioners were paid out the principal from the
first Of April lS47 to the 3ist OF FEB is49 perloa
of one year and ten months. IL Will ais" re seehs
on page 66 of the Report, that their salaries for
1s4s, amounted to $500 "a; and ON page IS that
the salaries for 1850 amounted to $500 ST. Hence
il will be seen that during the first % months OF
Mr. Benton's official career as superintendent, he
diminished the permanent fund under his control, |
about 81 10000. "-
Mr. Benton also, says, on page "a of his Report, |
that, sNfy impression is that the abstracts OF the
Fund Commits sioners' reports appended to this re-
port, will not show the nett amount OF the school
fund now interest by some ten thousand dollars,
nor is there any reliable information in this Office
by which the amount of interest that has been col
lected and the object to which 1t has been applied,
can be asCertained." We ask our readers TO look |
over this last quotation again, and then reflect that
Benton is the official head Of this system, that he
is acting under law framed by himself, by which
as he saws, il is made his "duty ~ examine the
books and accounts of the Fund Commissioners
fSee Report p. 56.)- The COL Acknowledges that he
is of the ..inpresson' that some ten housdnd dol
lars is unaccounted for THAT he does not Know
how much interest has been collected on the resi- |
due Nor how it has been appropriated! Why, |
we would ask him, is he thus bewildered? Why
is he amazed and lost at such ssinexplicabiityP"
As before remarked, he is the father oil the school
Law under which he is acting. This law makes II |
his duty not Only to knotr show much interest has
been collecte' and ho,c exit hes been appropriately,
but TO appropriate it himself and not one cent can
be legally disposed OF, without MS warrant. anu
to enable him to act Understandings IN the pre-
misses il is made his duty to supervise the business
of all the Fund Commissioners; and very large |
general powers conferred, which enable MIN 10
enact rules with the force OF law, on every sunect
paced under his supervision and 10 compel snbor-
dinates 10 opt such forms and rules as ne may |
dictate to them. Yet with all this power, ne Is
confused and completely bewildered IN the bust
ness that has been entrusted 70 ms care. ne Goes
not know and cannot tell how much prlncipai Is al
interes ST. but is Of ssthe impression that some ten
thousa and dollars are unaccounted for" He has not
informed the readers Of his Report how much In
nosea of hut he might have informed the people
that he loaned Gov. Briggs $4,000 90, and Mr Hen
dershott the sum of $s53,T0, without law ana sane
toned the payment OF about ell 100000 OF the pr-
cipaI salaries to officers, IN uiree. opposn W
the expressed words and intent OF she Consntuuon
and laws. s..... -.
we have sometime since been informed that Mr.
Benton was ve.y far from being good accountant,
and that he was most wofuy inaccurate as bust
ness man. but we cannot, from the acquaintance we
have with him, he made to believe but that II he
had have remained in the State and applied mmself
closely to the business OF his ONCE "ih the assist
once of /, good business clerk, he might have done
mach better, During the time in which he was
engaged in per amhulating the Atlantic states anu
Texas he might have in formed himself amply upon
these subjects and thus have enabled hlmseif TO
have rendered something like an adequate return
for the large sums of money the people OF this
State have paid on this account.
He saws in his report of lS4S, that he spent his
time in preparing circulars, forms, etc, without
visiting officially. any part OF has hed OF labor
And by reading the fourth page OF his recent Re-
port il q i'll be seen, that his second year was con-
sumed in writing circulars and publishing sundry
pamphlets. And we will add, In making pleas
ure trip to the east. He informs the country how
ever, that sduring the present year, aS5o) he has
..traveled extensively throughout the State, and
lectured wherever il was practicable to do so."-
But how far is this true2 Early last spring he
went to Texas, we are informed, and was not
reported by his friends, to be in this State, until at
ter the 4th of last July. 1t was understood here,
that he was IN Texas and st Louis during this Pc
Matchmaking arrangements to emigrate to Califor-
mia. He has been in Iowa City from the first Of
December last until after his denomination by a
few Office holders of this city, as candidate for
reelection. We make these statements so that
the voters of the State may know something about
his extensive travels in othe State during the pre-
sent YEAR,, that must have been performed between
the 4th of July and the LIST OF December last! pc
riod Of less than fire months. This, we in
clined to think, is one reason why he knows so
little about the business Of his office and the condi
ton Of the school Fund.-!
The truth is he has possessed guilty conscience,
ever since he usurped the Office, With the intention
of leaving the state for the region OF gold as soon
as he pockeed his three years salary OF fcere hun
bred dollars per. dnpum, and the contingent fund
of five hundred more with interest. Not intending
this state to be his permanent home he felt safe in
occupying his time in travelling in the South and
east and every where else except at home, in Iowa,
where he was paid to travel and lecture upon cdu-
cation. The Office he held was void of attraction
to bim-he felt deep and abiding interest in the
subject-as he was about to leave for the rest.--
But as the news from California became rather
gloomy, he concluded that $1,000 90 year and ex
pcnses thrown in, would be Infinitely better to him,
even as tourist abroad, than his prospects on the
Pacific. SO he has very graciously condescendrd
to remain with while longer, particularly II we
will continue him in office. "-
But voters of Iowa, what has Benton already cost
the State ? Had the election of 1S47 been permit
ted to remain by the leaders of the 10
cofoco party, the entire 100000 acres Of school
A--.~ A-nv~ rtnI ND NrnI