Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-07-16

Martin 1. Morris, Republican ststa
Treasurer, controls . Treasury from
which one hundred and ten thousand
dollars are missing. p. Morriarty has
swindled the State out of Thousands o.
dollars, by charging twice for the same
work. Sells has charged the State
two hundred and fifty dollars for acting
as Governor, while Grimes wa making
republican stump speeches. Stone has
been paid two hundred dollars for ser
vices which he had no right to per-
form /; but first and foremost among
this gang of peculators and rascals
stands John Pattee, Auditor of State.
Badly Is the other officers have cheat
ed and swindled the people, they are
all eclipsed by the Auditor. Most
fairly and squarely has he planted him
self upon the republican platform,
which resolved down, is, in the words
of the dying Scotchman to his son,
Get silver honestly if You a but
get silver"
We have heretofore referred to his
connection with the State printing
swlndles, the two hundred dollars
which he audited to himself for his
family pleasure trip and their board
and doctors bill at a water cure estab-
lishment, the remarkable fact that
the remnants left over from the car
pcting of the State Capitol, just hap
pened to fit the rooms Of his house ex-
actly, and various other matters equal
ly creditable to himself and to the par
ty which placed him in power; but we
have now some other facts to intro
duce to the attention of the tax pay
ers Of the State.
At the time of the removal of the
Capital from Iowa City to Fort Des
Moines, the Treasurer was the only
person authorized by law to make con-
tracts for the removal of the furniture,
documents and other articles belong
ing to the various State offices; but
Notwithstanding this fact, the Auditor
for eason which can only be suspect
ed, took it upon himself to enter into
\ contract with one Alexander W..
Scott, by which he agreed to pay him
-Scott-fourteen hundred dollars for
the removal Of the entire documents
and other articles belonging to the
State. This contract for very obvious
reasons was repudiated BY the Treas
urer and other officers Of the State,
and other persons were employed by
the proper officer to transport the ef-
fects of the State to DesMoines. But
Mr.. Alexander w. Scott having the
contract Of the Auditor, and having
made his preparations and arrang-
ments for carrying it ont, was
by no means disposed to loose
the: fat job and informed the Au-
ditor that in case the fourteen
hundred dollars was not forthcoming
from the State he should be held per-
%sonally responsible for the same. AS
the matter thus began to present an
alarming aspect, the Auditor in his
accustomed happy way of relieving
himself from financial difficulties, sat
down and drew a warrant on the
Treasurer for the amount Of fourteen
hundred dollars. Afterwards during
the session of the Legislature, fearing
that some difficulty might arise in re-
gard to the matter, an oyster supper,
with champagne and chicken fixings"
was provided and divers members of
the legislature were invited to partake
thereof. The consequence was that an
act was passed a uthorizing and direct
ing the auditor to draw a warrant on
the Treasurer IN tayor Of alexander
w. Scott for fourteen hundred dollars
for mo0ing the effects Of the State to
Des MONIES. The high minded Audi
tor then congratulated himself upon
the fact that he had got most happily
out Of what had threatened to be a
most serious scrape j; but the end was
not yet. The exchange was merely
from the frying pan into the fire. Fol
no sooner had the act taken effect than
the Auditors particular friend, Mr..
Scott, called upon him and demanded
a ~arrant, umder the act, for fourteen
hundred dollars, alledging that he had
received none in accordance with its
provisions; that the warrant which
he had received was in payment for his
services and that the fourteen hundred
dollars provided for by the act of the
Legislature was an additional allow-
ance. Thus the matter stands and in
oil probability the tax payers Of the
state will be obliged to pay twenty
eight hundred dollars under a bogus
contract which had been repudiated
even BY the republican colleagues of
the Auditor. Great is Republicanism.