The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-04-01

i utual accounts. With such, settlements will be
made quarterly.
\ Specimen 81 Mr. samples FInan.
ciering.
Apart from his nomination - Demo
,ratic candidate, it 10 - = 6nancier, and
apon the pretence Of his Indispensable aid
u that capacity, that tho friends Of Mr.. Sam
sic urge his claims 70 reelection. That
dr. Sample has : reputation - an artful
iodger in financial affairs, that he is fertile
d expsdisnts and make-shifts, We believe is
! general admission. Bnt that his financial
,ystsm and plan Of operations is one very ad-
mirabls in public officer, or calculated to
give satisfaetion to the people, 10 aquestion
to DO decided. Judged by the experience Of
The past year, and Of such particular trans
actions - the public are informed upon, it
would not appear to be the case. Let us con-
slider case in point.
Last spring or early summer, ut the prompt
ing Of Mr.. Sample, an abatement Of 20 per
cent. upon the amount Of taxes was offered
to such persons a. would pay before the lst
or fore part Of July. For that abatement,
We 900 no moro authority than for the abate-
ment Of the whole tax. To us, it appears
a. a. entirely unlawful proceeding. But il
was made. Under that temptation, sone four
thousand dollars wen paid in upon the gensr-
q tax, and rising Of three thousand upon the
railroad tax. It Was placed in the hands Of
the Trsasurer's banker. The Treasurer him
self WAS in tho country. Mr.. Sample drew
HE check - Mayor upon the banker, and took
the cash himself. By what Law or right such
an aot was performed, those who are wiser
than We can explain. The prudence Of plac-
ing in power . person who makes such free
use Of public funds, without warrant Of law,
upon his own individual responsibility, the
people may comprehend. But 1t 10 certainly
the proper subject Of public scrutiny and dis
question. And Whist was done with the funds
He has TO make some public account Of it's
use. And what is the account rendered? II
il this: that it was paid in liquidation Of in
terest due upon the 100000 Of city bonds
issued in aid Of the road over the river. But
those bonds had not been sold, though Mr..
Sample has so reported at public meeting.
They were merely pledged in payment for
iron, where they still remain, liable to be
sacrificed. Not having been sold, no inter-
est was due upon them to the transient hold
er. II those interest coupons were procured
by Mr.. Sample and delivered up to bslasce
the account, what account has been present
cd and allowed to Offset the coupons2 If
none, then Mr.. Sample has near $4,000 of
public money unaocounted for.
We have stated this case IS clearly as We
can. We believe We have stated it accurate.
~. At least we have made no intentional
Misrepresentation. II We have done 90, va
shall cheerfully correct it. But we have been
ct pains to get At the exact facts in the mat.
ter, and think the relation 10 accurate.
Nov that money was raised for the pur.
pose OF paying interest upon public bonds
due in New York. It should have been p.is
out upon all the bonds, pro rata, 90 far g /
would have gone 10 liquidation OF the amount
due. Had it been SO paid, the bondholder,
would have been content. But they know i
was not. They saw the favoritism--th,
"scull-duggery"-ofth the transaction, and fel
that they we're wronged, as they were. An,
they were angry, as might have been pre-
sumed. When, therefore, Mr.. Sample after
wards came upon them to compromise thei
debt, it was with little chance Of making pro
gress. And we cannot learn that materia
progress has been made. That there is IN,
possibility Of making progress in his hands
we have not the most remote belief. In fact
Mr. Sample admitted, at the public meetinI
last Saturday, that the bondholders were sal
mad at him." ~ We think they had som
reason to be, and what is the chance Of hi
success, in such state Of feeling, induces
BY such provocationi
Mr.. Sample complains that some Of th
large taxpayers have not met their assess
ments. We will explain the reason VII,
large sums have been withheld. Several in
dividuals, who had procured the means 8
rrssJJiils ;;asil taxes, having become satisfie,
that it was to be used as it was used, antici
pating the "grab, !" ~ the transaction 10 "a
military called, concluded to keep the none
in their pockets until II was likely to be en-,
ployed in more satisfactory manner.
Fellov-ctizens, is this the kind OF finan
eier, the kind Of public officer, that yo
want to transact the public business, i
whose hands you wish to place your pecu
niasy interests and the reputation and vel
fare Of tho city2 Can you be persuaded /,
intrust him with authority for another year
although be be written ell over with the en-