Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-05-27


h informed"
Now, we very mildly said: "We are II,
clined to doubt the correctness Of this charg.
but 'oe are nat positively informed as to it,.
: Mr.. Foster says on this point: "7his is
tr;,aing mistake, point Mr.. Zeigler aoas no
sufficiently informed upon." He admit
. that this is mistake in the report, and thc'
"denounces'' us for disappearing it.
2. Mr.. Foster misrepresents us. lie says
''Thc Journal denies the correctness of ou
statements Of the amounts which the Gen
eral Assembly have voted out of the Treasury
from year to year. Foolish man to MAKE
such charges against Mr.. Zeigler; &C., &C.
Now it might be very foolish in us to imag
inc for one moment that Mr.. Zeigler could bt
mistaken. We have no doubt that it would
be, and very thankful are we that we haven't
done it. Mr.. Zeigler's name was not in the
report, nor above the report, nor under the
report, nor anywhere about the report when
we saw it, nor anybody else's name. Sc
that Mr.. Foster misunderstands and misrep,
resents us when he charges us with making
a personal attack on Mr.. Zeigler
AS to the first part of the above charge
We have carefully looked over our remarks
and we find that VIC did not "deny the cor
rectness of the statements of the amounts
achich the General assembly hare 0otcd out
Of the Treasury from gear to gear" We
did no such thing. We did not question a
single figure, be they Mr.. Zeigler's, or the
Committees, Or Mr.. Fosters.
On the particular item with respect to
which Mr.. Foster very politely dignies us
with the title of "Foolish !" the Committee
in their report say:
"In the Acts of the 7th General Assembly
we find appropriations for contingent ex-
penses of the various State officers as follows:
Here follows statement of the appropria-
tons, amounting to $s,6OO.]
"Waat amsoun: Of the large appropriations
for contingent expenses and clerk-hire of the
various State officers may be actually neces
sary your Committee is not prepared to say.
But no may presume that if the officers
themselves attended to more of the duties of
their respective offices large portion might
be saved to the State"
Now we said:
GAS to the appropriations for contingent
expenses we would like to hear more par
ticular statement Of the items In the
present state Of enlightenment, with the
Committees researches to assist US, we know
about as much with reference to them as we
did before"
Now if we were "foolish" for not knowing
from the Committees report how much of
these appropriations was extravagant and
wasteful and how much was necessary, then
the Committee, by their own showing and
Mr.. Fosters courtesy, are "foolish," for they
do not know either. Our readers will see by
these extracts that we did not question any
figures, but called for more "particular state
ments," and that Mr.. Foster, by quoting
merely part of sentence, misapplies our
remarks to Mr.. Zeiger's figures, and thus
again misrepresents us.
We have answered Mr.. Fosters charges
seriatim, we believe, and now we will state
the position of the Jomrnal again clearly and
distinctly. We are in favor of all possible
retrenchmant and reform in our public ex-
penses consistent with the public good. We
are in favor of a reduction of taxes. We
approve of the action of the Taxpayers
meeting in appointing committee to "exam-
inc into and suggest such alterations in our
laws as shall tend to diminish our taxes"
We disapprore of the report which that
Committee has made, because it is incomplete,
indiscrminate, incorrect in some particulars,
and condemns the expenditures of the gov
ernment as extravagant without showing how
far they are extravagant or giving the public
any facts from which to form correct opin-
ion.
For example: 1. Itcondemns the salaries
of the State officers as extravagant and
recommends reduction Of one thirdin them
without showing the necessary expenses of
these officers and now far their salaries
exceed these expenses.
Q. 1t condemns as extravagant the appro.
pTiations of the 9th and 7th Assemblies for
contingent expenses and then acknowledges
that the Committee "are not prepared to
sag" how much of these appropriations
"were actually necessary"
g. 1t condemns as extravagant the appro-
priations for newspapers without stating what
amount of work was done by these papers in
consideration of these appropriations, and
what part of this work was necessary and
what was not.
4. 1t condemns as "great abuse and an
extravagant waste of the peoples money"
the amount paid for the public printing,
without showing what quantity of printing
was done, and what sum it could be done for.
5. 1t asserts that "none of the reports of
the State Agricultural Society are allowed for
distribution among the farmers" which is
not true, as Mr.. Foster himself admits.
6. 1t asserts that the State expenditures
for Geological surveys and their publication,
has benefited only "Members of Assem6ly,
State officers and er- Governors" which is
statement so wild and extravagant that it
refutes ITSELF
7. 1t condemns as being f'commenced on
gigantic scale and expensive styls' the In.
sane Asylum now building, without giving a
single estimate to show how large building
was needed and how much it should COST
So that nobody can tell from the Commit
tees report whether it is Gigantic and
expensive" or whether it is just as large
and costs just as much as it should,
It recommends that "all that class of nor.