The Ottawa free trader., 1860-10-13
From the Springfield Register
The Treasury Fraud.
The Grand Total, s653, 10000:
An Honest Confession.

An Honest Confession.
The Grand 7otaL S653, ,4G0 90:
The Chicago Press and Tribune makes an
admission, for which the people of Illinois
will he truly grateful, but which has pro-
oked curses, not only loud but deep, from
the Stste officials. 1t has made an ac-
count of the losses sustained by, and the
frauds produced upon the State since the
Inauguration of Republican State officers
elected in 1886. We take the account as
published by the Press and Tfb,ne, supply
ing one or two small items accidentally
omitted by that paper. The account stands
thus:
/. The funding OF ninety day checks, discover
ed in 1889. (Since secured TO the Stae). 22S, 900
.. p yment to Leavt OF bogus aim, disco
vered in 1853. (not secured to tho statc). 5000
3. Scrip funded to o'strang in 1871, mot Sc
T. Two bonds missing, (not secured ....... 1000
,. Boads issued for st.bbns McAi!ia.sr claim
(secured) Observation-Disclosures. 24o 900
9. Canal Scrip missing. ............ G6,o0o
Interest on the same (not securr,) lOI 400 100 500
Z. Fraudulent contract FOR binding, (aot
eured) ....... ............ .............. 1900
8. Interest collected by state officers for tho
use Of State funds, and kept by officers
lending, ,uot .ecuredD D.................... 5000
Grand total $500
1t will be seen that the State has been
protected against the loss in the lar-e
items No | and No. ). The other large
item No. 6. is III a peculiar condition. In
the box and trunk cent TO Springfield 10y
McRobsrts, he enclosed $50 he saws some
$4,000 in uncancelled scrip, which scrip
is not now 10 be found The investicat-
ing committee can find no evidence that
any part of it has ever been funded The
State officers can give no explanation of it,
but say that an over issue of bonds to
an amount al most that of the missing scrip
has taken place They think that they
have issued scrip to tha: amount more
than they ought to have done, but do not
know the fact Light will in all probable
!ty be thrown on that subject shortly.
The State officers deny also. any knowl-
edge OF items No and s, but the evi-
dcnce of them is full and complete.
Ii will be seen that according 10 the ac-
count of frauds prepared by the Chicago
Press and Tribune, the State has been
swindled most enormously since the re
publicans have been in office IL the case
of item No. ), the fraud was exposed in
this paper in time 10 arrest its consun,ns-
ton. The bonds had actually been issued
by the State officers with a knowledge on
their part as has been confessed by the
auditor Of the fraudulent character Of the
transaction. That exposure was loss 10
the State officers in the aggregate Of at
lerSt eighty thousand dollars that !: to
say had the exposure been delayed two
months longer the share Of the State Off
GERS in the aggregate would not have been
less than eighty thousand dollars.
Upon the fortune. the entire party who
-, .bA Srate hons. could I,ya
afforded TO retire to private life How
much they have made out Of the other
transactions, cannot, until ths final report
Of the committee is rnado, be precisely
stated.
We invite the attention Of the people
of the State TO the conduct Of the present
officers who are asking for re election.
With the exception Of the Leayitt fraud
of 80 coo all the other items in tie long
account have been committed through
the conniyauce, collusion, ignorance or IN
capacity of the State officers. Had they
been fitted for their places. had they been
acquainted with their duties. had they
acted with the intelligence or vigilance
that might be expected Of a hoy in gro
Gerry store, not one of these frauds '
could have been committed
Would any banker continue in his en-
ploy q clerk who in s.x months would take
/ in and cc~h $3.50. eco Of counterfeit money ,
v ou:.u ,,.e keep in LIS e,''n.oTusent clerk
who knowing 10y the records AID C.cSS OF
the bank, that oE.y 500 of ao:es were ii
circulation, would take AMI redeem $3.50
600 Of such notes.-kaowins ;,s he must
have known, that they are forged o. fiauiu-
lently obtained And yet the present
State officers, who have taken in all this
bogus scrip, knowing as they did, frsln the
records Of their own Office, that there was
but few hundred dollar. o! L out-tand-
inc, ask the people Of this State 20 reelec;
them 10 Office. They stand before the
people - PARTIES 10 great frauds; they
stand before the people a. parties 10 fraud
uleut transactions, having for their object
the obtaining Of money from the State
| and they have to choo-- between two de-
! fences: lst That they had knowledge ol
! the contemplated crime, and were parties
! to it, sharing the profits -. That they
were so ignorant ol the duJlcs og their o.
! fee, 80 iucspac:tat.l for tn, trust, repo-ed
( in them, or so negligent ard careless IL
the discharge Of their duty that they could
not, or did not, discriminate between Al
honest and ~ dishonest transaction. Eithc'
alternative is Il disgrace - the oficeTs
either answer TO the charge Of neglect o
duty, ought to be fstal to these men Nc
man Will deny that had the State officer:
been faithful and vigilant in tha discharge
of their duties, had they exercised one
half the care and scrutiny in guarding thu
peoples treasury, that they have in film;
their own pockets with fees and profits
there could not. and would not, have bee!
perpetrated one single fraud Of the loni
list which is nov made up, But which /
not yet completed by any means.
We repeat what wc have said before
let the people remember that during tn
thirty-six years that the state Treasur
was in the hands Of Democratic officers
the entire Losses by errors, frauds, &c. di'
not exceed $2j,p0O, while during the shor
term that has elapsed since the repub!
! cans haze been III power, only since Janr
arv, 1857 the trou{s, practiced on tn
treasury, alone amour: to 1903, 400.
Look al Home.
Let the democracy of Illinois take cou
T age by the example Of their brethren