The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1867-08-31
WHERE THE MONEY GOES.

The Democrat has of late been harp
ing on the expenditures of Republican
officials, and trying to raise cry of ex-
travagance. In looking over the checks |
issued by Secretary Meagher for the
payment of Territorial expenses, we find
that John p. Bruce has received for Pub
lie Printing in drafts on the U. s. Treas
ury, payable in greenbacks, $10460 So, |
and that w. b. Fowler, one of his en- |
ployees, for binding, etc, received $500
in greenbacks. This alone exceeds one
half the annual appropriation of Con- |
gress for the use of the Territory. The |
check book also shows that large mum
ber of checks have been issued of WHICH
there has been no account kept. How
many of these have gone to the Public
Printer we cannot determine. n addi-
ton to this the Auditors books show
that for ten months of 1866, ldaior Bruce
received for public printing S5.195 from
the Territorial Treasu ey, besides the
$10,460 50 in greenbac ks. This was for
only ten months, and the Auditors
books show no Entries since Dec 90
1866. 1t is w ell known that Major
Bruce has me- de a big bin since that
time, but Il r. Is too shrewd to have it on
the Au' itor's books before election.
Some months since the Democrat as
sert' ID that had it not been for the pub
lie printing the establishment would
'iot have paid expenses. We believe
that. The expenses for the eighteen
months of its existence did not probably
exceed $4,000, and the books of the in
stitution showed receipts of over SAL
000 There is where the public money
gees We should not probably have
; had our attention called to this most
exhorbitant extravaganza, had not some
> OF the Democrats assertions led us to
look up the accounts. The difference
between $4,000, in Territorial orders
= varying in value from 20 to 60 cents on
> the dollar, TO conduct the expenses oi
the county of Madison, besides many
= Territorial expenses, and the expendi
= ture of $4,000, principally in green
backs, for public printing alone, is 81
palpable that it needs only to be men
toned to show where the corruption
!. and cxtravagance is. We have befor
us two pamphlets, one of 40, the othe
of 100 pages, bound in paper covers. o
one 500 copies were printed, of the othe
$50. These, with the printing of IN
two bogus Legislatures, the public law
. and proceedings, the blanks and procls
nations, constitutes the public printing
: for which the people have been bled $50
g GOO What is there to show, even q
our mountain prices, for this enormou
!, outlay. Let Major Bruce answer. Agai
we find awarded to A. II. Barrett fc
Ere wood furnished to the Sd session {
!. the Legislature, $5S3, greenbacks. Thi
would purchase 5S cords of wood at 81
per cord. Who believes that it require
So cords of wood for 40 daysf Mr.. Ba
= rett also receives checks in greenback
i to the amount of S1,617 Al for copyin
3 the laws of the Sd Legislature, and St
. art, the clerk, receives $115 for assis
"A snce. There is 81, ,732 Al in greenbacI
:. for copying 70 pages of laws. The Ba
:, mack statutes contain 760 rnech larg
80 pages, and the expense of tlseOcde Coz
an mission was less than $1,000 in cure
h cy. There was more than ten times Il
al work entailed in copying them. At Il
r. rate. charged for the services of Mr.. Bs
90 rett on the acts of the Sd Legislature,
ss would have cost S17:Se4 10 in greenbac
n. TO copy t,nem. The Helena Weekly
to sette gf,ts $204 in greenbacks for copi
,o- furnished the Legislature for 40 da,
va Count how nnuch that would be per co
v 4 for % members. This is the party th
asks to handle your money, people
Madison. What do you think of tn
economy, and will you vote to susta
", themf el- -..--e- ...L ~.r..