The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-04-29
From Fort Scott Press.

Col. MARI is an honest officer who de-
serves to be sustained by all honest
men. The Commissioner of Internal
Revenue referred to him, as Supervisor
of Revenue for this district, the accounts
of John Speer, late Collector for Kan
sas. 1t was known that Speer was de-
faulter to the amount of about $4,000,
which he was attempting to offset by
athdavits showing that the amount had
never been collected by reason of the
bankruptcy, &c, ofthose against whom
it was assessed.
Speer is the editor of the Lawrence
Tribune the organ of Hon. Sidney
Clarke. Clarke is also on his bond. 1t
was important not only to fix the matter
up, but also to hush it up. So Clarke
made an effort, as will be seen elsewhere.
to get Mari to approve the accounts as
they had been fixed up, without investi-
eating as his oath of Office required.
Mari refused to be the tool for such of
fetal baseness. Clarke then sought his
removal from office and the appoint
ment of Kansas man. In this he failed.
An Arkansas man, however, got
the place, after which a compromise was
effected by dividing the District, leaving
Missouri and Kansas in Col. Mars
District, and placing Arkansas and the
Indian Territory in the new District.
Col. MARI commenced at Leavenworth
an examination into Speer's accounts.
Capt. Geo. Il. Anthony, Collector for
the State, an honest man, is in immedi-
ate charge of the investigation. 1t be-
gins to be disclosed that the defaIcation
will amount to 100000 or $150,000 The
amount cannot be determined until it is
known who has paid tax and who has
not. 1t turns out that the Wealthiest
men in the State--men who return the
largest incomes = were reported in
Speer's returns as having absconded, or
as being bankrupt, and as not having
paid their tax for that season. These
rich men of the State are being called
upon by Collector Anthony and Super
visor Mari to pay the tax for which they
are reported Ill default, and they bring
forward their tax receipts showing that
they have already paid Collector Speer
These Investigations are damaging to
Sidney Clarke in the eyes of all honest
men. So it is reported that he is trying
to remove Mr.. Pinkney, Deputy Asses
sor at Leavenworth, for assisting Col.
Mari in the investigation, and that his
friends are telegraphing to HIM from
Leayenworth, '.For Gods sake,get MARI
away from here" Then comes the an
swer from Washington that Pinkney is
removed. And last the telegraph brings
the degrading news that Kansas has
been transferred to the Arkansas Dis
trict,
Clarke could not procure the removal
of Mari, but he could hope to stop in
vestigation by removing Kansas from
Marr's jurisdiction. And so, to cover
up perjury and fraud, and a steal of
100000, our Congressman makes Kan
sas tail to the kite of Arkansas.
Now let the press of the State with
one voice demand that Kansas be ppt
back. Commissioner Delano bears an
unsullied name. Let him know the
wishes of our State and the motives that
have prompted our Congressman to ask
that this blow be struck at an honest of
ficer when he is fearlessly exposing so
montrous robbery. We are sure the
Commissioners will do right, and sustain
the investigation in all its phases.