The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-02-26
Observation-Disclosures.

The report of the Committee on State
Affairs, with reference II the conduct of the
Stale Treasurer and the management of the
State funds, is published in to days TIMES.
A few unimportant paragraphs are omitted,
but the report as published will give the
reader all the information OF value elected
hy the committee in the recent investigation
The minority report. signed by Mr.. Gilbert,
also appears in another column.
1t is plain enough that the Treasurer in re-
receiving checks and drafts instead ofcurren-
cy violated the law. but we are not able to I'M
ders,and from reading the report whether the
State hiss lost an, thing by reason o! ;ba; vio-
lation.
The Treasurer holds in his safe at Topeka
S7i 900 ia checks and certificates of deptst
II that paper will bring S74, 900 in currency,
the State is not the loser. II it will not bring
ans thing the State ia ont $4,000. II the
paper lie WOO, less the State should proceed
at once ag.in,t Col. Hayes bondsmen and
recover the sn short.
The fact that I ne Treasurer has held abau.
that amount of SO called bsnkstle paper for
several months, excites suspicion that the
task O: converting il into currency Il not an
essy one. We conversad with Mr.. Collins,
the Chief Clerk of the Treasurer, on the I'd
of December lat, snd at that time he said
there was about $50, 900 Of exchange in the
safe, but asserted that lis immediate
conversion into currency WAS rendered
difficult in consequence OF the financia
crisis which had few weeks prior TO thatl
date seriously disturbed the banks of the
country. /; seems that its subsequent con-
version has been slow.
The conditions Of the present law are very
hard to fulfill, because il is a known fact that
nonresident as we'll as resident taxpayers
chiefly paw their taxes ia drafts and checks.
II is almost impossible for county treasurers
to avoid receiving exchange in payment Of
taxes, and hence it would precipltate confu-
sion for the State Treasurer to refuse to &C.
cept it ir settling with county treasurers.
There is no positive, direct evidence that
the Treasurer has received interest from
funds of the State, but circumstances cluster
ing al out certain transactions swit~r 4 sus-
picion that be has used the public money
for personal gain. At any rate, he has
obliged persons with loans. The presence
in the treasury Of Cranes check establishes
that fact
1t is plain, in view Of Tie evidence, that
the Treasurer has not complied with the law.
He should have done that, or resigned the
Office. His conduct, therefore, is MT justi-
fable, becaans the law is hard to obey, but
perhaps it may be. to certain extent, eIcus-
able.
The House C! Representatives has the sole
power to impeach, and on the action of the
members thereof will be determined the
question whether the Senate shall or shall
not be convened IN extra session as Court
of Impeachment to try the Treasurer for
misdemeanor in Office. 1t requires q two
thirds vote of all the Senators to convict,
which We think would be hard TO obtain on
the evidence elected by the committee.
The expense attending trial of this kind
would necessarily he great, and since the
Court of Impeachment can only punish 20
the extent of removal from Office and die.
qualification from holding Office thereafter,
it would seem that the interests of justice AZ
we'll as economy would he as we'll served by
proceeding in come other way. The Treas
urer whether convicted or acquitted by the
Senat. would be liable to indictment. trial,
Judgment and punishment according 40
Law.