Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-08-11
1924, 1880 $50, ESQ. 81

$i24, 1850 s., $50, 76o "a
These show that the State has al
ready paid nearly four times the
amount aohich acas involved by the
terms of tie contract, and, though
this excess amounts to more than a
million of dollars, some of the expen-
ditures are still going on, with no
prospect of completion. 1t appears
that, of the expenditures of $780,
1884, only 1921, 1880, less than
one-third, was submitted to a public
letting. By maneuores Of this char
dcter tie cost Of public ac0rhs are
run mp to ertrdrdgant sums. APP
preparations are absorbed, deficien-
cies are created to be paid by new
appropriations, and the people are
loaded down with taxes.
We direct special attention to con-
tract No. ga contract held by Will
lard Johnson, contracted for at $37,-
ST., and upon which Gov. Tilden
says sllO,32O.l3 had been paid
He expressly names this contract as
a specimen of the frauds, and as one
of those upon which "the State has
already paid nearly four times the
amount which was involved by the
terms of the contract" That was
on the 18th of March, 1875.
In the following May, bill was
carried through the Legislature that
provided for paying $4,000 on this
same contract of Willard Johnson
a contract which by its terms called
for only s37,7S1 altogether, and up
on which Gov. Tilden said sllO,320.-
Is had been allowed. After passing
the Legislature, the bill went before
Gov. Tildcn for his action. Itwould
at once be presumed that he vetoed
it, or, at least, vetoed that particular
item, as he had a right to do. He
had stigmatized the work under this
very contract as one of the chief
frauds. He had shown that three
times as much had been allowed on
it as were involved in its terms. If
he were honest and sincere in his
"canal REFORM" how could he posi-
bly, sanction this proposed payment
of S55, 200, and how could he help
vetoing it?
But Willard Johnson was Dem
ocratic member of the Legislature
and a prominent and intimate friend
and associate of Delos DeWolf, who
resides IN the same county, and who
had been long one of the most intlu-
entail members of the Democratic
State Committee. Accordingly,
while the bill was before Gov. Til
den, Mr. DeWolf visited him
in the interest of the Willard John
son appropriation, and urged him to
approve the bill or allow it to become
a law, in order that the $50 900 might
be paid on the certificate which had
been issued to johnson. The re-
suit was that Gov. Tllden, though he
had expressly denounced this work
as fraud, did allow the bill TO be-
come a law, and it stands upon the
statute-book as Chapter 263, of the
Laws of 1875. These facts are es-
tablished by the following affidavit
of Mr.. DeWolf, which was made in
the course of negotiation of the
certificates, in order that there might
be no question about Gov. Tildcn's
position, and which exposes the
whole transaction as the Governor
never expected it would be:
Delos DeWolf, of oswego, being duly
sworn, doth depose and say: That in the :.
early part of May last he called on Gov.
Tilden, at the Executive Chamber, in AL
bany. and in the course OF conversation
with the Governor at that time, the bill
then in his, the Governors hands, in
which provision is made for the payment
of certain certificates issued for work
done on the canals in excess of appropri-
atoms, was fully discussed. The depo-
nent says he told the Governor that his,
the deponent's bank, held quite large
amount of the above mentioned certifi
Gates, issued to Willard johnson, and, of
course, he, the deponent, was quite anX-
ious to have the bill become law. The
Governor SAID he had no doubts as to
some items contained in the bill, but as
far as the johnson certificates aoere con-
cerned, he, the Governor, acas satisfied
they WE'RE VALID CLAIMS AGAINST THE
STATE, AND SHOULD BE PAID is pursuance
of the provisions Of SAID bill, printed
copy of which is herewith annexed, and
is now known as Act Chapter 263, of the
laws OF 1875. DELos DEWoLF.
Subscribed and sworn before me this
30th day of June, 1875.
GEO KELLOGG,
Notary Public.
In order to the fullest understand |
ing OF the matter, we would explain
that the uonav under nm annronria |