Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-08-21

)TTUMWA A, IOWA
TINE scAMpALous ATTACK UP
ON AUDITOR SHERMAN,
The Persistent Falsifylng Of tn
i Democratic Press Refuted.
i We had never thought that so high
minded gentleman as Buren, R. Sher
man, Auditor Of State, would ever b
seriously attacked by the democrati
party but in this we have been mis-
taken. We believe that the demo
cratic press of this county have re
Trained, as rule, from attacking hirl
but in many portions of the State h'
has been fiercely attacked. There is no
the shadow of reason for this assault
upon him. Mr.. Sherman is one o.
the purest men of the State aud lows
never had q public officer who excell
ed him in faithfulness to duty, or II
ability to do his duty.
The State Register of the 18th inst
contains long defense Of Mr.. Sher'
man. We republish from it at length
though not all the Register article:
1t is charged that over $500, 600 hai
been drawn directly from the Tres.
ury of the State by DR.. Craig, aud that
the amount so drawn was largely in
excess Of the amount authorized by
law. Tho facts as shown by the
State records, which are always open
to the inspection of every citizen, are
these: DIR. Craig was warden for
three terms, or six years, commencing
10 April, 1872, and ending March,
1878. The average number of con-
victs in the prison under his charge
was 322k-the total amount of mon
ey drawn from the State Treasury for
the support of the convicts. during
the entire six years, was $52,936.03,
comprised In twenty-five warranta,
and which INCLUDE EVERY WARRANT
issued to Wdrden Craig for that DMr-
pose. The charge, therefore, that
5000, 600 or any part thereof in excess
of the above amount of $52936. .03,
was drawn by warrants upon the
State Treasury, is absolutely and en-
phatically false, as might easily have
been ascertained by the opposition
journals had they desired to speak the
truth regarding the matter. So much
q tfo thu nrncn a nrnt maid
1t 10 further charged that the amount
drawn was largely in excess of the
lawful rate of 1888 per convict per
month. This, too, is as grossly false
as the other statement, and without
the least shadow Of fact to support
the charge. The records of the State
show conclusively that no warrants
were ever issued in excess Of that
sum, but on the contrary very many
were for much less than the legal
rate. As above sho wn Warden Craig
wassin Office seventy-two months, and
during all that time but twenty-five
monthly warrants were issued on his
application for support aggregating
the sum before stated. The average
amount drawn from the State Treas
ury was but e2.27 per convict. being
only about one-fourth the rate fixed
by law! We know whereof we speak
when we say, after minute personal
examination of the entire record, that
no warrant was ever ordered to issue
and NONE EVER ISSUED At ANY TINE to
Warden Craig for any amount er-
ceetling eight and one third dollars per
month per coneict, as restricted by
law. And we will further say that
in each and every case where q war
rant was issued it was only upon the
written requisition of the Warden,
containing the full statements requir-
ed by law, upon which the Governor
issued warrant, and specified the
amount for which it should issue.
There is no excuse, therefore, for
the laundering and wilfully false
statement made by some Of the dem
ocratic papers, that the law has been
violated in the amount of funds
drawn from the public treasury
Had they cared for the real truth, in
stead Of dirty and deliberate falsify-
ing the facts open to their inspection,
they would have examined the case
before rushing into print with charg-
es which have not the semblance Of
truth. We hope there Ia yet enough
Of common decency left with them to
compel q retraction of these base cal-
umnies which are intended only to
impose upon the public.
Again, we see 1t stated that the state
has been swindled over 100000 by
the false bills and vouchers rendered
in the purchase Of supplies furnished
the prison. We have been to the
pains to ascertain the exact amount
expended by Warden Craig, for the
general support of the prison during
his six years of service, and find 1t to
be the sum Of $685.. .S4S.9G (Which ap-
pears by the report of the cOmmittee).
Out Of this, of course, must come all
the legal and necessary expenditures
and admitting that there was
crookedness by way of bills for goods
that were never delivered-the
amount of cheating could not have
been to the extent Of 100000, as is
sometimes charged. Whatever the
amount may be, it can only be deter
mined by judicial investigation,
WHICH 10 sure W COIuc.
Again, some Of the opposition pa
pers claim that the gross expenditures
must be comprised within the allow
ance of eight and one-third dollars
This cannot be true, as that allowance
s for the support of the convicts
alone, having NO regard to the sup
port of the Warden and family and
the ordinary repairs necessary to be
made on account of the natural wear
and tear of the prison. The fact Is
that for nearly twenty years past, it
reason that there were other legiti-
mate and necessary expenses beyond
the mere support Of convicts, as
above shown. During Warden Lay
toms last term, the expenses reached
1892 per convict; Warden Heisey's
first term $l316, second term $l2 So,
third term $l287; DR.. Craig's first
tern, $l1 80, second term, $l7.4O and
third term $l5.27. And full reports
Of each term were made to the Cover
nor and Legislature as required by
law, which was accepted and APPROX
ed by the successive reflections of
these wardens. And in DR.. Craig's
case, as we have before shown from
the Legislative journals, his work
was so commended that he received
the compliment Of an almost unani-
nous election by democrats - well as
repu blicans.
All this talk about the unusual and
unlawful expenditures of the support
fund of the prison, amounts to moth
ing except . mean attempt to make
dirty party capital.
Upon Auditor Shermsn's head the
most of these manufactured stories of
sheer falsehood and utter malice have
been made to break. Why he-as
faithful and competent an official, as
honest . man, AZ true public servant
as the state of Iowa, or any other