Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-20
BORROWING FROM THE SCHOOL
FUNDS-OR THE POT AND KETTLE
CONTROVERSY.


BORROWING FROM THE SCHOOL
FUNDS-OR THE POT AND KETTLE
CONTROVERSY.
The persistent effort by which Repub-
licans of this State, speaking for their
party, have endeavored to falsify the
record in regard to the use made of the
money belonging to the "SchOOl Fund"
may be fairly pronounced an attempt to
manufacture party capital at the ex-
pense Of the truth.
The editor Of the Republican organ in
this city has repeatedly given encour-
agemeRt as well as unqualified endorse
ment TO the false position taken by his
party on this subject, aud has done so,
too, apparently, with the record before
him which completely eontradicted his
assertions.
The effort was renewed by represent
atiye Republicans in the House of Dele
gates, ON Saturday, and the usual asser-
tons made and reiterated that the Re
publicanS had not borrowed from that
fund, and the further attempt made to
show that it was both against precedent
and law for the State to use this money.
Mr. HUBBARD made the allegation
that the Republicans had never direct
ly borrowed from this fund and when
they used it, had always reimbursed the
fund before the close of the fiscal year,
80 that no debt could be shown 10 be
due the School fund while the Repabli-
cans were in power, at the close Of a
fiscal year.
When asked, how it happened that
the Democrats were called TO pay some
S65,OJ0 that the Republicans had used
out of the School Fund, he replied that
it was because the Democrats came
into power before the end Of the fiscal
year.
The utter falsity Of this position, We
say, is cOnclusively shown by the record.
The public record ought to settle it. The
record which the Republican party
made for itself, and is now on file in the
Auditors office ought TO settle it. And
we now repeat, what we have frequent
~ said heretofore, that this record will
show that for several years the Republic
can administration Systematically used
the "SchOOl Fund for general purposes;
that it was continually in debt TO this
fund through number Of years of the
Republican administration; that il went
cut of power in debt to this fund.- and
that the sole difference between the Use
made by the Republican administra-
ton and the Democratic administration,
of this fund, is that the former used it
d loosely, informally and unlawnully,
without paying interest on it, ~ the
constitution required, while the Demo-
Gratis have borrowed 1t openly, lawfully,
and in due form, accounting for interest
on such sums Is have been borrowed.
We make these statements upon the
record, and We will 90 back as far as
the year 1867 and show that from that
time up to and including 1871, when
the Republicans went out of power, they
used this fund, and showed an indebted
ness at the end of every fiscal year, of
from thirty to seventy-five thousand
dollars, upon which they neverpaid any
interest and never pretended to pay
any. We will show that they not only
used the money of the "Irreducible
Fund" but of the General Fund" for
which they had no authority of law, and
thus defrauded the counties ofthe Use Of
money to which they were entitled
while the State was using it.
In support of these allegations we re-
fer, first, 70 the Auditors report for the
year 1867. On page of that report it
will be found at the end of the fiscal
year sep. 1867, the balance in the
treasury for all purposes - including
both schools hInds-is stated to be,
81, $3.50.
At the same time, page l9,the balance
TO the credit of the general school fund
was stated to be $50, 657.02; and to the
credit of the irreducible school fund,
81, 1855; making gross sum to credit
Of school funds, So, 1850; and yet there
was only in the treasury for dHplTposcs,
at that time, the sum OfS4, S95.S9 which,
if the whole of it, were applied to reim-
bursting the school funds, would still
leave the state in debt to the school
funds at the end of the fiscal year 1857,
to the amount of SIS, 259.7l.
That is the little deficit which the
Republican Administration showed up
TO the school funds in the year 1867.
Now, let US take the year 1868, and We
find on pages Il, Island 10 the following
exhibit:
Oct. I, 1888. balance in Treasury for all
purpO>eS-... .....-.>ANyS NJ IL
To Balance due general
school fund ,oyO -
To Balance due irreduciOls
SiII7 IL 7g0O7 L
Deficit in school funds for the year
81
That is the little deficit in the school
fund for the year 1858. Now, let us
look into the Auditors report for the