Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-10-18
MR.. PowNlNG's ARGUMENT.

Nj Ia. "
The SENTINEL yesterday morning re-
ported the gist OF the remarks made the
evening before at the Republican speak
ing by the Hon. c. c. Powning. Repub-
can candidate for Congress. The report
was made without comment. 1t was
given accurately and as fully as possible
under the circumstances, 1t becomes
our duty now to review Mr.. Powning's
argument. with regard to State affairs,
reserving a particular refutation Of his
claims Of credit for the Republican
party in the administration Of national
affairs for some future occasion. Mr.,
Powning and Mr.. Bishop, taking their
cue from Mr.. Blaine Of Maine, assert that
the Democrats have originated nothing
for the last twenty-five years: that the
Republicans build up and protect, while
it is the peculiar province Of the Demo-
cratic party to pull down and destroy.
This suggests the question Immediately,
what caused the accumulation Of about
$50, 600 in the Treasury of Nevada dur
ing the Bradley administration Mr..
Powning ought to know that this SPLEEN
did financial condition was the result Of
the law taxing the net proceeds of bull
lion, and that under this law the tax
returns, especially from the Comstock
bonanzas, have been pr~odigious. Mr..
Powning ought to know also that the
author OF this law was Mr., Garrahan, a
Democratic member OF the Assembly
from Lincoln, who introduced the
bill in 1871. Without this law, the
credit for which is due to an ingenious
and far-seeing Democrat, the financial
condition at this time would be simply
Of the most embarrassing and deplora-
Ole sort.
The best answer to Mr.. Powning's
claim, that SG46, 900 of the Democratic
accumulation were invested judiciously
and for the best interest of the State, is
that there was not a Republican news
paper in Nevada, unless, perhaps, Mr..
Powning's own, that could be induced
to think so. Until the present political
campaign had taken shape the Republi-
can State Board of Education were
charged by its party journals with rob-
bing the School Fund OF its sacred
money to pay their own salaries. The
Constitution of Nevada says that the
money accruing to the State (common)
School Fund shall not be diverted to any
other fund for any purpose whatever.
The Republican Administration Of the
State said that money was needed and
that the diversion must be made never
theless. 1t was done by indirection IN
der the technical subterfuge that such
diversion was legitimate if made under
the name OF an Investment" The con-
sequence is that instead Of money and
United States bonds in the School
Fund, amounting to more than $500, 900,
all that sacred fund has to show
for this is certificates that the
State owes to its School Fund
the said amount. One of these papers
is an '.irredeemable" bond for $3.50, 900.
The Insane Asylum cost $4,000, This
money, also, was taken from the State
School Fund as a part of the scheme Of
investment" referred to by Mr.. Pown-
ing. The Democrats notwithstanding
their omission of a school plank in their
State platform and the charge that they
are burning down school houses) built up
a splendid school fund. The Republi-
cans took charge of affairs and Quilted
this fund. This is not the argument Of the
writer or of the SENTINEL. 1t is but a
reproduction of what all the Republican
newspapers of Nevada were ~venomously
saying until their voices were hushed by
the approach of the present political cam
paign.
1t was no actual relief to put the State
tax at 80 cents, as is shown by the fact
that the so cents levy had to be imposed
by the succeeding, the last, Legislature.
Says Mr.. Powning: "The Republicans
have invariably prosecuted defaulting
officials" Does Mr.. Powning forget that
a Republican Legislature released the
bondsmen of Eben Rhodes, Republican
State Treasurer Of Nevada, from their
obligation to make good his 800, 600 de.
falcation, which, hence, fell upon the
shoulders of innocent and heavily burd-
ened taxpayers? This is shamelessly fly
ing into the face of facts.
Who let Thomas Giblin, defaulting
Treasurer of Elko county, go scot free ?
The Republican County Commissioners
and the Republican District Attorney of
the county, if anybody did.
B. H. Carrick, Republican, and de-
faulting Treasurer Of Storey county,