National Republican., 1883-08-02
IkentmclkY ElnnnceA.

very bad show financially, as is exhibited by
the Louisville Commercial 1t is true the
Commercial is what is termed in tho clark
and bloody ground" banked radical
newspaper, and therefore wholly unreliable
but, unfortunately for this position the radi-
cal newspaper sustains its position by the
citation of bourbon official papers and the ut
terances of bourbon state officers. SO if there
is any lying done in the matter, it is at the
door of the bourbons. Gov. Blackburn, in his
message to the legislature of Dec. 81, 1879
said:
The increased expenses of the state arc out Of
nl proportion To- its resources. My information is
that great frauds have been and arc still perpc-
uacd on the trensury under existing laws. The
expenses in criminal prosecutions have increased
TO immense proportions in the last decade and
that, too, without any adequate cause. Frauds
under the forms of law have robbed the treasury Of
tens upon tens Of thousands of dollars without any
apparent remedy. Witness claims the conveyance
Of prisoners from one county to another and to the
state prison. trials at examining courts the sum
moning of unnecessary witnesses for purposes of
pay, ought to and should be remedied by adequate
legislation.
1t is certainly surprising to learn that in q
state where none but members of "the grand
old party" hold Office frauds under the
forms of law have robbed the treasury of tens
upon tens of thousands Of dollars, without
any apparent remedy" This is good field
in which the New York Sun should commence
turning the rascals out" The governor de-
livered a speech in Louisville last May, and,
among other things, said:
The most important question that / deem wor.
thy of your consideration is that of finances l
desire TO speak Of the unfair and unjust assess
ment of the properly in the state of Kentucky.
At the present time 1t Is assessed mt 10 peY cent.
below It's value. BY an equal assessment of all
the property in the state there would be brought
into the state treasury at least SsOOOOO 81 100000
more than is derived under the present system Of
assessment. Kentucky is lingering behind every
other state in the union. By proper assessment
of your property you could put her ahead of
almost every other state
That Kentucky SIS lingering behind every
other state in the union" is q confession not
often made by the members of the dominant
party of that state. In the message before
quoted from the governor says:
The auditors report, which will be laid before
you in due time, will show that there was n sur.
plus balance In the treasury on Oct. TO- 1879 the
close of the fiscal year, of S65,97937 but untortu
naely this report is totally and utterly deuslve In
this, that at that very time there was a large
amount of outstanding and unaudited Claims
against the treasury aggregating very large sum,
not less than several hundred thousand dollars.
1t follows, therefore, that this reported surplus is
misleading and calculated to make an impression
which the real facts in the case do not at all justify
or warrant. In other words kle outstanding and
unpaid claims against the commonwealth on the
tenth day of october last greatly in excess of
the amount then in the treasury, and conse-
quenty there was deficit, and very large one,
instead of surplus.
From February z, 1867, up to the date of
the governors message, the state had received
from the United States government on 40.
count of war claims 50, ,265, ,5i2.92; from sale of
the sale of turnpike stock, $23, 1892, making
total of $3,175,9l4.5i. On the receipt of
these large sums the legislature reduced the
rate of taxation, and on the 10th Of October
1850, there was a deficiency in the treasury of
$670,912.35. The sinking fund which in
1912 amounted to 81, ,lO1, 024 was reduced
in ten years to the sum of sos, 1897 without
new state enterprise, or any improvement
to show for its expenditure.
A tax of twenty cents on certain property
is fixed by law to be collected for the use of
the public schools. The superintendent of
tho public school system in his report, says
Although the law, as recited in tho above
section, is clear and conclusive, not one cent
of the amount paid into the treasury for the
support of the common schools is derived,
with the exception stated, from any tax on
any corporation in the commonwealth"
Hon. Proctor Knott, democratic candidate
for governor of Kentucky, said in a speech a
few days since at Hartford in that state
~ defy the production of scintilla of evidence
| that there has been cent of our public funds
| fraudulently or corruptly mlsappied 1 hope
| therefore, that these oft-repeated and as Of
refuted charges will be considered by all honora-
BILE and fair-minded gentlemen as mere party
clap-trap. without any substantial foundation in
| fact"
We offer Mr.. Knott the following "scin.
tilla" from message of Gov. Blackburn in
answer to his challenge:
| To show what scandalous and vlllainous frauds
are practiced in this regard, give you the follow
ing extract from the report of the grand jury o.
Floyd county, TO Hon. j, L. Stewart, the judge o
its criminal court:
ave find that It Is a custom among some of the
justices and constables TO set foot certain pros
eoutons for frlonies In order to manufacture
! claims against the state The mode aforesaid /,
about MS follows An officer Will get two men tC
engage in friendly fight, in which rock orsomC
| weapon will be used so as to make scratch, caus
ing slight blood ora wound. The party doing thC
injury is then hired TO 20 out Of the county, bu
| on the way he leaves word where the officer may
find him. Tie officer then goes with guard ol
| two-generally two-Rnd makes the arrest, Hnd
get pay, for transporting the prisoner from OH,
county to another, and generally consumes some
days on trip"
The messages Of Gov. Blackburn, and re-
ports of the state officers, furnish such com
plote answers TO Mr.. Knott's speeches thai
we suggest, in the words OF a we'll known Ken
tuckian, Col. Dick Wintersmith, fight it ou
among yourselves, gentlemen"
Registered Bonds.
The total amount of outstanding United
States registered bonds is 81, ,773, ,749,250 o