Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-09-23
IS A GRAND RECORD.
HOW THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY KEEPS
ITS PROMISES TO THE PEOPLE.
Every Pledge Faithfully Redeemed by
Gov. Peck and His Administration.
REPUBLICAN, STATE TREASURES
FORCED TO DISGORGE.

Over $4,000 in Interest on the State
Funds Saved to the People During the
Eighteen Months of Dem ocratic Rule
Three-quarters Of Million Dollars
Recovered-Large Savings In Every
Branch of the State Governmental
Record That Every Democrat Can View
With Pride-Republican Misrule Cor
rected-Timber Thieves Caught and
Brought to Judgment-The Interest of
the People Everywhere Considered
Rather Than Those Of the Chosen
Few.
Hardly in the history of political parties
Aas there been such record for faithful
aess and honesty as that made by the
Democratic administration in this state
for the past two years.
1t is unique and unusual. Promises
made by political parties during q cam
paign are usually looked upon as some
thing to tide the party over a few awkward
months with little care what becomes of
them after the party has won victory.
But in looking back over the record of the
past two years in this state q new era in
politics is opened up. 1t is record of
promises kept, pledges redeemed, and hon
Est dealing with the people.
Every one must be struck with the clean,
wise and economical administration of
Gov Peck, in which he has been faithfully
and loyalty assisted by his fellow officials.
1t Is a record and administration to be
proud Of
Two years ago the Democratic party in
Wisconsin went before the people with
four pledges; first, to repeal the Bennett
law, which with its tendency toward pa
ternalism and useless interference with
paternal rights and personal liberty, was
obnoxious to every thoughtful citizen;
second, to reduce state expenses to point
necessary for economical administration
of state affairs; third, to see that the in
terest on the state funds was turned into
the state treasury where the people, and
not private individuals, would get the
benefit of it; fourth, that suits should be
brought against the ex-state treasurers to
recover the interest money they had H.
legally retained and converted to their
own use. Further than this the platform
said:
1--WE oppose the employment In shops,
factories, or other places of business, Of
children under IA years of age, and favor
stringent laws prohibiting such employ.
ment."
How were these promises kepti The
first bill introduced into the legislature
was bill to repeal the Bennett law, and
1t was passed, in spite of attempted Re-
publican obstruction, and signed by Gov.
Peck before the new administration was
three weeks old. How the promise re-
garding an economical administration Of
state affairs was kept will be shown
later on.
Republicans had sneered at the promise
that State Treasurer Hummer, If elected,
would cover the interest on the state funds
into the state treasury The sheer was
changed into look of CONSERVATION when
at the close of the month of January, 1891,
a communication was sent up to the as.
sembly by the governor, announcing that
State Treasurer Hummer had filed state
Ment of the amount of interest received on
the state funds, about 5000, which had
been covered into the state treasury and
giving the funds to which it had been
credited
Before the state administration had been
many weeks old suits were brought against
ex-State Treasures E. C. McFetridge and
III. B. Harshaw, which were followed by
similar suits against Richard Guenther,
Ferdinand Kuehn and Henry Bartz. I'm
deferred by the vicious attacks made on
him by the Republican press, Attorney
General O'Connor pressed the suits for
ward in the cases of McFetridge and Har-
shaw until he obtained judgment against
them in the lower court before Judge
Newman. They were appealed to the SUI
preme court, where they have Just been
ably argued in behalf of the state by Gen.
O'Connor, Senator VIM. F. Villas and Hon.
r. NJ. Bashford. and the state will un-
doubtedly recover in these two cases alone
nearly 100000.
Should the supreme court sustain the
Judgment of the lower court, as it is be-
lieved will be the case, the case against ex-
Treasurer Guenther will be pushed to
Judgment and SIS, 900 recovered in princi-
pal and interest. The amounts retained
by Messrs. Kuehn and Bartz are about
800. 900, which will bring the grand total
to over $7O0, 900 that will be returned to the
taxpayers OF the state through the efforts
of the present Democratic administration.
While these suits have been in progress
Treasurer Hummer has been quietly but
steadily turning in the interest on the
state funds to the different funds. The
following statement shows the interest re-
ceived:
Received for quarter ending June 30,
Previously reported from Jan. s. 1851. ''''
to April l. 1892. ....................3 5l7975
Total received .............. S42 al0 10
To make this showing complete the in
terest on the school money distributed five
months earlier in the year under Republi-
can rule should be added, as the people
have the use of it in maintaining their
schools. The interest on $780, at 8 per
cent. for five months is $500, making q
grand total of money saved to the people
through the interest on the public funds
| of $4s, 71010.
The funds to which this interest money
has been appcrtioned and credited are as
| follows:
Normal school fund income account Gl78OS
University fund income account 1885, 10
Agricultural college fund income ac-
| count: $50 - ....-.............. 4yZ6S
Total credited. ..,................$42, 30. 10
This statement shows that ST. ,O59 03 has
gone to the school, normal school and
university funds. The interest on those
funds the Republican party, SO devoted to
| the little red school house." allowed state
| treasurers to appropriate, leaving the edu-
cational interests of the state to suffer.
During the session Of the legislature
bill was passed prohibiting the employ
ment of children in factories and work
shops until they had passed their four
teenth year.