The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-02
CARE OF rHx COUNTY FUNDS.

f1siOn managers ana their organ - tAS2l a.
sault upon the eonnty's financial soivency.
The conscienceless attacks upon The repu-
tations Of candidates are villainous enough,
bat il might ce said Of them that at the
worst they could only work injury TO in
dividuals. To assaiI the county's solvency
TO allege that the public money is stolen
or 30 hidden away that il is not available
for public uses-ls TO invite suspicion.
panic. general distrust. and to risk dis
aster to the financial and commercial in
ierests of the county and its people.
Yet this is what the Telegraph has
deliberately and purposely done. without
a shadow Of juslihation for the doing of it.
II is an act which stamps that paper As .
traitor to the community from which it
draws its sustenance
The Telegraph has not ventured openly
to charge malfeasance upon the late or the
present county treasurer. Indeed, il has
designed to save itself from harm by this
admission: ''We do not accuse either Mr..
Phelps or DR.. Mitten of taking dollar of
pubic money which they were not en-
Titled to-" This being true, nothing more
was to be said. IN honesty. But the Teie-
graph proceeded TO insinuate by dark hints
and innuendoes that the treasury has been
robbed; and this is but another way of
saying that the treasurer is q defaulter.
The slanderous organ speaks Of a NOM
inal balance which cannot be produced;
Of the imminency of q disgraceful and
ruinous exposure: says that Mr.. Phelps
and his bondsmen have personal interest
in retaining control of the county treasury.
All this is clearly designed to create in the
public mind belief, or at least q fear, that
the treasury has been looted, and that Mr..
Phelps and DR.. Mitten are cognixant Of
and accessory to the robbery.
These gentlemen are of high capacity
and character. To cast such odium upon
them, In the absence OF shadow of justi-
hcation for SO doing, is baseness even
lower than the other mendacities in which
the organ has INDUCED.
So vile calumny upon men 50 favor
ably known would not be worthy of notice
were it not that the recollection of the
which the city treasury was looted. makes
the people FESTIVE. II was this thought,
no doubt, which influenced the organ to
throw out its infamous innuendoes. in the
hope that few voters might be thereby
misled into foregoing their preference for
DIR. Mitten and supporting his Populistic
competitor.
In order that no citizen may fail to
understand clearly and fully the condition
of the county treasury, three gentlemen
expert In financial matters were asked TO
examine fully into that condition and re-
port the result of their inquiry. Their
report has been made. and Is reproduced
on another page of this paper.
The gentlemen who made this examina-
ton are Mr.. Angus Macintosh. president
OF the Mcrchants' National bank: Mr.. +.
O. Graves, president of the Washington
National bank and leading Democrat.
and Mr.. w. Barry, cashier of the CONNER
cial National bank. of which Mr.. John Y.
ostrander is president.
These gentlemen are known to the peo-
pie at large, and their competency and
honor is not questioned.
They certify. as will be seen, that ''the
balance of $40. 1876 50 on October 81 was
fully accounted for by balances on deposit.
subject to the county treasurer's check, in
solvent banks and by the amount Of cash
on hand in the treasurer's Office"
This at once and completely disposes of
oil the vile insinuations of the fusion or
gan. 1t shows that every dollar OF the
county's money is safe and available at
any time. 1t shows that the innuendo
that ex-Treasursr Phelps and his bonds
men have something TO fear is gro.esque
rs we'll as baseiess. IL showsthat the dark
hint that Treasurer Mitten 10 in some way
short In his accounts is disgracefuliy men
dacious.
What is to be thought of paper which
manufactures such lies out of whole cloth
merely to bolster up the failing fortunes
of a cause which has no merit to COM
mend it to popular spprovalr Can any
condemnation be too strong for such base
devices?
Every citizen may rest assured that
every dollar of the county's money is and
will be safe in the custody of DIR. Mitten.
Every friend of Seattle may feel satisfac-
ton in the thought that the cowardiy and
scurrilous intimations that the county
funds have been made away with being
shown to be utterly false, cannot hurt the
credit or the business of the city, as
would seem to be the evil intent Of their
authors.
Assassins of the reputation and destroy
ers Of public confidence are not the kind
OF men who lead movements designed TO
bring about the public good. This is clear
enough to the people. and there need be
no doubt that the verdict against the per-
sons who are resorting to the nasty tactics
OF defamation will be very emphatic
DR.. Mitten is a man Of character and
ability, impregnably entrenehsd in the
confidence of his fellow citizens. The
people who are throwing mud at him viii
profit nothing by their dirty employment.
The organ which seeks to create the im-
preston that he is dishonest public
servant will earn nothing but degree OF
public scorn as vivid as must be It's own
self contempt.
The spotted egg organs latest vil!ainy Is