Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-10-19

money. That the ones here (meaning the
ones that act as clerks Of the state Off
cers) with them it is different.
@. It includes clerk hire for the treas
urer, commissioner of railroads, score.
tary of state, superintendent of public
instruction and auditor, does it not?
A. Yes.
Q. You have then deemed it more
necessary for the good of the state, that
the %janitor and others working about
the capitol building, as your clerks, be
paid, than you have the persons working
about the public institutions, have you?
A. For the reasons as stated; yes.
@: All the expenses for sweeping
of rooms, cleaning spittoons, and other
mental labor of that kind around the
capitol has been paid in full up to date,
the LIST of October, has it not?
A. Yes, it is necessary, as I say, for
those who do this class of work to have
warrants, because they cannot have the
AAoUAuuVlOu O1uol6 W OOUdlu mOu0ys "Ea
@. Has this been done on an under
standing between you and the treas
urer?
a. Yes. This has been paid out of
the collections as they come in.
For the purpose Of paying to have his
own office kept neat, clean and tidy, and
clerks paid in full to date, this auditor
has violated his Interpretation Of the
constitution and compelled persons
working in state institutions to hook
their bills about the streets, or use them
as collateral to loans to pay their living
expenses while working for the state. It
has been published by populistic papers
and stated on all occasions by the aud
itor, that the attorney general has de-
cided that the salaries of the state Off
GERS, which the auditor has interpreted
to include clerk hire, is under the con
stltution and law made as a continuing
appropriation which must be first paid.
We are credibly informed, in fact there
is not a doubt but that the attorney gen.
eral has not so decided. The auditor
was asked for the opinion of the at
torney general upon this subject, and he
said the opinion he got was a verbal
one. An examination of the opinions of
the attorney general in his Office fails to
show any such opinion given by the at
torney general. The attorney general
did decide that the constitution and law
contemplated the payment of the state
officers and judges Of the court, but did
not include clerk hire and other like SER
vices.
Do the voters of North Dakota believe
that an auditor is worthy Of reelection
who will interpret the constitution and
law, and act upon this Interpretation
that some typewriter or copylst who
works four or five hours per day, and is
hauled at the states expense to and from
their work, is more worthy of his pay
than the guard who walks the fence in
heat and cold to prevent the escape OF
convicts from the state p~enitentiary, OF
the nurse who risks her health and life
in caring for and administering to the
wants Of the insane patient? Do they
believe that the treasurer should be
again placed in charge of the funds OF
state who will keep thousands of dollars
lying idle merely to-as he says-"keer
a switch over the county treasurers Of
the state?" Yet these things have beer
done as we have shown by the
statements Of the treasurer and
auditor. The treasurer, when first asked
if any of the funds of the treasury had
been overdrawn, answered mo; not that
l know Of" He afterwards said that
they had been overdrawn sometimes tc
the extent Of ten thousand dollars.
We desire to be fair with the treasurer
in his statement, and therefore make
this statement of his apparent contra.
diction, as we understood to be right
from a conversation with him, who, by
the way, answered all questions he wal
asked in a courteous and gentlemanly
manner, and seemed perfectly willing te
give all the information his books con.
tanned. No account, as we understand
it, was kept by him, showing these over
drafts on particular funds, and therefore
his books did not show that there had
been an overdraft. The facts, as we be.
} lieve them and as it seems to us the
answers made by the treasurer and au-
ditor warrant of, that whenever any of the
pets of the administration, any of the
clerks employed by them, personally, OF
whenever any expense occurred, which
must be borne by their friends, by an
understanding with the treasurer, the
auditor has drawn his warrants to pay
sams, and allowed those who were moi
among their political appointees to gel
their money the best they could. In ev.
idence of this, note the answers of the
auditor and treasurer:
The treasurer says there was or
hand and In the treasury, in the general