Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-04-12
Incompetency or Dishonestyi

nouse gang VINO was sent 10 Abilene |
TO buy the Monitor, with view of
debating Dickinson county politics,
has come to grief. Mr.. Gaines is
State superintendent Of public in
struction, and ex-ofIicio secretary OF
the State board OF school fund COM
missioners. The other members OF
the board are Secretary Osburn and
Attorney General Little. These gen
tlemen have charge Of the school fund
Of the State. II is their duty to keep
this fund invested in good interest
bearing securities for the benefit OF
the people. 1t is not understood that
the commissioners have a right to
speculate of Of this fund for their in
diyidual profit The revelations that
came to light last week concerning
the investing OF some ten thousand
dollars OF the public fund in bogus
bonds, has led Mr.. Gaines to fear that
something is going to happen, and he
Immediately and hastily proceeds to
publish his "vindication," for the
purpose doubtless Of letting himself
and his colleagues down with as little
jar as possible into that oblivion
from which they never should have
emerged.
The attempted explanation by Mr..
Gaines as published in the Capital OF
Sunday last, is decidedly evasive, in
definite, ambiguous, and exhibits en-
tirely too much venom. 1t explains
nothing. 1t is virtually n confession
with a plea Of justification ON two
distinct grounds First, the evil cx-
ample Of his predecessor In Office, and
second, his own ignorance and in
competency. That there have been
others Just as bad as Mr.. Gaines may
or may not be true, but st. Peter will
never let him pass the gates on the
| plea that he IL no worse than some
Democrat or Republican.
Just how Mr.. Gaines personal at
tack upon Mr.. Crane is going to help
the school fund commissioners out Of
the dilemma in which they find them
selves is not clear. Mr.. Crane is n
bad man. He Is Republican, and
that is against him. He is n success
full business man and that is suspi-
cious nowadays. He had some bonds
to sell and that is an inexcusablc
offense.
But, the school fund commissioners
did not "oilicially' purchase the
$4,000 OF Hamilton county bonds
from Mr.. Crane. II they had done so
they would have paid Mr.. Crane ten
thousand dollars for them, for that Is
the exact amount that was drawn out
OF the State school fund TO pay for
ceived 1000 OF that $4,000. Every
one, including Mr.. Gaines, seems to be
perfectly informed Ms to the amount
received by Mr.. Crane, and just what
he did with 1t, This needed no ex-
PLANTATION by Mr.. Gaines. The import
ant question which the people Of the
State are now asking, and which Mr.
Gaines has studiously refrained from
answering or referring to is the man
ner OF the distribution of that other
1000 dollars which the commission
ers drew out Of the school fund,
nominally for the purpose OF paying
for these bonds, but which never
reached the hands OF Mr.. Crane. The
silence OF Mr.. Gaines on this point is
painful to his friends. Mr.. Hornaday
of this city says that he only received
three per cent for his part in the
transaction. II Mr.. Crane had re-
ceived $40, 1000 for his bonds, the plea
Of incompetency and stupidity SO
pitifully made by Mr.. Gaines might
avail him something, But in the face
of the fact that Mr.. Crane only re-
ceived $4,000 of the $4,000 drawn
out of the fund, the plea that Mr..
Crane was trying to palm off good
bonds onto the commissioners IL
ridiculous. Every man thus far con.
nected with this deal is or has been
connected with the state house gang,
and an attachee OF Mr.. Gaines office,
and until Mr.. Gaines or somebody
else who knows tells how that $4,000
OF the State school fund which Mr.
Crane did not get was distributed
there is likely to be very little
diversity of opinion as to the manner
OF its distribution.
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