The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-10
IMPORTANT.
THE PUBLIC FUNDS. WHAT
HAS BECOME OF THEM.
John H. Burke Replies to the Min.
neapolis Journal.

The Minneapolis Journal of April
4th in half column editorial makes
a plea for the Legislature to choke of
that all-around Nemesis Burke, in his
efforts to secure an investigation Of
the management of public funds and
the financial concerns of this state.
| 1t Is certainly strange state OF at
fairs when whole state administra-
tion, the machinery of a political
party. and finally large part of the
press combine to down the efforts of
one man to secure an honest admins
tration, and would seem to indicate
that the politicians and financial con-
Germs dare not let the public know the
real facts, and If need be we fear they
will resort to extremes to prevent the
| truth from coming out.
We know from our own personal ex-
| perience that murder has been at
tempted to prevent such expos ure and
that act has received the sanction aHd
| support of the press and managers Of
the Republican party, and it remains
to be seen whether the rank and file
will cOndOne these crimes.
If the financial and political leaders
OF party will commit or sanction
murder to prevent an exposure of
| their crimes, their condition finan-
cially must be far worse than appears
on the surface, and there is no assur-
ance that they have not committed,
or will not commit bribery as well,-
hence it were we'll for the public to
have care about committing any
money to the tender mercies of the
financial concerns of the two cities.
1t has been shown that by compari-
son Of balances the past state treasur-
ers may owe the state approaching
81 100000, and rough estimate, not
yet finally com pleted, will show the
amount presumably due by county and
city treasurers at over $4,000, 900.
Hence it is not to be wondered that
the political barnacles that have so
long hampered our ship of state
should seek by any means-foul, if
necessary-to suppress our efforts to
compel restitution to the people of
this state of that which has been
filched from the toiling masses.
Charles Kittleson was state treas
urer from 1880 to 1886, and collected
in that time $l9,O15, 1872 IA Of public
funds; and if it is assumed that n
average Of half that amount remained
in the treasury and that interest was
collected by him on the same, it is
possible the following might approx
mate the result:
Interest due. .............. $780, 315. SO
Interest paid in ........ 63,272.Ol
Balance due. ......... $317,O43.82
Mr.. Kittleson had been in business
ia small way in Freedom county,
with no great experience as a tinan-
cier, yet after he ceases to be state
treasurer he forthwith branches out
as an all around financier, as an off,
cial of trust company, and later of
the Columbia National Bank.
Joseph Bobletter succeeds Mr.. Kit
tleson, being treasurer from 1886 to
1895, Collecting in that time $40,211,-
1920, and if we apply to his admins
tration the same method of calcula-
ton, and assume it to be correct, the
result would be:
Interest due. 1904. 222. 10
Interest collected. 22S. 62S IL
Balance due. 1916, 593 81
M. Bobletter was in business in
small way in Brown county and did
not wait till his term of state treas
urer had expired before branching
out as banker, but almost immedi-
ately after taking office organized
bank in Brown county, and later be-
came cashier OF the Columbia National
Bank
But some captious critic may assume
our estimates as being too high, and
we will accordingly take only the av-
erage annual balances and the follow
ing will be the result:
CHARLES KITTLESON.
Balances. ..................$3, ISL ,G64 90
interest on same. ......... 15O,O6656
Interest collected. ...... 63,272.Ol