Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-10-26
ROTTEN TO THE CORE.
{ aig Of Inscriptions Repub-
lican Politicians.

SftstS Daicials Suppress Evidence of
fraudulent transactions "A
Plank in the Democratic
Platform.
Chairman Walsh, of the democratic
state committee, has sought by every
means in his power to secure a report
from the special committee appointed
at the extra session of the legislature
to investigate the state institutions.
The committee, consisting of two re-
publicans and one democrat, up to six
weeks ago had completed their invests
cation of four or five OF the state in
situations. Since that time it has done
nothing to complete the Investigation
of the remainder of the state institu-
tons, and by agreement between mem
bers of the committee no report was
to be made until the whole investiga ton
should be completed.
This amounts to suppression of all
facts connected with these institutions
until too late for the facts to be of value
in informing the people before election
day. Without giving the source of the
Information it is now definitely and pos
itively known that the committee of in
vestigation in the case of every institu-
ton thus far examined has found the
grossest Irregularities and the most eX-
travagant and unbusinesslike methods
in connection with the management.
In one case at Fort Madison, the abro-
Df n tyif hnI,f M
by the executive council, and where the
state was protected by ample bond, it
has been found that the state has been
practically robbed of $4,000.
At Marshalltown the most serious and
rotten condition of affairs was discov-
cred. Books are kept in such man
ner at all these institutions as to rem
der it next to impossible to arrive at
the facts.
Drnlee's Social Call.
As required by law, Gov. Boes made
1t his business frequently to visit these
institutions and look into their man
agement; but it is found that Gov.
Drake has never paid visit to any of
them, except on one occasion when
there was a soldiers reunion in the To-
,ality. In that one case he made So
cial call of about one hour on the<ofi-
Ger in charge of the institution.
Chairman Walsh has definite informa-
ton that at one institution the members
Of the executive committee in ilnmedi-
ate charge did not know whether there
was one dollar or $1,00o,0o0 in its per-
manent fund, when the fact was there
was permanent fund OF $233, 900, which
said committee was supposed to man
age. They did not know whether or
not the treasurer of the institution had
given bond, and did not know-whsch
was fact-that the two most respon-
sible bondsmen were dead. and that
their estates had been settled up.
The same power that prevented full
investigation of the state officers last
spring, and that suppressed the evil
dence that was taken, has proved to
be strong enough to prevent the re-
port of this special committee from be-
.ng given to the public before election.
Everything here stated with respect to
the condition of affairs in the state in
situations is absolutely proved and es-
tablished by sworn testimony before
that committee, and will be reported
with the committees findings. Doubt
less many more facts of similarly
grave and scandalous nature will be
shown by the report.
A Ring of Thieves.
The following editorial from the lead
ing republican newspaper of Iowa. the
Des Moines Register, shows how the
state is robbed by gang of unscrnpul-
Gus republican politicians:
| at will be well for the members Of the
| legislature to remember that the people d
| The state were amazed at the magnitude
Of the appropriations proposed while they
were pending before last winters session
The Register warned the legislature II
| time but our protests against excessive
| and eXtravagant appropria tions were un'
availng to protect the state from thu
| over half million dollars deficit that was
certain from the moment the last appro
| pration bill was passed and signed. L
will not do for the appropriation commit
| lees to attempt to lay the blame for thu
| over half a million dollars deficit, ant
| probably s1,00O,000 deficit. upon an ALLEGED
| 100000 mistake in the estimate Audfto
| Mccarthy Indue LOT lHe general dSSeilul.
| during the last few days of the regula
session. for the legislature was warned
in time that it was bankrupting the stat
\ treasury by enormously excessive and ex
travagant appropriations. 1t was the dut!
| of the appropriations committee to find on
the financial condition of the state at tn
beginning Of the term, instead of 'durin
the last few days Of the regular session.
when the institutions ring had agreed upol
the distribution of the spells and had vote
enough to carry their bills through in spit
Of the warnings, protests and pleadings o
the Register, and all Of the people, VIII
saw that bankruptcy of the state treasur
was certain and alarming unless the powe
Of the ring could be broken The Registe
makes no claim to special knowledge o
skill in statecraft, but the over half q mil
lion dollars deficit in the state .treasur
proves that the Register knows what
was talking about when it SO plainly lai
the certain results of excessive and ea
travagant appropriations before the pee
pie of the state previous to the passage
the first appropriation bill! at our last wiz
ter's regular session 1t Is well to remen
Der that the Institutions ring though
there would not be sufficient money fc
their purposes; therefore special ia
was levied by the regular session for or
, of the institutions. III addition to the al
preparations that made the over half-mi
, lion dollars deficit"
Smash the Gang!
The plank in the democratic platforl
reads as follows:
I'VE reaffirm the position of the dem
cratic party IN this state In demandir
that our state institutions be governed
nonpartisan board of control. which CT
nd . hnir rnl 4 /,