Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-10-08
The State Census and Printing Scan


dals.
W. last week referred TO the state
census and state printing scandals
which have been unearthed during
the special session of the general as
sembly of Iowa, the reference being
occasioned by an apparently we'll au-
thenticated rumor to the effect that
the investigation of the subject that
had been undertaken by the legisla-
ture was about to be throttled and a
liberal application of whltewash made
to all concerned. The existence of
such a series of bold and upblushing
Tweedism in agricultural stnte like
Iowa, with no congested cities to
make corrupt politics easy, with it's
large preponderance of clean, pro-
gressive and intelligent farmers, and
its phenomenally low rate of illitera.
cy, is of itself sufficiently humiliating
to all lovers of good government; but
to render the investigation abortive
in the face of the public charges that
have been openly made for many
weeks past, would be a disgrace to
the good name of the state and furn-
ish cause for every honest citizen to
hide his head in shame. 1t has been
openly charged that the census of
1895 was glazing job; that it cost,
under the direction of leading state
officer. was vastly out of proportion
to either its value or the labor involv-
ed; that some seventy-tive men and
women were for long time employed
at from So so to 81 per day in the
mere work of compiling the returns
under the direction of the officer re-
ferred to, after the census had been
taken, when Il dozen competent ac-
countants could have completed the
compilation in much shorter time,
and that Of these seventy-five employ
es, those of them who did not have q
strong political pulp were obliged
to contribute q part of the sular., 9
they were not earning ia order to hold
their jobs. 1t is also openly charged
that after the compilation was COM
pleted and the copy went to the state
printer, it was stretched and padded
so as to make many pages where a
few would have sufflced, in order thu
the exorbitant prices charged might
be made still more exorbitant ana the
depleted state treasury still more SO
verely bied, and that the detection of
this gigantic tax. eating led to the in-
vestigation and discovery of many
more equally shameless. With these
charges publicly made and pressed, to
choke off the investigation would
been an outrage against which the
public sentiment of the state would
have risen en- masse and those respon-
sible for it would have found we'll.
deserved political graves, aud the
dominant party responsible for it
would have gone into equally we'll
deserved retirement until purged
of the crime.
The farmers of Iowa do not realize
the extent of the ring which now
stands indicted at the bar of public
opinion and of the legislature. They
do not comprehend the boldness OF
its operations, the desperation of its
methods nor the degree to which il
ralniiies the state. If they did gooG
many heads would drop into the pc
litical basket. As an illustration Of
its desperate methods one incident O
the last gnbernational campaign may
be mentioned. The ring had its eye
ou The Office Of governor, and made ,
bold assault to carry it in behalf O
one of its members, then q state of
| tioer already mentioned. Que of the
steps in the plan was gross attack
upon Gov. Drake in order to kill hin
off as the leading candidate. Th,
publication OF this attack was secured
; in country newspaper owned by
J wholly irresponsible party in south
western Iowa. Many thousand copies
of the paper containing it were scat
, tered all over Iowa through the mails
the intermediary in securing the pull
iication being Il leading member q
the state printing ring who was ais,
q newspaper publisher, but who di,
not dare to publish it in his own pa
per. This abuse of the mails was in
! vestigate.i by the postal authorize
and the result was that the unhnpp,
! and irresponsible instrument in III
J, job was indicted in the United State
court for pergury and violation @
the postal laws. Without going int
all the details of the case here it |
sufficient to say that the ring had t
come forward and put up severa
S hundred dollars, the amount out @
which the postal department La
q been defrauded.
We earnestly hope that the legisla
tnre will pursue this investigation
= and probe the matter to the bottom
y as well as all others of similar chal
u acter where investigation may b
necessary. 1t is time that these col
rupt rings were broken up. They or
only held together by the cohcsiv
power of public plumber, and the leg
islature should make it unhealthy t
:, belong to one of then
;. They are a disgrace t
r the great and Intelligent state ,
: Iowa. There is no politics in IL,