Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-27
What Became OF This None.

What Became of This Money:
The stalwart Illinois republican
Journal, the Chicago Times-Herald,
has made some discoveries in the
matter of expenditure of the military
> funds of the state. which leads it TO
indulge in comparisons. all of which
lis quite interesting. Here is the
!, substance of the Times-Herald' IS reve-
lations and declarations: National
guardsmen of Illinois return TO the
state from Cuba. Porto Rico and
southern camps to find their nainten-
ance fund in the state treasury ex-
hausted and the treasury unable to
provide for their future support.
The sum of S477. 500. set aside for
the use of the National Guard during
the years 1897 and 1898 has been ex-
pended in some manner by the state
administration and demand has been
made upon the United States govern
ment for $500, 900 more for expenses
incurred during the mobilization of
the troops.
..Of this $477, 800 the sum of $500
200 can be easily accounted for by al
lowing:
For the national encampment, 1897 go. .sl2oO0O
4
| For current guard expenses Is months,
| estimated 5000
| For padped hay and grain bills, 1897 200
Total $500 200
| What has become of the remaining
$277, 300? The disappearance of so
large a sum proyokes sensational
charges to which the legislature and
perhaps the grand jury of Sangamon
county will he forced to listen.
| Under the acts of the Legislature of
| 1897 there became available for the
use of the National Guard July l,
1897, 1905. 600. July 1, 1898, $205,-
900 more became available. The fur
Their sum of $50. was appropriated
to meet deficiency in the funds ex-
listing June so, 1897. For parade
grounds and Chicago armory $780, i
900 was appropriated. For the
| equipment of the state militia con-
gress set aside S21. 500. and for the
naval militia $4,000. The total sum
of these appropriations Supposed to
| literally cover all guard expenses to
July /, 1899 was $477, 500. Add to
this the $500, 900 which Gov Tanner
saws the state advanced to the gov
eminent when the troops were mobil-
| lied, and the expenses of the guard
| for the Is months past have been
$3.50, 600. Today the guard fund is
! bankrupt. War was declared with
Spain April 20. The Illinois state
troops were modified at Camp Tan
ner at that time. The expenses which
they incurred as part OF the United
States army did not commence until
after April %. The National Guard
fund in the state treasury, the $780,
600 odd which the legislature appro-
priated for 1897, was exhausted, every
dollar of it expended by February.
1898, 90 days before the war was de- |
clared- In February, 1888, the fol- |
lowing letter was written to an officer |
of the National Guard:
''Springfield, ILL.,, Feb. %, 1893
Dear Sir: / have the honor to ac-
knowledge receipt of your favor, re-
ferring to your voucher for which you |
have advanced money. Owing to the |
fact that. our appropriation is so low
| will be compelled to ask that you'll
hold this until the 1st of July, at |
which time l will approve same and |
have warrant issued. l have the |
honor to be very respectfully your |
obedient servant.
j. n. REECE, Adiutant General.
This being the condition of the /
treasury in February, how in April |
was Gov. Tanner able to divert mill
tia funds for the aid of the general |
government? How [could he divert
any National Guard funds in April |
when the appropriation for 1897 was
spent in February. as his own adjutant
general writes? He could not divert /
the 1898 fund, for that was not col
lectible until July l, 1898. And that
1898 fund had been discounted before
it was paid into the treasury. When,
then. did the governor find funds to
divert?
What became of the money!"
The Altgeld administration, with
one annual appropriation of $4,000
for the National Guard, was able to
return $4,000 to the state treasury
unexpended in 1895. The Altgeld
administration afterwards faced ex-
pensive strikes and yet closed its term
of office with deficiency of only 500
600. From July l, 1897, to Feb. %,
1898, is eight months. In that time
the present administration not only
expends over 5000, 600 set aside for
the guard, but discounts the other
5000. 600 due in July, 1898. During
that period the National Guard was
not called out for strike and held
only one encampment."