Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-04

would raise q sum OF money which,
added to what the state got from other
sources, would ct their bills, this ten
million four hundred thousand dollars
They were in session little while and
they raised it one million, which still
| left shortage of about fourteen hun
dred thousand dollars. 1 could not
compel the legislature to raise 1t.
They declined TO do it. They made a
| political matter OF it. They thought it
was good politics Subsequently the
present governor OF the state was in
! terviewed about this matter and it
seems that he did not approve of 1t.
He had this to say about it. He Says:
During the legislative session in 1895,
when the Republicans had an over
whelming majority in both branches.
went to Senator Dunlap. Speaker
John Meyer and Representatives
Cochran and Needles and begged them
not to disgrace the old common
wealth. / pointed out to them that
they had appropriated ten million four
hundred thousand dollars and by their
levy had only provided for raising
eight million dollars to pay 1t. I told
them when they cut down the tax levy
that Governor Altgeld would be
| obliged to call a special session of the
legislature to correct their mistake. I
knew this would have to be done.
These gentlemen 1 have named are re-
sponsible for the extra session. The
tax levy, as passed in 1895, was two
million four hundred thousand dollars
short Of the appropriations. The extra
session called by the governor in 1895
raised one million more. but this still
left deficit of fourteen hundred thou
sand dollars. This then considered,
and now consider, an inexcusable blum
der" That is the language of the pres
ent governor of this state.
Republicans Manufacture Democratic
Deficit.
My friends, that shows you where
this deficit in the treasury come from
that you have heard something about
in recent weeks. It was deliberately
made, and the present governor says
it was inexcusable and blunder.
Now what follows? Why, we had to
run the institutions, W could not turn
all OF those insane people loose at
Kankakee. What was ne? The in
situations were obliged to borrow
money and there was no alternative
for 1t. When you borrow money you
pay interest-no escaping that. Well,
then what follows? The law provides
that the auditor shall issue no war
rants on the treasurer when the mon
ey Is not in the treasury to meet 1t.
But as soon as there is money in the
treasury he may do so. The auditors
books always show how much money
there is in the treasury. Not dollar
goes into the treasury but what a note
of it is made in the auditors Office.
He knows exactly what is in the treas
ury. The time came when money
came into the state treasury. The au-
ditor issued his warrants to these in
situations.
Tanners Man whittemore
They took them to the treasury,
which was run then by a gentleman
who is now the Republican candidate
for state treasury, who was then dep
uty treasurer for Mr.. Wolfe. These
institutions took these warrants.
which the auditor gave them, over
to the treasury, and that gentleman,
in charge of the treasury, declined to
pay-didn't exactly decline, but said
he couldn't do 1t today, come tomor-
row or some other time, and in several
instances he delayed them three
months. The money was in the treas
ury, PROVIDED HE HAD NOT
LOANED IT OUT AND WAS GET
TING INTEREST ON 1T. (Applause)
But he delayed them three months be-
fore he cashed thoee warrants. Now.
my friends, who was responsible for
the fact that the institutions had to
pay interest on borrowed money for
three months after the auditors book
showed the warrants had been issued
for that money. Those warrants did
not do the institutions and bankers
who had loaned money any good, mas
much as they could not get money on
them. They went week by week over
to the treasurer's Office and demanded
the money and were put off and put
OF and put off three whole months
Tanner Becomes Governor.
When the present administration
came to take hold strange rumors went
over the state in regard to what was
happening. DR.. Clark Capen. one of
the most experienced and able men
in America, was in charge of the Kan
kakee Hospital. where we have up
wards Of twenty-five hundred patients. |
He was recognized as one of the ablest |
men in the land for that kind OF work. |
One day a mysterious man approached |
him, and, after discussing various |
subjects, said to him THAT IF HE |
WOULD AGREE TO PAY THIRTY |
THOUSAND DOLLARS ANNUALLY |
TO CERTAIN GENTLEMEN AT THE /
HEAD OF THE REPUBLICAN MA
CHINE IN THIS STATE HE
SHOULD KEEP HIS PLACE. That If