Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-11-04

Sccon0. "laavc you drawn drafts pay
able to him or to anybody representing
him or acting as his agent or In any
way in his favor Of behalf In payment
OF interest on the public funds Of the
people Of South Dakota, ON deposit in
your institution"
To this question I answer, No, SIR
Third. Have you made him any pay
ncnts OF mony or given him any valu-
able consideration or profit Of any
character whatever Id consequence Of
the fact that he has favored your instf-
tuition with deposits Of public monty?"
To this question / answer also, No.
Sir.
To tho remaining paragraphs Of your
letter this reply is made:
The officers of this bank know what
Uses.
1t has observed the requirements of
the law to tho letter by reporting 10
you at the close Of each month, in de-
tail, the deposits made by the state
treasurer. and thu pav.~erts made uu-
on his official checks together with thu
balance remaining at his credit at the
close Of business on tie last business
day. Of earh month; all of which has
been certified under oath by a prorer
officer OF the bank. Thee statements
hava contained a record of every tram
ssctior had with tire state treasurer
sirce he opened an account with the
hank. except as hereinafter stated.
There is a covert insinuation in your
letter. both in the direct questions ~ro-
ponnded and in the closing paragraphs.
YELLED undrr official language. and un-
trr the assumption Of authority which
Dies rot attach to VOW Office. that this
bank has not rendered to you as rov-
crnnr. trre. full and correct statements
of The +rnrsactions Of tie state tr"as-
ur-- with It. ard that II has cons~i-ed
with him nv methods suggested bv Won.
10 drfra"d stn.c out OF money that
vas Justly due TO ~.
desire IN res~ectfnll- inform, vour
T~cc,lercv that YOUR suspicious are en-
tirs'v nnfoundcd.
This hank v solicited directly. or
i%ndirectlv. ihe deposit Mt orc dollar of
the state funds. Whatever public
.norev has been dcrosf.ed with 1t nv
tlsN stale t%rras"rer was his rurely vol
untarv act without the hc~e or the
prcr,iee Of reward in anv form.
TIE State TREASURER has rever re.
rrr-+cd. ri even suoeestrd dirrct'v ar
Indirectly ther avmert If i"tere-t m
the states balances. much lcss tfc-n-
H-e has he been paid interest on such
belnnces.
THE onlv transactions which this
hank hed with the state treasurer cfh-
e- than those contained in the :ro,th'v
trarscrirts OF his acronnt heretofore
furnished vcn. were tfn following:
Whom in January. 1873. the state
t,e'cnrv wae h%arhrnnt ard TIE st-te's
crerit was DESTROYED and WHEN the att
ditcr's warrants. ise"ed to IT'S leyisla-
TOYS and other nnhlic credi+ors could
mt IN raid, and we've d~iscreditrd IN
the nartcts. as the rerrest Of the statn
treasurer. fellow townsman. this
hank mn TO its relief and advanced
SEQ HnH tn enahle the state to r'ret Its
c"rrert obligations. Later st advanced
s27.Fhh for .he sarro Nurro-e. Sti''
later il advanced 81 nnn TO assist IN thu
payment ot the evre,ees conrantsd
with the r~ohi'izsticn Of the South Oa-
Fotn contirrent of trn>ns. who vc1,n
tcnred nrder she r~res;dent's cnll af'e
the declaration of war with Sratr
vonr rece'rt and that o I the stats
treasurer for this last arnount tbs
bank still holds. These with he re.
ravmr; az the fret nasred two m>n"nt
with interest. and the trnrs"ctions er.
hracfd in the hanks month,v repcrls
ccrsti'"te aM the transactions had
with tina state treasurer.
II public uen and rewsrare~s in thit
state hava rersistentlv charped that
omr nresent state treasurer. Kirk q
Ph'l''re. has h-er receiving interest or
rronthlv balances or on tive d~oncsits
m n,onev kent. in this Institution Nv
him. in the lipi,t Of tta INFORMATION
which I have given you trey ouett !iusl
ns rerststentlv to re.ract such IN.
warranted charges. made IN entire ie'
rorance It the facts. But this fs not IL
re evrected. There is. I fear. ton munt
politics IN thn matter. Indeed fhe arf.
rus of the INQUIRY made nv Won at this
tire is too ra,nable. IN the eve of ar
election at which yourself ard the
state treasurer are candidates for thu
same hiph office. OF the rrnnriefv AMI
good taste CT the inquiry I leave Others
to fudge.
This tesrg a rutl'c and not n rrivatt
ratter I purpose giving YOUR letter am
this. reuly to the press for nnhlica. ion
SO that the nuhlic rrav be i-torwed o.
the facts and that the "ruhlfc men ant
newsnapers Of the sta.e'' n,av hive AT
opportunity to rc.ract a gross Islander
So igrorantlv made.
In doing this I do not think I am vic
latlng any confidence. Your Letter II
an official ore on a matter Of ruhlic in
terest, and therefore in nv opinion tn;
public Is entitled to the benefit of tht
correspondence. Trusting that l hav.
answered fully tho POINTS Of your In
quirv. 1 have the honor to be. YOU
otedient servant,
ID. a. Mcpherson.
Cashier.