Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-11-04
SIEUNENBERC ECONOMY?
A New Method of Bookkeeping
Practiced to Deceive the People.
LEGAL RECORDS WITHHELD.
Statement OF Expenditures Not Filed that the
Records Might Not Show the Real Facts.

In order to bolster up the statement
of economy made by the present adj
mnistraton recent disclosures show
that the governor has not hesitated to
demand of clerks in some of the de-
partments that they should withhold
certain matters OF record that the
claims against the administration
could not be shown till after election.
Rumors to this effect were current
in Boise last week and an investiga-
ton shows up the Governor in very
bad light. On Oct. 81 Mr.. Joseph
Perrault who was formerly Territorial
Controller and is familiar with state
affairs, and Mr.. A. II. CapwelI, for
merly chief clerk for ex-State Auditor
Ramsey, visited the state department
to examine the methods now in vogue
by the present model administration.
These gentlemen found in the land
department very original way of
misrepresenting the actual condition
of The accounts. The books show that
warrants have been drawn on the
Sl0,000 appropriation amounting to
So, 200, but nothing is shown of the
} large amounts due in contests and
other land expenses. When Mr..
Smith, the clerk, was asked why
there was no record of these accounts,
he replied: They were filed in the
auditors office" Upon inquiry there
} Mr.. Brose, the chief clerk, said: cit Is
, d-m lie. No such accounts were
filed in this office" Inquiry was then
made of Secretary Of State Lewis. He
said: 1.-The understanding was that
these bills were not to be presented
, until near the time Of the meeting OF
. the legisature.p The reason for with
. holding these bills at present and until
after election is plain even t" blind
man.
Another strange condition of affairs
: was found in the land department.
: The minutes of the land board have
( not been written up since July l3, 1893,
{ and none of the records have been MP
!, proved since July I, 1897. When the
clerk, Mr. Smith. was asked why the
records were not written up he refus
to say, but Attorney General McFar
!. land. the secretary of the board, who
!: was present said: "The land board
!: during my absence, SO ordered" Mr.
!: Smith by his silence acquiesced III tins
s statement.
+ The records of the meetings of The
- land board give neither the nature o
n the claim presented, nor the amour
allowed, but simply the barren state
z meat "bllI of John Jones was allowed,
2 hence if warrant is drawn for {
larger or different amonnt than showr
& bv the nil no r, cord Cali ever be fount
= to face these disciples of economy, wh'
= expect by lying circulars to deceiV
= the voters. 1t was tIu'y said recently
Z by Ex-Governor Mcdonnell, "Figure
Z wont lie, but liars can figure
In the recent circular issued unde
= the sanction of Gov. Steuuenberg, pur
= porting to be "a comparative s'atemen
= Of the republican and demo-pop ad
L mnsrations, the greatest dis
= crepencies seem to be in the Legisla
q tive. Soldiers Home and Land dc
~ paItments. The falsity of the state
= ments regarding the legislative ex
= penses was fully exposed in an analyst
4 of Auditor Anderson report recentl
a published in many newspaper
throughout the state. The absoiut
u nerversiiy of this circular In that pal
a relating to the Soldiers Home wa
a fully shown by letter over the sigma
4 ture of Ex-Governor Mcconnell, /
q which he politely invited Govern'
- Steunenberg TO IA joint discussion
a the figures given in his lying stat
a ment. Governor Steunenberg decline
a. 10 meet Mcconnell, because he vel
n we'll knew, he could not defend b
n absurd circular before an Idaho AUD
g ence Mr.. Ewing, superintendent I
a the Soldiers Home, did however con
. out in defense of Governor Steiner
y berg. To prove the correctness OF Il
= figures given by the ex-governor
. tention is called to the following:
= State Treasurer Storer, was aske
q on October 3lst, for statement sho'
ing the amount of money in the S'
= diers' Home Endowment Fund
a. Jan lst, 1897, the amounts which h;
- hepu received since, and the balan
n "''''
= on hand Oct. 1st, 1898. The folIowil
~ i his state ment: