The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-05-25
A FORTUNE UNCLAIMED.
Montana "BoodIe" for Which No Owner
Dares to Appear.

Dares to Appear.
! A fortune of $4,000, in thirty bills
Of the denomination of $1,000, is in
the hands Of the state treasurer or
Montana, quietly awaiting the arrival
Of a claimant who can prove his title
clear. That is not wealth beyond the
dreams of avarice," but is a greater
fortune than the average citizen can
hope TO possess, no matter how hard
he strives. Fifty years ago there were
prosperous states not a dozen OF whose
citizens owned as much as $4,000.
To-day there are millions of prosper
Gus and thrifty farmers and mechanics
who are esteemed well-to-do, whose
sons and daughters are being literally
educated, but whose entire estates are
not worth $4,000 The citizen who, in
the productive period of his life, can
hay by $500 year is especially favored
Of fortune. 1t would require great
many years with his savings safely in
vested to pile up $4,000. And yet
there are those thirty bills, each good
for $1,000 in gold, lying idle in the
custody of the treasurer of Montana.
not turned into the public exchequer,
because the state does not own them.
1t not only does not own them, but it
has failed in sundry efforts to And out
who is their lawful proprietor. 1t
knows the man from whose hands the
money came into its possession, but
1, 4 l. iC md hn nt
prove that he got it in the way he says
he did. When the long and bitter sem
atorial fight was on, few weeks ago,
legislator charged that an attempt
had been made TO buy his vote and
that of two other members for $4,000
each. This sirtuous statement declared
that the attempted bribery was in the
interest OF Clark, the multo-milliolaire
candidate, who finally carried off the
prize, and iS senator-elect to- the Fifty
sixth congress. OF course. there was
an investigation at which the member
produced the $4,000, declaring that he
had taken III in order to entrap the
Clark party. One of the other two
who were To divide the pile confirmed
the statement, but the third gave it
a total and emphatic denial. Then the
grand jury took hand in the inquiry,
but failed to irSict for lack of'evidssce.
And there the matter dropped. But
the money was still on hand. Mr..
Clark declared that it did not beIong
and never had belonged to him. OF
course, he could not receive it. His
theory was that his opponent had fur
nished the $4,000 to put up a Job"
on him. The member who9 turned in
the wad couif not take ii back with
out virtually confirming Clark's expla-
natidM The salary OF a senator hnT a
full term OF six years is 100000. The
net savings OF the average senator for
six years are not more than SO 1000.
this money to have come
from one Of the candidates-andi that
is aT inevitable conclusion-what be-
sides corruption is the significance of
the inuidenu% We have seen it pointed
out a. hundred times as az disgrace to
the country, but it is nothing OF the
kind 1t is scandalods affair." and
world, brand the guilty party with in
fanny, if he could be identified but it
does not touch the honor of the nation.
1t is, however, a tribute to the high
character OF the United States senate.
The wisest and best OF our statesmen
aspire to, a seat in that body, as the
goal Of am honorable ambition. But
men whose only influence is cash crave
that honor. and are willing to sacri-
Post.