The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-26

! islature had fixed the salary Of said at
! torEey general at $780, That the gov
! ernor consented to PAYING the said
| Cunningham a large sum Of money for
! collecting said school land notes, to-wit:
More than $1,000. The records of the
/ board of school land commissioners are
hereby referred to in support of this
/ charge.
| Fourth-The governor had a second
! lieutenant of the militia detailed as act
ing adjutant general and consented that
he be allowed full pay as an officer Of
like rank in the active service, when the
, legislature had only appropriated the
sum of $3.50 per annum to pay the adju-
tant general. The records of the adju-
tant generals office are hereby referred
to in support of this charge.
Fifth-The governor approved vouchers
and consented to the issuance of war
rants by the auditor on account Of ex-
penditures in connection with the adju-
tant generals office for more than 81 200
in excess of any appropriation made by
said department. In support Of this
charge reference is made to the audi
tors record and report for the year end
ing November 20, 1898
Sixth-The governor deposited to his
credit the proceeds of the school land
leases and held the same as a deposit in
his own name and received interest
thereon, upon the daily balance, at the
rate of 3 per cent per annum, which he
has never accounted for to the school
land board, and since the new rules and
regulations have been established and
said funds are now deposited to the
credit Of the board he has failed and neg
lected to account for said interest. In
support of this charge and for informa-
ton as to the amount of said deposit
and the interest paid thereon, reference
is made to the books of the Capital Ma
tional bank, of Guthrie, O. T., and the
evidence of George E. Biilingsley, presi-
dent of said bank, taken before an in
vestigation committee appointed under
council concurrent resolutions No of
the Fifth legislative assembly Of the ter
ritory Of Oklahoma, and the records of
the school land board
Seventh-That on the 5th day of Janu-
airy, 1899. c. NJ. Barnes, as governor,
made a contract with Charles A. Cum
bingham, son Of the attorney general,
for the care and education of the blind
at the rate of 500 per annum for each
blind person committed to his care; said
contract to rcn for period of five years.
when in truth and in fact there was no
authority of law for making a contract
for any such period. and there has been
no sufficient appropriation for that pur-
pose. In support of this charge refer
ence is made to the record of contracts
now on file in the governors office and
chapter 16 of the session laws Of Oklaho-
ma, 1897.
EiShth-The governor. as a member of
the board of equalization. caused the as
sessment Of the territory, as returned by
the county clerks for the year 1888. to be
increased from IA to SIS per cent in the
several counties. which increase was an
exercise Of arbitrary power and was an
injustice upon the taxpayers of the ter
ritory. In support Of this charge we cite
pages "a. 65, &c and 81 Of the auditors re-
port for the year ending November so.
1898.
We might refer to the class Of men ap-
pointed by the governor, that the treas
urer appointed by the governor stands
indicted for receiving interest upon pub
lie funds. but we regard the .recitations
given above as sufficient to challenge the
attention of the president. and it is sug-
gested that the charges enumerated are
all susceptible Of proof. and a trusted
representative OF the government could
soon ascertain that the charges herein
mentioned import absolute verify. and II
true the present incumbent should no
longer retain the high Office OF governor
Of this territory.
These charges were signed by 7. Over
hoelzen. y. F. Stiles. Delwyn Douglass /
and Sidney Clarke. Of Oklahoma City.