The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-03-14


cessive as TO indicate either fav0ritfsm
or corruption. and thht the large increase
IN the duties and the requirements at the
office az the time that the increase was
made are ample justification FOR the rais-
ing Of such salary. rhe language Of the
majority report from whicn an inference
may be drawn that said salary was I'M
creased over and above appropriation |
therefor Is uniustinable because no ap- |
preparation was ever made there for, and
as the matter II entirely ia III" hands Of
the commissioners of the school land un |
der the acts Of congress and the rules 'i
the secretary OF the interior. sovo'niug
the action Of said board There was nc
scintnla of evidence before ihlH commit
tee thaa the governor or amy member "i
the school land board ever used one drl-
lar of the school land funds for purpos,
Of personal gain. The bank account cf
the governor, showing the deposits ana
checks made against such account, Gis
closes the fact that the deposits were reg
uiariy miie as the moneys came into his
hands. and that no checks were ever
made upon said account I'm any manner
or form except TO pay the duly authorized
expenses Of said board md TO turo ever
the funds remaining IN his hands a. a'at-
ed periods to the various school and buu1
ing funds to which Il belonged.
The majorlty report crticises the char
acter Of the opinion and the advice given
by The attorney general to other Icrr-
torial officers conducting the. nscal ,,ulrs
of the territory In terms not 'usun "a 10y
Z any evidence submitted to the commt-
+ tee Crude or indefinite legislation is. cf
r course, always responsible for quos cns
Z ~ doubt arising non proper coa,truc-
p ton Of law auI ie iii,ut OF la- legish-
o. ture. and tuoar au ms seem To n, %
have been r.r1. .-lved i'm fayos OF a
8 good public fsryt- and an efficient adj
O minstration "a the laws.
agree with the majority rsa,r-s with
s regard TO the contracts f1- territorial
n printing, but 1t is only fair TO tha proH-
e ent administration go aoy that an such
e contracts antedate its inauguration INTO
N power. II Is very unfortunate that the
Is majority failed to discrimina ana place
D, the fraudulent printing contracts whore
% they properly belonged
'e agree with the majority report that
' there was extravaganza and fraud IN tho
|
% fee and the quarerm7stcr generals Of
- fee under the administrative cf Genera
- Rosenbaum. but the total expense Of saiC
offices during Rosenbaum's odministra
tion. under the present governor. docs
not exceed 5000. ana the eNtravagauc'
and fraud should not be chaocJcrlze1 as
gross. carrying with St the inference tha
there were many thousands of dollars
'n wrongfully expended and the governor
~ statement In his message TO this honor
III able body at the opening OF the session
~ when he had discovered that such cN
Us travagance and fraud were being com
~ mitted that he dispensed with the scr
40 vices Of said adjutant general should re
a' lieve the governor of any adverse critic
'h ism by honorable men.
The governor explained 81 his messe s,
to the legislature why ne had nssigHe,
the second lieutenant to active scrv'Ce
-, and lad detailed him as acting adjutan
general OF the territory; and all th.Eg
considered such action seemed to be nee
essary and consistent and lawful Orner'
vouchers are approved by what is calle
an Auditing Board or a majority thereof
and the other expenses Of said ofie
during Orner's incumbency as acting ad
jutant general have been reduced TO tn
~, minimum and are entirely free from crit
~, icism.
o.. The statement IN the majority rep5r
s- that Rosenbaums bond had been srr
he rendered or cancelled may be inadvert
he ence. No such evidence appears befor
IN the committee. The majority report
~ when criticising the expenditures Of thi
NJ department as systematic robbery, use ex
or treme language; and when It says that n
en- determined effort appears to have bee
I'm made to stop the same, Is In error; bC
,r- cause Govein nor Barnes IN July 1898, M
IL on the discovery OF the eXtravagant praC
.re tices in said department. caused not onl
az, the dismissal of Mr.. Rosenbaum from q
,,o fee, but also compelled the res.gnatio
a. OF the colonel commanding, who lad bee
bo for some years the advisor and dlreclc
,,,. IN fact Of the practices and expenditure
os OF the military department of the ter
rd tory, and from that day to this no eXtraN
M agant expenditure has been made IN h1
ue department, ana the onlyf criticism ;hl
y, can be fairly placed upon the govern.
T., Is that he assigned the second lieutenar
M 10 active duty and placed upon him th
No duties Of organizing the Oklahoma troor
,d Who went out on the call Of he presider
,s to serve In the war with SPAN. I'm ado
M, uonal 20 the usual and ordinary duue
u. of that office and II suitable provision
.s made by the present Legislature Tor IN
,r- support OF said officer, the last vestag
.ar OF extravaganza will al once disappear
.,- In my judgment Il Is very unwise "a
80 any tribunal 10 draw differences from "a
no fact that evidence does not appear
a. Is principal too well established in ru
.ot jurisprudence that no inference of pul
d, can ever be drawn from the fact that "A
~ evidence does not appear, and while tkci
1,- are witnesses that failed TO answer IN
ho questions while they were before the @ n
~ mittee, cannot see that this within itse
-, warrants any conclusion OF corruption
ho and as to the governors being subpoe
80 MED before the committee / believe Il
- the right OF the legislature at any an
he all times 20 call upon the governor unde
the provisions OF the Organic Act for an
n. and all information that they may desr
ho and when requests are communicate
-, to the governor in a proper way, it is d,
"A duty to respond freely and promptly, bu
=, until such requests are made IN a propa
"a way, 10 appears TO me that Z Is pIopf
and right for the governor TO refuse b
,rt give information IN any other way tha