Evening journal., 1899-02-01
WEDNESDAY. FEB. l, 1883
REFUND An Tw0 FER GENT.

newspaper to defend him against un-
warranted aspesions OF his character
or Official fitness. Such time came
in the life of State Treasurer w. M.
Ross. After having administered the
Affairs Of the Office with signal ability
he found himself. at the close cf his
official term, In most embarrassing
position, through no fauit Of his own,
but because OF the failure OF the offi-
cials Of the Farmers Bank at Dover
to obey his explicit Instructions with
respect to the disposition 70 be made
Of certain moneys, entrusted TO it's
keeping. Enough Of the trouble reach
ed the public ear to give currency to
the rumor that some OF the states
funds were missing. After making a
most careful and painstaklng inquiry
we ascertained that the trouble was
caused, not by reason OF any overt act
on the part OF the state treasurer, but
because Of the action Of the bank Off
cials in paying out to SCHOOL districts
about $4,000 OF the states funds, not
only without warrant from the state.
treasurer, but really in defiance Of his
express orders not to do 70. Satisfied
that sucn was the condition, and that
the bank had placed both itself and
the state treasurer In an equlvocal po-
sition before the public, we made pub
Tic the truth Of the-matter with such
editorial comment thereon as we deem
ed proper. Il is a pleasure To note
that there has been a hearty DISPOSE
ton on the part Of the Delaware press,
regardless OF partisan leaning, to do
the state treasurer Justice. In this
connection we clip from the editorial
columns Of the Milford Herald the fol-
lowing:
In this paper we publish an editorial
from the Evening Journal on Ross
and the Bank" 10 has been a WE'LL
known fact for many years that the
cashier OF the Farmers Bank at Dover
has attempted to assume q quasi Off.
cial status In other words he has ap.
peared 10 pose In the role Of one who
was constituted as che natural guard
ian OF the states finances. with all
of this self-constituted grave responsi-
hility he has ventured IN other fields
and finding time to do so, has turned
up as the apt discoverer OF those bad
men who beguile the unsuspectin2
president directors, cashier and teller
- Nnrs oil 80 D. fn 4.1f
sacrificing time and later he has
however, it seems, been unmlndful oil
the real interest of the state and hai
had a single eye to his own banks
Golfers Possibly Il would be well lol
the state 10 investigate the affairs o.
this sly individual and self-constitu
ted custodian OF Delaware's finances
we submit the Journals remarks
without further comment.
There is no disposition on the par
OF the Evening Journal 10 accuse
Cashier Morris and the other OFFICIALS
OF the Farmers Bank Of Dover OF any
thing more than onicious interierent'
with the state treasurer. and an ap
parent desire to make the interests o
the state, which owns about three
ffths OF the stock OF the bank, sub
seryient to those Of private persons
who own but two-fifths. II IS essen
TALLY a state institution in which al
citizens are vitality interested, and w
would not cast an lnsinuation az Il o
Its management which we did not be
lieve to be fully deserved. Stat
Treasurer Ross knew that the Gen
eral Assembly elected him state treas
urer, and that he and his sureues wer
jointly responsible to the state for tn
funds entrusted to his keeping. Whet
the bank sought to arrogate 10 itsel
functions which property belonged .
him, he resented it. and when it wen
on and did the very thing winch
was instructed not to do, he called IN
attention Of the legislative commite
10 the matter and it forced the ban
TO undo what it had done. Thus close
the incident; but It taught the ban
a wholesome lesson which il will nj
soon forget. It was that the sta,
treasurer and the cashier Of the ban
we're two separate and distinct ind
viduals and that the cashier could ny
30 behind the orders ylf the state treaI
urer. After such a rebuke as tn,
which he has received from the pe,
pies representatives we do not Delel
that he viii attempt to give to sta
Treasurer Ball the same trouble thi
he gave TO State Treasurer Ross.
With respect to the question
whether the banks affairs are beiI
conducted in the interest OF the stat
which is the majority stockholder,
Of the individuals who are the mino
.ty Stockholders, that IS a grave que
tion for the General Assembly 10 co
slider. II It be found that the stat.
interests are not being properly guar
ed. there should be no hesitanoy
Kidding the bank Of al persons wi
have not been doing their duty sowar