The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1900-08-31
A LARGE DEFICIENCY.
Poynter's Term Will Close With
a Deficiency of at Least
100000
Facts and Figures Taken From the
Official Records Which Will Adj
nit of No Dispute.
Important Statistics Bearing on the
Wealth and Resources of
the Farm.

be facing u deficit in the funds for the
maintenance of the various state in
stitutions Of not less than 100000. If
anything, the amount will be larger.
Neither is this mere conjecture. AL
ready the records in the auditors Of
flee at Lincoln reveal a large short
age, and, assuming hat there will be
no increase in the rate of expenditures,
the deduction leads up to these figures.
At best the shortage cannot fall below
the 100000 mark.
This is certainly a bad showing for
the Poynter administration, consider
ing the fact that the last legislature
appropriated for general purposes
more than $4,000, 600.
More than 100000 was appropriated
for salaries and wages alone and yet,
generally speaking, there will be a
large shortage in these funds.
The records in the auditors office at
this very time, with six months eX-
penses unprovided for, show a short
age in the funds appropriated for the
Normal School at Peru, the Institute
for the Blind at Nebraska City, the
Fish Hatchery at South Bend, the
Soldiers and Sailors Home at Mil
ford, the Soldiers and Sailors Home
at Grand Island, the Institute for Fee
BILE Minded Youth at Beatrice, the
Asylum for the Insane at Norfolk, the
Tn6T1cfrinl School Of Koarnnr tho CIV
lum for the Insane at Lincoln-in
short, they show a shortage in the
funds of every state institution.
These facts are taken from the Off
cial records and they cannot be sue
cessfully refuted. The records also
show an utter disregard for law in
the matter of diverting funds. While
the law contemplates that specific ap-
preparations shall be used only to meet
obligations against such funds, the
practice in general is to use many
specific funds as general funds. The
custom is, where a fund is exhausted,
to draw ON some other fund specific
ally appropriated for other purposes,
an act clearly in violation of law.
That the present fusion administra-
ton has been an expensive luxury to
the people of Nebraska car nc longer
be denied. 1t is a fact, which the Of
fetal figures will s~ubstantiate, that at
the end of Governor Poynter's present
term the state of Nebraska will have
paid out more money and incurred
more Indebtedness in the way of def
icits and unpaid bills for the main
tenance of the public institutions than
for any other two years since the
state was admitted to the Union.
Neither is there any excuse for this
large deficiency. The last legislature
was liberal in its appropriations, and,
while it did not appropriate the large
amount demanded by the heads of the
various state institutions, for the sim
pie reason that it would have imposed
a hardship on tax payers, it appropri-
ated an amount which, had the insti-
tutions been honestly and econom-
ically managed, would have been
abundantly sufficient.
FaIlacious Prophecy.
Back in the Olden times, when the
people were less tolerant and the lamp
of reason and intelligence shone less
brightly than today, false prophets
were frequently eXiIed and false
prophecies were put under a ban.
Not so today. The spectacle of to-
day is that of a false prophet running
for president on the Democratic ticket
with his false prophecies recast into a
platform of principles.
Of all the prophets. Bryan has been
the most prolific and at the same
time has made more and greater
mistakes. In the campaign of 1896 he
said that a Republican victory would
bring. untold distress and suffering.
Is there II man in Nebraska who be-
lieves it today? On the contrary, isn't
it the universal belief, and is it not an
established fact, that the country is
more prosperous in general than for
many years?
Bryan said Republican victory meant
industrial slavery. Where is it?
Bryan said Republican victory
meant low prices for farm products.
Has that come true-is there 4 farmer
In Nebraska today who believes it?
Bryan said a gold standard would
impoverish the masses and decrease
the purchasing capacity of labor and
farm products. Has this come true?
Is there a farmer who will say that he
is getting less for his cattle, hogs,
corn, wheat, oats, butter, wool, or any
other product of the farm, than he re-
ceived four years ago? Is there a la
borer who will say that he is getting
less pay for his work than he received
four years ago?
Bryan's philosophy was %fallacious
then and it is just as fallacious now.
There is no more logic or truth in his
philosophy Of today than there was
four years ago. 1t was without foun-
dation in fact then and it is without