Morris tribune., 1900-10-20
per pound, equal to $S9, coo.

year succeeded in spending a balances
of $208, 696.14 on hand on July 81, 1899,
and their expenses were 1858, 1861 for
the year, as compared with $316 $50. 16.
for the previous year. The outstand-
ing accounts of the farmers who.
a bought this expensive prison Irvine.
amount to 1915, 1884 and as most of
them have a large amount of tWines
II left over, having been unable to use it
owing to short crops, it is not probable.
that the prison managers will find coll
4 lections for Irvine very brisk.
More Misrepresentation.
In spite of these facts and figures,
which are absolutely true, being taken
from the books in the state auditor s.
Office and from the monthly expense.
list sent into that Office by the warden
i of the state prison, some Of our politi-
/ cal opponents are trying to make the
people believe that the prison twine-
4 plant has, under Democratic admins
i tratien been conducted in 8 business
like way, and that the fund will have O.
4 surplus of profits of 100000 at the end
of the year; and that the managers of
/ the plant have actually saved the state
some $4,000 on the years business.
Their statements are untrue, and they
i are proven to be untrue by the state
4 auditors books and by monthly ex-
pense statements of the prison man
ayers themselves.
This is not a matter over which Re
publicans exUlt We do not rejoice
over the death of a sinner, and we see
no cause for congratulation because
our political opponents have succeeded
in Gripping the state institution SO.
useful and so valuable to the agri-
| culturists of Minnesota. The prison
Irvine plant in the past has been the
means of relieving our farmers from
an odious monopoly and it is to be-
sincerely deploFed that it's usefulness
has been impaired and it's popularity
| lessened by the ignorant mismanaga-
ment Of politicians overeager 70 make
| political capital at the expense of the
Ignorant of the Art of GoverIlisae
| farmers and of the state.
1t is a remarkable fact that the art
c. government is incomprehensible to-
the Democratic party. The Democrats
have never discovered the secret of
successfully managing the affairs OF
the state or the nation. The principles
of good government are to them EN-
known, and even the brightest minds
in the Democratic ranks fail to grasp
the fact that in the conduct of public
affairs honesty of word and purpose,
accuracy of thought and intelligence in
action are absolutely essential The
present campaign has furnished an ex-
ample of that peculiar unfitness and
narrowness of perception so character
istic of Democracy. I refer to the
singular hlunder made by my political
opponent in speech delivered early
in the campaign in which the follow
ing statement was made:
sThe only difficulty with our finances,
at the present time is the large surplus
in the treasury. At the end of the,
fiscal year, Aug. 1. the state treasurer
had III his vaults and on deposit in the
various banks $2,169,3 1882. This sum is
largely in excess of the amount actu-
ally needed for the requirements OF
the state. And I cannot help but ex-
press my regret that the last legisla-
ture did not cut down the tax levy, as
/ advised in my message"
Any person possessing the faf13test
conception of the financial system and
condition of the state would have
avoided making such blunder as is
made by the speaker when he states
that there was a large surplus in we
state treasury. AS a matter of fact
there was
No Surplus at All.
On the contrary, there was barely
enough to meet the current expenses
of state government for the remainder
of the year. OF the SO, 1863, 337. so referred
to by Gov. Lind, LAPS, 225.7S belonged
to permanent funds which cannot he
diverted from the purpose provided by
the constitution and the statutes.
About 81, 100000 of this remnant formed
part of school, university and state
institution funds, part Of which be-
long to the permanent fund and the
remainder to be distributed to al the
educational and charitable institutions
of the state as provided by law
& Only STA, lila belonged to the gem
eral revenue fund and was raised by
taxation; two-thirds of the amount
was derived from the sale of school,
internal Improvement and
swamp lands and the interest on land
contracts, and in place of being ex-
tracted from the pockets of the tax
payers, greatly aids in lessening their
burdens. The amount in the general
revenue fund is for the purpose of
meeting the cost of state government.
and by the end of this year it Will be
AS to the
Reduction of the Tax Levy
in his profound regret that the leais-
lature failed to reduce the rate LeIow
1.5 mills the speaker overlooked the
important fact that the state auditor.
in accordance with the power vested in
him by law, reduced the rate last year
one-tenth of a mill and this vear Will
reduce it another tenth making the
rate of the state tax levy only is mills.
which is nine-tentlls of a lnills1beIow
he rate levied by the fusion legislature
If 1891.
OF course we all know that many
Wild statements are made during the
leat of a political campaign frln3y for
he purpose Of producing political ef-
ect, and the statement haze reoted
nay have been of that character We
Know that during the campaign Of two
,ears ago Democratic candidatcs ana
peakers made many statements wl.scn
we're not borne out ~ facts and made
numerous promises which ns7ss. rot IA.