The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-10-18
,ar nound equal to $40 900.

per pound, equal to S39,U0O.
Further than this the managers OF
the prison twine plant during the past
year succeeded in spending balance
OF S208, ,696.14 on hand on July 81. 1893,
and their expenses We're $boS, ,l9U.6I Tor q
the year, as compared with $3l6,s39.l6 +
for the previous year. The outstand-
ing accounts of the farmers who
bought this expensive prison tWine
amount to 1915. 1864, and as most or
them have large amount OF tWine
left over, having been unable to use It
owing to short crops, it is not probable
that the prison managers will find col
slections for twine very brisk,
More Misrepresentation.
IN spite Of these facts and figures.
which are absolutely true, being taken
from the books in the state auditor =
office and from the monthly expense
list sent into that office by the warden
Of the state prison, some of our politi-s5
cal opponents are trying to make the
people believe that the prison tWlnes
plant has, under Democratic admins
tration, been conducted in a business
like way, and that the fund Will nave q
surplus Of profits of 1000 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
are proven to be untrue by the state
auditors books and by monthly ex-
pense statements of the prison man
ayers themselves
This Is not#a matter over Whlch Re- y
publicans exult. We do not rejoice
80 ,;,,pxx, or,
no cause for congratulation because
our political opponents have succeeded
in gripping the state institution 50
useful and SO valuable TO the asri-
culturists of Minnesota. The prison
Irvine plant in the past has been the
means of relieving our farmers from
an odious monopoly, and 1t IS 70 pc
sincerely deplored that its usefulness
has been impaired and its popularity
lessened by the ignorant misnianaga-
ment of politicians overeager 70 make
political capital at the expense OF the /
IEnoru4lt of the Art of Government.
farmers and Of the state.
1t is a remarkable fact that the art
os government is incomprehensible to
the Democratic party. The Democrats I
have never discovered the secret at
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 Il
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 uHfitness and
narrowness Of perception so character-
istic of Democracy. refer to the
singular hlunder made by my political
opponent in speech delivered early
in the campaign i'm which the follow
ing statement was made:
The only difficulty with our finances
ut the present time is the large surplus
In the treasury. At the end of the
fiscal year, Aug. l, the state treasurer
had in his vaults and on deposit in the
various banks $2,169,337.52. This sum is
largely in excess Of the amount actu-
ally needed for the requirements OF
the state. And cannot help but ex-
press my regret that the last legisla-
ture did not cut down the tax levy. as
II advised in my message.
Any person possessing the faintest
conception Of the financial system and
condition OF the state would have
avoided making such a. blunder as is
made by the speaker when he states
that there was a large surplus in ts,e
state treasury AS a matter Of fact
there was 81 1
No Surplus at All.
On the contrary, there was barely
enough to meet the current expenses
Of state government for the rena inder
Of the year. OF the 50, 1859 ,337 So referred
to by Gov. Lind, 1,425, ,225.73 belonged
to permanent funds which cannot be
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 aid the
educational and charitable institutions
of the state as provided by law.
Only $744,111.T4 belonged to the gen
eral revenue fund and was raised by
taxation; two-thirds OF the amount
was derived from the sale of school.
university, 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
eShaus'ea. As 20 the II
Reduction OF the Tax Levy. i
in his profound regret that the legis-
lature failed to reduce the rate below
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 mill and this wear will
reduce it another tenth, making the
rate of the state tax levy only 13 mills,
which is nine-tenths of mill below
the rate levied by the fusion legislature
of 1891.
OF course we all know that many
wild statements are made duriag the
heat of a political campaign simply for
the purpose of producing political eff
feet, and the statement have quoted
may have been of that cl,aractel.. We
know that during the campaign of tY,o
years ago Democratic candidates and