Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-10-04
TIL CAST o {. N POPE.
BRIEF E REVIEW OF ssTHE MANKATO
EsNsIsoDE'. FROM u DEMOCRATIC III
sn,IsWsPAPER-oTH THEIR MAT s
TIERS OF INTEREST," 10 I.
ALI. VOTERS.
BpYAN'S War TIME RECOpD
Cen. lAlEer Takes the Wina out 81
the Democratic Claim That sa;
the aGolonel' Was Held
n Back. ssa zfi}

Back. 6S}E
s Gen. e. NJ. Pope is not a candidate
for an elective Office, but he is a part
of the Democratic administration, and,
as such, is an object lesson in what
the Democrats perform Of their prom
ises to reform. Gen. Pope had not
been very long in office when the fact
was made public chat he was wrong
fully holding $500 that belonged to the
Mankato library fund, and that he had
had this money in his possession for
more than four years and had said
nothing about it until an expert en-
ployed by the library board discovered
the discrepancy. When forced by the
board Gen. Pope refunded the money,
but claimed that he had a legal right
to hold it. B. W IL n s4. Y
Perhaps as good an authority as
could be found on this subject is the
editor Of the Mankato Review, the
leading Democratic paper Of the Sec
ond district, and this gentleman ex-
pressed himself quite fully and freely
at the time. \. =
In leading editorial the Review re-
viewed the case while it was still fresh
in the public mind, giving a freely
spoken and candid statement Of the
case, a statement, by the way, which
has never been modified orSwithdrawn.
In 1898, as now, the Review was an
enthusiastic supporter Of Gov. Lind,
and this is what it had to say Of the
Pope incident in its issue of Sept. rs,
1899: .5
AS far as the legality Of the trans
actions is concerned the general is
mistaken. AS we understood it the
$500 was one Of three drafts drawn by
him on the city treasury in favor Of
the library, about the fifth Of April,
1895. At the time he was president OF
the library board and deputy city
treasurer under Mr.. Shepard, the lat
ter's term about expiring. This sum
was Withdrawn from the treasury and
hold by Gen. Pope until May, 1899, a
period Of four years. He was not dur
ing this period a financial officer Of the
city, was not bonded as a custodian OF
pubic funds, and, under. the charter,
had no right to hold the fund. In the
meantime the library needed and bor-
rowed funds from banks and private
parties in anticipation Of the tax
levies, and, if we are correctly In
formed, some of these obligations are
still outstanding. The city also made
four tax levies: for the benefit Of the
library, all but one Of which We're col
lected and disburse6. The city treas
urer is the custodian Of all city funds,
including those Of the library; he is
bonded for their secure keeping, and
he alone is authorized to receive and
disburse them. There is no possible
authority under which Gen. Pope, as
president Of the library board or In
any other capacity, could have been
legally empowered to hold this money.
no matter whether authorized by the
mayor, the council or the library board.
1t was public money raised by taxation
for. specific purpose, and hence he
is wrong in claiming that his action IN
holding this fund for four yeRrs or
for any time is legal. Ne legally con-
stituted body nor any public official
could empower him to do an illegal
act, and if his custody of the funds
was by authority Of the library board
it is all the worse for that body. !,
..And in this connection the Review
desires further to say that if the rules
and regulations Of the library board in
any way countenance such transac-
tions as have developed in connection
with this controversy the sooner they
are amended and proper safeguards as
to accountability and disbursements
provided the better it will be for the
good name and perpetuity Of the
library HI
IL During all the years prior to 1898.
when the Republi leans were in power,
the Democrats made their campaign
very largely on the issue Of civil serv-
ice and upon the plea that professional
politicians should be debarred from
hole ding Office or hogging the patronage.
It was almost q paramount issue IN
the campaigns Of 1894 and 1896 that the
chairman Of the state central commit
tee should not hold the Office Of private
secretary to the governor. When Gov.
Lind was elected his first appoin tment
was that OF =. A. Rosing, cha rma a1 OF
the Demo ratic central committee, as
his private secretary, and Mr.. Rosing
began his term Of service long before
IGov. Lind began his. Immedi ately
after the election he reported for t[
at the governors home in New IJ I'm
and assisted very materially In making
up the roster Of the governors e al point-
ments. Since that time he has retained
HIS position as chairman Of the execu-
tive committee and actual manager
and director Of the Democratic CAM am.
lpaign and the reform forces. =
there was ever an evil In. existence 4
was very promptly and tho 1o'1g ll9
adopted by the Democrats the moment
they got into power. Now that they
are In power they apply the same rule
| .through the service Of the state.
K 5a..