Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-09-11
That "StOlen Money"

The Republicans are saying that this
State has lost $11,000,000 somehow
under Democratic rule. The charge
looks big, but unfortunately for the
Republicans, they can't say where,
when or how the money was lost or
misapplied. They cannot trace the
disappearance to any one administra-
ton. They do not agree as to the
exact amount missing and they do not
agree as to the way In which the
money was diverted.
The State authorities haYe published
the report of experts in finance, who
say they examined the books and
found nothing wrong. Those experts
are in the business OF examining ac-
counts. II they couldn't find deficit
of $11, 100000 then they don't know
their business. II they were paid not
to find the deficit they would never
dare ask for any other business as &C
countants. They are men Of exalted
standing.
The other men who claim to have
found deficits, invisible 10 the experts,
are all amateurs, and no two of them
agree that the money alleged to
be lost was misappropriated or de-
flected from its proper purpose, in any
specified way, at any specified time,
or in the administration of any special
official.
We have always been told that
bookkeeping is an exact science. II
it is, why does not some Republican
say just who took the money and mis-
appropriated itp If the treasury has
been looted, we should know just how
it was done. If the books have been
"doctored" the doctoring should show.
But the louder the Republicans cry
about the deficit, the less information
they give about it. The Democrats
deny that there is dollar missing.
They produce the reports of the ex-
perts to that effect. They point to the
fact that the books have been ex-
amined time and again by Republican
auditing committees that would have
gladly declared any Irregularities.
The Republicans do not make their
case. Their charges are scattering.
Their specifications are vague. Their
experts do not agree. Their shrek
ing is not convincing to the layman,
and even the wisest OF accountants,
who would naturally be interested in
such an issue as has been raised about
the States bookkeeping, cannot tell
what the Republican amateur experts
are trying to prove by their letters
and tables of figures.
The Mirror is of opinion that the
Republican charges against the Dem.
ocrats are so vague that the people dc
not understand them. There is cry
OF thief but no proof, that any one car
understand, that theft has been com
mitted. There was a time when the
cry seemed to be dangerous to De
mocracy, but now the Republican,
have claimed so much and in so many
different ways and dallied so desper
ately with technicalities that no one
can tell exactly what they say has beer
stolen. The voter is simply confused
The demonstrations of dishonesty
in Republican papers, are bewilderine
to such degree that they are strongl,
suspected OF prestidigitatorial manip
ulation. The howl about stolen none,
is loud enough, but the people hsy'
not yet been shown how much wa
stolen, and by whom it was stolen
and until they are shown, they will
not vote to turn out the Democrats, ant
elect ticket framed by lobbyists
anarchists and plutocrats. Missouri
will stay Democratic for some time tt
come-St. Louis Mirror.