Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-04

their vast responsibilities and then
provide ways to make the surplus safe and
secure. In other words, let the next legis-
lature inject a little common sense into
this law and disrobc IL OF its superabund-
snce Of legal teehnicality.
Holdrege Citizen: Quite a little excite
ment was caused among the politicians last
week when the grand jury Of Douglas
county brought in an indictment against ex-
Meserve, charging him with
loaniDg state trust funds TO a bank in
South Omaha and pccketing the interest on
them. No one outside Of the grand jury
seems to know about the facts Of the case
and Meserve has a right TO expect that the
people Will not condemn him before he Is
proven guilty by due process of law. Me-
serve and his friends claim the affair Is
political persecution. This is the cry that
BARLEY and his friends have been putting
up for years. A great many people would
heave a sigh of relief il they could find a
state treasurer whose administration
would not cause a scandal. The suspicion
Is looming upon a great many that the state
does not pay a salary large enough for the
ability and responsibility required for the
position and officials are tempted to get
by illegitimate means enough to make up
for this lack and perhaps more.
Bloomington Advocate: And now the
grand jury has returned an indictment
against ex-State Treasurer Meserve, charg-
ing him with embezzling interest on school
funds deposited in a South Omaha bank
while he was state treasurer. This action
should not be looked upon as a political
move in any sense of the word. When
Meserve was elected treasurer he knew
what the salary was, and tina Is what he
should have been satisfied with. no more
and no less, and IL Il should prove that he
vs. gone beyond this and loaned any part OF
she state funds in violation Of the law,
converting the interest TO his own use, then
he has placed himself on the same level
With BARLEY and many others, and should
be punished accordingly. When any indi-
vidual begins to take public money for
private use he goes outside Of politics,
throws to the winds his honor and honesty
and becomes a proper subject to be made
an example Of. We hope. however. that
Mr.. Meserve will be able to prove himself
innocent, and judgment and criticism
should be reserved until be shall have had
the opportunity.
Beatrice Express: Ex-Treasurer Meserve
has been indicted by a grand jury in Doug
las county, on the charge of embezzling
money belonging to the school fund. He
hau a large amount on deposit In a bank
In South Omaha, and is accused Of having
converted the interest to his own use. Mr..
Meserve says that he is being prosecuted,
and intimates that he will emerge with an
unblemished reputation when all the facts
are known. We trust that he is speaking
by the card. The state has been trying
to recover from ex-Secretary of State Por-
ter, who served oontempoTaneously with
Meserve, a considerable sum Of money
which undoubtedly belongs to the COM
monwealth. Porter has won in the courts
so far, because courts are sticklers for the
technicalities Of law, but the attorney gen.
eral is not done with him yet, and sooner
or later he will probably have to refund the
money. II is gratifying to the voters to
observe that the state proposes to hold the
custodians Of Its funds to a rigid aceounta-
bility, There has been altogether too much
jockeying with the public money in the
past, and the taxpayers won't put up with
It any longer.
Ashland Gazette: II the indictment re-
turned against Meserve, late fusionist state
treasurer, should be sustained upon trial
OF the caEe, the last issue that the pops
hoped to make will fade away In the realms
OF the absurd and ridiculous as Certainly
as every other issue that they have brought
forward has done. A movement was on
foot to make Mr.. Meservc a candidate for
governor this fall on the ground that he IL
very honest and republicans are the re-
verse. 1t looks now as II this viii not be
a strikingly winning platform after all.
With the leader under Indictment for EN-.
bezzlement, coupled with the fact that ex-
Secretary Of State Porter refused TO put
the money back, standing on his legaI
rights, as interpreted. by the courts. o
Joining the ranks made odious by Eugen,
Moore. and in view OF the fact that our owr
and only j. N. Gafin, as oil inspector, wal
found to be several hundred dollars shorr
In his accounts. which his bondsmen havi
made good. IL does not seem that the propo
sition that the pops have the sole ant
exclusive monopoly Of all the honesty Their,
Is in the state will arouse much enthusiasm
or set the prairies on IRE with popocratI
zeal; At all events, as It appears now, /
e quite probable that the vile republican
will have something pretty lively to say II
the negative when the issue is Joined ant
the clans meet.
Tekamah Journal: The Indictment o
ex-rreasurer Meserve by a Douglas count
grand jury upon the charge of appropriat
ing the Interest en- state trust funds will
II nothing else, open the eyes OF the voter
OF the state to the practice which seems {
have prevailed In the state treasurer
ONCE for years and bring about a deman
for a state treasurer who will be satisheI
with the salary allowed him by law an
who will not speculate with state funds 10
private gain. Under former methods tn
practice seems to have been to keep tn
state trust funds as large as possible an
loan them to banks. the treasurer pocket
ing the interest. Little. II any. effort wi
made TO invest trust funds as provided b
> law, so that the state could profit by tn
interest. but large sums we're held az