Okolona messenger., 1902-08-06
RUSH ON TREASURY SCANDAL,


credited, often positively rejected.
This is probably the way a good
many viii look upon the elaborate
statement made by Phil A. Rush, the
Senatobia gentleman recently tried al
Jackson for connection with the
treasury scandal, in which several OF
the prominent state administration
fellows have become tangled Yet,
Mr. Rush, in his article in Sunday s
Memphis Morning News, gives the
name and concerns connected with his
charge that the Governor OF the state
was the originator OF the loaning Of
state funds, and it looks on the face
as though the Governor would find an
explanation of his position very diff
cult, unless all the bankers and others
named stand up and deny the accusia-
tions made compromising the Gov
ernor.
There are a good many fair minded
people IN the state who have been at
a loss to understand why the Governor
has been so anxious to prosecute Rush
and though he had preemptorily de-
mandod the resignation Of Treasurer
Showers, when the sensation was first
sprung, he seems to be doing every
thing in his power to prevent the in
dictment of that gentleman for the
same oftense for which the powers o.
the state administration have been
eXertod to convict Rush. Rush was
not an officer or clerk Of the treasury
department, and under the law, good
lawyers contend that he could not be
liable for any connection he may have
had with the loaning Of the states
funds, yet he was assailed by the Gov
ernor, by the court officers and the
Jackson newspaper, indicted and tried |
while the principal is left go scot free. |
In his published statement, Rush |
shows conclusively that the dealing
In state funds was first suggested by
Governor Longino, that the Governor,
who is the legal superintendent Of
the treasury funds, advised that sums
of money be desposited in the Jack
son banks, and the same was desposit-
ed before anybody commenced a
general loanlng Of the large surplus,
for which the Governor demanded
the regignation of Showers. After
showing the Governors connection
with the first depositing Of state funds
in the Jackson banks on the plea that
it was unsafe to keep so much silver
in the vault, Mr.. Rush has this to say
the Governors legal atti-
tude:
We have seen that the law is direct
ed only against the officers and to
whom the money or property is in j
trusted, and this does not include an 1
outsider. Would it include the gov
ernor of the State? He is a State
officer; by section 2,15S he is required
to superintend the treasurer's Office;
by section 4,211 he is given power to
demand reports from the state treas
Urer, and by section 2, 159 he is requir- (
ed to count the funds in state treasury
at least five times year, and as much
Oftener as he sees fit. Is 1t not true,
then, that these funds are entrusted (
to him, - inasmuch az he must really
know where they are and how much
there is on hand? Certainly they are
Entrusted to him" for the purpose Of
being counted for verifcation, which
count he may make every day
If he sees fit. Suppose, then, he went {
around there to the treasury, and
after counting them, or superintend-
ing them, and seeing what was there,
he ordered any part of them to be
or loaned contrary to the
broad terms OF the statute, was he, is
he, not guilty of q violation of the law?
And if he further suggested to the
bankers that they should borrow the
money, and they, acting on that sug-
gestion, did borrow it, did he not
violate the law? And if be directed I
Showers to receive checks in place OF
money due the treasury (another
violation of law, and further directed
him to loan the proceeds Of these
checks for six weeks, or on demand,
did he not violate the law? Certainly
this is so, provided be comes within
the terms of the statute, for his duties
to superintend the Office would not I
allow him to go to the extent Of doing
q forbidden thing.
Bow has the governor dealt with !
these facts since they became known
to others besides himself? What have
been his motives, methods and instru-
mentalities since he dropped the role
Of perceps criminis for that Of regula-
tor and prosecutor?
The showing made by Mr.. Rush may
look different to different readers,
and doubtless will to that class of
readers whose political fortunes are
allied with the Governor Of Mississip-
pi, but to the impartial reader, be
who would be fair as between man
and man, no matter if the one is in
high place and the other in the tolls
Of the law, prosecuted aud perseeut-
ed, II looks very much as though the
question of the real culprit in the
treasury scandal was up to Governor
Longino, and that he viii find himself