The independent., 1904-01-28
NARTISTIC FALSIFIERS

populists in one year, these republic
can apologists are forced to admit
that the ''redeemers'" have increased
the debt $535, ,729.40 in the last three
years. They dare not deny that the
populist officials in four years made
net reduction of $208,825.75 in the
floating debt and wholly wiped out
the bonded debt. Hence, they trump
up the table above as special de-
tense. Let us see if it Is good.
The penitentiary item cannot be al
lowed. Republican carelessness caused
the fire, and the rebuilding is legiti-
mate charge against the "redeemers"
in giving an account of their steward
ship.
The wolf bounty claim Is legitimate
in a way, but is offset by similar
one of 100000 paid off under the flu
sion administration. Here the arrant
demagogy of the "redeemers" crops
out. Listen:
ut is proper to state that the wolf
bounties had been accumulating for
years, under law which made
their payment obligatory. A fusion
legislature failed to make sufficient
appropriation for the payment OF
these claims, in an effort to make a
grandstand exhibition of economy.
A republican legislature made pro-
vision for the payment of the ac-
crued debt and then repealed the
law"
The wolf bounty" law was enacted
in 1877. 1t provided that upon pro-
duction of wolf scalp to the county
clerk and certain other satisfactory
proof, the county clerk should issue
certificate, which, after filing with the
state auditor, would be paid by var
rant upon the state treasurer. The
Eugene Moore-sIgar bounty case,
however, long ago settled the question
of paying bounties where no appro-
priation has been made therefor. No
warrant can legally be drawn unless
the legislature has made an appro-
priation to cover it-and whenever a
wolf bounty appropriation was ex-
hausted the claims necessarily piled
up.
At first, perhaps, there was some
reason for the law but in later years
it was kept for log-rolling purposes,
until Representative e. H. Kittell of
Sherman county-an Old Guard pop
ulist, by the way-introduced bill
in the last legislature for its repeal.
These redemption apologists would
leave the impression that the last
$4,000 was to cover claims of many
years standing, when the fact is that
the populist legislature Of 1881 appro-
priated $4,000 while the republican
legislature of 1895 and the popuiist
Legislatures of 1893 and 1897 failed
to make any appropriation to pay the
claims. Hence, by 1899 large num-
ber of claims had accrued and The
republican legislature that year tock
pleasure in appropriating 100000 all
told to pay bounty ciaims-because
that would increase the populist ex-
penditures-a paying for, republican
dead horse" as it were. Hence. The
wolf bounty item is $4,000 on the
wrong side for the "redeemers."
The question of deficiencies" has
been discussed by The Independent
so often that il would seem that ev-
cry reader must fully understand 1t.
Reference to tie auditors statement
for 1901 Opp. 8 to 30) shows a total
of $l49,l1 ito pay miscellaneous
deficiency claims" but through some
hocus pocus this seems to have grown
over thirty thousand dollars under
the "redeemers' manipulation. But
the $4,000 Itself Is so manifestly un-
fair that a little dissection will hot
improve the ease the apologists try 10
make out. For example, pages n TO
80 show a list of claims aggregatlng
Si3.2S0,SS deficiencies" for officers
expenses and fees for taking eonyIcts
10 the pepitentiary." Nebraska sher-
ina have reason 20 remember how this
deficiency" occurred. II eau be told
graphically by a table:
Appropriations for "fugitivea from
Justice. ollleerI' fees" etc. various
sessions:
lNSh~R Republican .............t23.i5 $50
iSN7~lsepubllean a.,......,., 10000
iSs9-Rcpuhlican tilecords dcstroycdl
,Sel-popullat .,............. 10000