The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-10-20

has just been called to a statement
from the auditors Office, in which the
republican state administration at
tempts to account for about one third
of the extravaganza charged against it
for the last four years OF state gov
ernment.
Ine republicans in these last four
years appropriated of the peoples
money in round numbers $1,688,0O0
more than the fusionists did in the
four preceding years. Being under no
obligation to the republican voters for
their nominations and depending on
the popularity of Roosevelt in Office,
the state officials had paid no attention
up to this time to the startling expo
sure of this 81 ,G88, 900 extravaganza.
It is to the credit Of the republican
newspapers that they have generally
s no attempt to justify or defend
the republican Oili cssas's Many Of the
republican newspapers refuse ~
squarely endorse their state ticket, and
candidly admit that the financial show
ing as to the expenditures Of public
money is embarrassing and disappoint-
ing. Two years ago the republican
vc-ers hesitated when they saw the
ticket, which mad been announced some
days, before the republican conven-
tion. The voters hesitated. but the
republican newspapers assured them
that whatever humiliation there was
in the announcement of the ticket be-
fore the convention by railroad attor-
neys, would be atoned for in meas
sure BY the business economy that
would follow. for the men put up were
especially adapted to business.
Now the republican newspapers hes
itate, and do not blame them. News
papers have but little influence in state
ahairs when there is government by
railroads. Publicity is safeguard to
economy and good government only
when the voters are stirred by the pub
iicity to strike the unfaithful official
with the ballot, the only sure weapon
OF defense that the oyer-taxed citizen
can WELD
lloM as to the statement from the
auaitor $ Olsis statement from
the deputy auditor attempts u as=
plain only about one third of the ex-
trayagance charged. He leaves over a
million dollars unexplained The
c'se is that the republicans appro-
priated one million six hundred and
eighty-elght thousand dollars more for
their four years than the fusionists did
for the preceding four years
The state officers, after waiting now
some six weeks since the charge was
made, answer that they can explain
one third OF it. Now. if the republi-
cans in their four years spent $780,
900, as the deputy auditor says they
did, for new buildings and betterments,
and if the fusionists spent nothing in
their four years for these same neces-
sar.es, then the republicans would
stand credited with $600,0U0, leaving
only a million dollars unexplained
But if the records show, which they
do, that the fusionists in their four
years spent over $500,O00 in new build
ings and betterments. then this credit,
which the auditors Office attempts to
show is wiped out and they stand prac-
tically where they were before the
auditors statement was made, except
that they bring on themselves the ad-
ditional charge of trying to fim-fam
the voters and jockey the taxpayers
by trick in figures.
The deputy auditor as he looked on
the record there could see the $67 900
that the republicans spent in new
buildings and betterments at Hastings,