Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-08-26
OUR TICKET:
For President, THOS. E. WATSON.
For Vice President, T. H. TIBBLES.
CROOKED SCHOOL BOND DEAL.

The Topeka State journal has unearthed a
placed over $32, 900 into their own pockets at
the expense of the state. Last Saturdays State
journal gives full account of the steal, part of
which follows:
appearances indicate that conspiracy has
been formed by which the school fund has been
looted, and the facts point toward certain state
officils as among the conspirators.
"Ths alleged conspiracy was consummated
last week in the purchase of $4,000 of Co.
manche county bonds, which were purchased
at par, but which would have brought only
67H cents on the dollar on the open market.
"The deal was put through with the utmost
secrecy. Every effort was made to hide it from
becoming known outside Of the circles of those
interested and those who had to be informed of
it because of their official positions. Strong
pressure was brought to bear on State Auditor
wells to compel him to register the bonds, and
then keep it secret and refuse permission to
the State journal to see the records of his office.
through indicates that the perpetrators of it
realized that it could not be justified
"Those who pnt the deal through were J. R.
Burrow, secretary of state; l. L. Dayhof, ST.
perintendent of public instruction; G. c. Cole
man, attorney. general; T. T. Kelly, etate treas
nrer; A. A. GODDARD, x-attorney-general.
"Mr. Godard's services were utilized as the
broker in the deal. 1t was necessary to have
some outside party to carry it through, and it
was done in his name. He was the supposed
owner of the bonds, and the records doubtless
show that they were purchased from him.
"By the manipulation of this deal, the state
school fund will be cheated out of $32, $40 in
interest during the next sixteen years, and Mr..
GODDARD will receive, or it will be issued to him,
at least, $4,000 as commission besides
whatever profit there may have been on the
bonds themselves. Besides this, the state
school fund is loaded with $4,000 worth of
bonds of doubtful value.
"In order to carry the deal through, it was
necessary for the state board Of equalization, of
which Kelly and Burrows are two of the men,
bars, to raise the assessed valuation of Comanche
county from $632,553 the valuation as return
ed by the county clerk, to $r,o41,77I. The
law says that the total indebtedness of county
shall not exceed fifteen per cent of assessed val
uation of the county. Prior to the last legisla-
ture ,Ithei limit was ten per cent, but the last
Legislature raised it to fifteen per cent. The
bouded Indebtedness of Comanche county is
$4,000, so that it was necessary that the rec
ords should show the assessed valuation to be at
least 5000 900. The assessments made by the
township assessors did not make this showing,
so the state board of equalization arbitrarily
raised the assessed valuation on the state audit
or's books to make up the deficit"
But the story is too long for us to repeat this
week. Let it be remembered that these school
fund robbers are asking for reelection this
fall. It's likely that we will have more to say
about the matter later on.
AN "INDEPENDENT'' TICKET.