The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-15

they have not been held accountable foI
statement on this matter until the
representation falsely made in the col
umns of the two papers above referred
to-"
This seems to be getting down to the
root of the matter. The graft is begin
ming to show up. The taxes which
should have been turned in during jan
uary were collected during the Deem
Der tax payments. They would have
been available to pay the State Normal
warrants which were Issued January 1,
but by that time the state IL easury
had sufficient money to pay them any
way.
Besides, how would this money take
up any more state warrants in EN-
poria than in Topeka. Il it had been
sent to :he state treasury dS it should
have been it would nave been available
to pay state warrants SO that il would
not have been necessary 10 stamp them
not paid for want of funds. The ex-
cuse that the money was kept in EN-
poria to save the state interest on state
warrants does not hold good when it is
analysed
The county treasure of Lyon Coun-
ty swore to statement that he had
$3S, 900 of state taxes liz his possession
in January. He evidently charged it
off between that and April. for it does
not show in his April statement Where
has that money been since then? It has
not been necessary 10 take up State
Normal warrants with it Ito save the
state money" for state Treasurer
Kelly mas had an abundance of money
in the state treasury since January L.
Resides if it had been used to takC up
State Normal warrants in Emporia how
did the Lyon county treasurer come to
have it so that ne sent in the money
a few days ago. Mr.. Kelly says he re-
Gently received something over $4,000
o. the $50 600 total state tax Of yon
county. The statements of the Lyon
county treasure himself show that ar
least $3S. 900 has been down there some
where for six months, when it ShoGld
have been in the state treasury The
interest on S3S 900 TO- six months is a
nice little sum in itself. Who has had
the use of this money!
The State Journal does not pretend
to know any of the facts concerning
this matter other than what it has
published. So far there is no positive
evidence that State Treasurer Kelly is
guilty of any wrong-doing in the mat
ter other than what appears from the
statement published above concerning
Kelly's agreement with the Lyon
county treasurer. 1t is true that
good many people look upon Mr..
he made as county clerk of Miami
county would naturally lead to sus-
picion: and the fight which he put up
in the last legislature to keep any law
terfere with his "perquisites," has
made many people believe that he
might accept interest on state funds
if it came handy. Then it was thought
possible that Mr.. Kelly might have re-
ceived that $3s,0O0 from Lyon county
and had forgotten where to credit it.
but had been carrying it in his long
account 1t will be remem bered that
while Mr.. Kelly was assistant treas
urer under r. Z. Grimes something
like $1,000 was received from the
county treasurer OF Bourbon county
for which no receipt was issued until
the act was discovered two years later.
Mr.. Kelly explained in a letter that it
was lone of those things which can't
be explained" and had been credited