The independent., 1904-01-28
Crude Attempts of Republic
can Press Bureau to Apollo
gize for Nebraska "Redeemers"

resulted from the Norfolk asylum fire
and consequent transfer of patients.
TwO-thirds of the supreme court
commissioner item is legitimate de-
tense. One-third is offset By the fact
that three commissioners and assist
ants were provided for by the legisla-
ture Of 1897.
The pan-American appropriation OF
$4,000 Is only one-tenth as big as the
one made in 1897 for the trans-llisSis-
sippi exposition. Hence, this defense
is $4,000 "in the red.'
Whether the state fair item Is 9
good defense. is left for others to
Judge. The Independent looks upon
that transaction as strongly tinged
with graft will not object to
its being admitted in evidence
Summing up the apologists defense.
the penitentiary, pop deficiency" and
Hastings asylum claims are nil. The
return of First Nebraska is good and
so is about 100000 Of the supT enc
court claim The wolf bounty and
pan-American claims, however, put
the ''redeemers" in debt $4,000. And
the state fair is offset by the govern
or's mansion and site for Milford sol-
dlers' home.
That leaves the "redeemers" in debt
some three or four thousand dollars,
but let's call it square. Both sides
are about even ON extraordinary ex-
penditures not inspired by downright
extravaganza. Hence, the increase in
the state debt, $4,000, III three years,
must be attributed to something
wrong with the redemption.
But" continue the apolcgists,
there is another rational explana-
tion to the increase Of debt. In 1897
the appropriation for the support Of
the state university 4. amounted to
| $252, 800. +. In 1903 an apprO-
priation of $779,5OO was necessary.
This item again accounts for nearly
the whole increase of state Iebt DUR
ing the past three years" ($5S5, ,00O).
In the language of the street gamin,
wouldn't that jar you!" The un-
initiated might fall into this trap
especially the mullet head-but Il
would seem that no man with the
slightest knowledge of state finances
would.
The state debt, dear reader, Is made
general fund warrants. The
great bulk of university appropria-
tions are made against the following
funds: Temporary university; agricul-
ture and mechanic arts, u S. agricul-
tural experiment station, and univer-
sity cash. No warrant, except against
the first named, could ever by any
possibility be classed as a "debt."'
Against the last three no warrant can
be drawn unless there is cash in the
treasury to meet and pay 1T.
How could warrants drawn against
the temporary university fund cause
an increase in the amount of out
standing general fund warrants? 0,
bosh; and, o, fudge John Doe could
with equal propriety excuse his get
ting deeper in debt by affirming that
Richard Roe is spending a large
amount Of money.
The "redeemers" and their apolog-
lists must be hard pressed when they
can tell no more artistic lie than
that. One ought to expect hand
painted affair with carved legs, but
this Is ruder than a slab bench in a
backwoods school house.
1T must be borne In mind" say the
apologists. that the states revenues
during the entire period were raised
under the provision of revenue law
which was universally conceded TO be
inadequate. which was inelastic and
which could not be adapted to the
states growing needs. In other words.
the state and It's necessities were
growing all the time while the rev.
enue law remained unchanged and
could not be stretched TO meet the in
creased demands. II Is true that
there haa heen slight increase Of
revenue under the old law ON account
Of the natural growth OF the state In
wealth. but II has been In no sense
commensurate with the growth az
legitimate expenses anl has never ap-
proximateh 20 the point where re-
ductlon of debt was possible"
II IL not universally conceded"
that tho lnolastlelly OF the old rev.
cnue Law was Ineurable. ny removing