The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-05
The School Fund Commissioners
Issue a Statement
About the Shady Comanche
County Bond Deal.
A STRANGE DOCUMENT.
Admits That State Holds De-
faulted Bonds as Charge.
While Pretending to Deny the
Fact.
MAY BE EARLY TRIAL
As Pressure Too Much for Com
missioners to Ignore.
Public Will See Now Whether
Case Can Be Tried
Before Election and Let the
People Have Sworn Evidence.
State Journal Prepared to Prove
Its Charges.
State Journal Prepared to Prove
Its Charges.

The State Journal publishes below
formal statement issued since this pa
per last went to press covering the re-
ply of Secretary of State Burrow, State
Superintendent Dayhoh and Attorney
General Coleman. the state school fund
commissioners. in reply to the charges
of the State Journal that they were in
voIved in a questionable deal. and in
connection with which the three par
ties have filed libel suits against this
paper aggregating $4,000 Notice of
these suits was served upon the editor
and proprietor of this paper late Satur-
day evening.
A summary of the commissioners
statement is as follows. as given in the
official organ. the Topeka Capital:
E1rSt-No s per cent Comanche coun-
ty bonds were ever offered to the school
fund commission by anyone who owned
or controlled them. or who represented
the owner or agents.
Second-No agreement understanding
or arrangement whatsoever was en-
tered into with Mr.. GODDARD until the
"A per cent bonds were already issued
and were offered to the commission by
him on July p. 1904
Third-The state school fund does not
hold and never did hold any Conanche
county bonds except the ones just pur-
chased.
Fourth-Neitner Comanche county,
nor any of its school districts, save one,
owes the state a. dollar of past due in
terest.
Fifth-Comanche county is within
legal limits as fairly entitled to bor-
row the state school fund at y per
sent as any other county in the state.
Sixth-The school fund commission
ers demand immediate trial of their
libel cases in court, and offer to waive
all formalities of law causing delay.
The State Journal is prepared to
prove that the state school fund COM
Comanche county bonds by represen-
tatives who unquestionably represent
ed the owners; that other investors
have refused the bonds; that the state
school commission was offered the six
per cent bonds by responsible and ac-
credited representatives before they
bought the four and one-haIf per cent
bonds; that Comanche county is al
ready in default on Comanche county
school district bonds as stated in the
State Journal
The formal statement of the COM
missioners. as will be noted, shows
that the state .s,holds many past due,
or defaulted. bonds. those which were
payable in 1900. 1901 and 1902. and
still remain unpaid.
We will show, as does this statement
of the commissioners, that the state |
sessed value of Comanche county
property over 100000 above the
county clerks report for 1904: it
will show that Comanche county was
not within the legal limits entitled 1
to borrow from the school fund |
until the state officers themselves rails
ed the assessment of the county board; |
it will also show that not only the same /
people who bought the bonds made this
increased assessment themselves, but 1
the legality of the matter was passed /
upon by the attorney general, for his
own action as one of the purchasers for
the state: that the broker who sold the
bonds did so on an understanding to
make from $4,000 to $4,000 on the deal;
and other things will be shown in court
that will astound the public.
1t will also show that no one got
charges We printed them on our own
motion and to expose disreputable
transaction Furthermore. the charges
on which the State Journal based its
Governor Bailey or his expert account
ant. Rowett.
on the other hand the State Journal
gave Governor Bailey the news.
The State Journal is ready for prompt
trial
If the good people of this state. in the
majority. will vote on the evidence we
will present. if given the opportunity
before election, or have already pre-
sented in these columns. they will de-
feat the members of the state school |
fund commission who are Candi-
dates for reelection because they have
been unfaithful to the trust imposed
on them; and they will defeat State
Treasurer Kelly who has been shown
up in these columns and whose bad
record has been esta blished.
The good of the state is above the
good of any party.
The Ohicial Reply.
e,T- -4o
made about the purchase of the school
fund commission OF the county bonds of
Comanche county that we believe owe
it to the people of the state to make a
statement of the facts connected with it,
The assessment of Comanche county ard
the action OF the state board Of equaliza-