Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-08-09

fully, it cannot be considered that Nj
4 Clement makes good his claim that tn
D Republican party is wasting the state
G money.
e Mr.. Clement charges graft in th
q public service OF the state. This is
r serious matter. 1t means that publ
officers are dishonesty taking none
, from the state, or that individuals are
through the conniyance OF such off
GERS. What actual proof does MI
Clement bring to substantiate thi
claim ? Does be name any officer, de
partment or individual to whom gull
can be fastened? Does he say, "AIr
So-and-So got so much in such a way ?
No. He has not traced or ever
charged graft" to single person
| His general cry that it exists counts
for nothing till he makes it more
definite. On the other hand all the
evidence goes to show complete alb.
sence of graft, remarkable for the
times. Most searching investigations
by a committee made up OF members
of both parties have overhauled things
as never before, and have found moth
ing that can properly be called graft.
No state officials have been smirched.
No persons have been caught with
1.-THE goods" The state institutions
show up clean in this respect. Mr..
Clement made no attempt to produce
evidence before the investigating CON-
mttee relating to dishonest methods
in the conduct of state institutions.
How much, then, do his vague charges
of graft amount to? Does any
body seriously believe that our gov
errors, judges, Legislators, commits
sioners, superintendent or other Off
cials have fattened of the dishonest
perquisites Of their places T? Instead,
is it not true that they get less than
like officials of any state in the union
What has become of all this ''graft ?"
Is it in evidence mywhereP Where
are the steam yachts, diamonds, auto
mobiles, ETC., it has paid forP 1t is
non-existent, except for fusion cam
paign purposes.
Mr.. Clement AYERS that the auditors
bookkeeping is faulty. This may re-
suit partly from his failure to make it
show up as he would like. Probably il
is true the auditing department lacks
modern, up-to-date methods, and that
all the filings and entries are not made
with the desired dispatch. yet this con-
dition results altogether from the lack
OF help in the department; and help
costs money-and Mr.. Clement wants
to reduce, not increase, expenses. The
intricate workings of an office like that
of the state auditor cannot be clearly
understood by the average man, even
if he took the pains TO make q long
personal inspection. Every year there
are thousands OF bills, orders, receipts,
vouchers, etc, that have to be passed
upon, entered and tabulated. The sys-
TEN followed is the best obtainable,
with the force at hand. 1t was thor
oughly gone over by committee at
the last legislative session. No glaring
defects appeared. Mr.. Clement has
lately had an expert at work on the
auditors accounts, He reports that be
finds things in confusion. Mr.. Graham
denies. Who is TO determine? Both are
interested parties, one as liable 20 err
through prejudice, as the 9TH
er. One thing stands out, though
even the expert found no graft;
the trouble, if any, is in the book
Keeping. We have had various
men in the Office of auditor during the
past thirty years, and none of them
men whose hands are soiled by any
shady transactions. There is no room
Tor the suspicion that the auditors Of |
flee covers the stealing OF the states |
money, or the taking of it without
warrant of law. Every bill or claim is
most carefully scrutinized, and the |
law found to cover it before the
money order issues. If a finer system |
OF bookkeeping is demanded, the state |
must go to the added expense of pro-
viding the necessary help to give it.
Mr.. Clement charges that Vermont is |
"ring-ruled," by the machine. a" boss
es," etc. We have considered this
charge heretofore, and will not again
60 over the ground. Sufficient to say,
that, in view OF his own active and
most patent efforts to build up a ma
chine" Of which he is recognized as
"boss, 3" the public merely smiles at his