The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-10-19
HANLYR|DDLED
tx-Atforney General Smith. In a
Speech atFrankIin, Exposes
the Governors Deception.
lie Truth Told About the
Attorney Generals
Ciiica.

IN speech a. Franklin on oct II
p n q smith. former attorne,
scnnral. took occasion 10 unma N,
hypocrisy Of Governor Hanly ana "a
can himsto account for the willfu.
Misrepresentation that the governor
is repeating ever the state Mr.
Smith said
The Office Of attorney general was
created by statute in the year 1855
Fom the first the power to collect
moneys due the state was given 10
that ofice. and the attorneygeneraI
deducted from such collections the
commission allowed by law During
The legislative session Of 1883 the
law governing that office and king
the powers and duties thereof was
revised and re-enacted This statute
was passed and approved March 3
1883. II was a Democratic Legislature
thai passed &C. ana a Republican gov.
ernor who approved and signed it
The law was drafted by Hon. l.. r.
M'tchneF. then encouragement and
Republican. and It's enactment was
urged hy the superintendent of public
instruction and the highest school
officers Of the state; the reason for
urging It's enactment was that large
amounts OF school funds were diverted
from their lawful channel. commin-
gied with other funds. and practically
lost TO The schools OF the state and
inuebAaeL this fund. had been ming
dormant IN the counties and in the
hsnds OF defaulting and negligent on
GERS for many years: and the existing
laws made no provision for the cor.
rection Of these evils or for the resto
ration OF this fund. This statute
made provision for the appointment
Of collectors. sometimes called assist.
ants by the attorney general. and
provided that for the collection Of
any fund BY the attorney-genera or
his assistants. which did not bear
ne expense OF its collection. such ex.
oense should be- paid ont OF any money
n the treasury not otherwise appro.
,riated. This provision OF the stat.
ne was intended by the legislature {
@ compensate the attorney-general !
or expenses incurred in making such {
.ollections The law provided that !
or all collections made by the attor {
iey-generai of whatever kind or char. A.,
Icter there should b. paid to him a
commission of practically twenty per
ent and 10 his assistants who made !
uch collections a sum not exceeding !
IN per cent on the amount collected a
Il is woll 20 mention here that the :
ssist0nts engaged iu making collec- 2
Ions for the attorney generals Office a
fere simply expert accountants and J.
al nothing whatever 10 do with the a
agal machinery of the Office And a
is unnecessary. perhaps. 10 say that T
- cost ~ making the collections D
.as. in many cases. in excess OF the y
mount allowed by law in which case .
le excess was borne hy the attorney =
aneral "a
AT this point | wish to call your q
.tention TO the fact that the act just al
chtioned was drafted and caused 10 VI
z introduced under the management :,
Mr. Mtchner who was then attor- u
'yecncral. without my knowledge al
participation and Il was approved n
Z Governor Hovey Under the provi- W
on of this statute Attorney General on
itchner operated for nearly two cf
.ars His collections were very eI
rye and the amount OF money he =
rned under this law exceeds the ~
mount earned by all Of his successors a.
Office ! mention this to call 10 ~
ur mind that II an officer is 10 be "
ndemned because he has made too vi
lch money under the law. then It ir
hnt common decency that all be- ~
lcei upon the Same level and be- pn
bject 10 the same treatment. how ~
er indelicate It may appear from a ~
rtisan political point Of view Mr. ~
tchner is a Republican politician uo
is Q clever' gentleman and an hon 81
man SO far as collections were
ncerned. he cunducted that branch ~
Office exactlyias | did and as was sel
erwards done by William A. Ketch- an
!. Republican. whu~ succeeded me Jay
made the same class Of collections ~,
Mr. Mitchner made Mr.. Ketcham NV
~ the same class OF collections an
i made. Practically the same as cai
tants who collected funds for Mitch W.
were retained by me through my s''l
IN and continued 10 work for Mr.. ma
tcham during the period that he ma
:, .o.o /, Wh