The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-10-23
LOOKING AT THE BOOKS.
Republican Officials Quickly Discov'
cred How Democrats Handled
Sacred Funds.

a Took at the books and the method
Of bookkeeping practiced under the Dem
ocratic administrations Of Missouri, dis
closes the fact that no one Of them is in
harmony with the other. as they were kept
by the Democratic predecessors Of the
present Republican state officials.
ON pages 30s to 313 Of the report issued
by State Auditor Albert 0. Allen, for 1903
and 1904, is given a list Of the estates and
the amount due to the heirs of each es-
tate from the escheats fund on December
81. 1904. The total aggregates s113, 1885.
The escheats ledger for the same date
shows 1923, 722.13 credited to that fund,
while according to the fund ledger and
Journal, there was at that time 1922. 94S.S 80
to the credit of this fund. Thus 1t will be
seen a variance exists between the Audi
tors report proper and the two sets OF
books In his Office, each Of them purport-
ing to give the correct figures as to this
escheats fund at a certain date. and still
no one Of them is at all alike either one
Of the other two in amount.
In connection with this escheats fund,
however. as is the case with others. the
Democrats paid no heed at all to the pro-
visions Of the state constitution, disregard
ing 1t with impunity whenever the exigen-
cies Of the occasion required that 1t be
done to save the party's record" Ac-
cording to the provisions Of section s.
article 2. of the state constitution. "the
net proceeds Of all sales Of lands and other
property and effects that may accrue to
the state by escheat from unclaimed divi-
dends and d~istributive shares Of the es-
tates Of deceased persons. shall be paid
into the state treasury and securely in
vested and sacredly preserved as a public
school fund, the annual income of which
fund, together with so much of the ordi-
nary revenue of the state as may be by
law set apart for that purpose, shall be
faithfully appropriated for establishing
, and maintaining the free public schools
and the state university In this article
provided for. and for no other uses or pur-
poses whatsoever"
Until 1899 the unclaimed dividends and
d%istributive shares of the estates of de-
ceased persons were placed in a fund
known as the executors and administra-
tors fund, and formed a portion Of what
is known as the escheats fund, which was
! sacredly guaranteed by the constitution
to the public school fund of the state il
\ IclildiLlAh6 a PShAco -
years.
\ In 1859 the administration then in con-
\ troll of the states affairs was confronted
\ with a deficiency in the revenue fund, and.
\ to avoid the disastrous results which
\ would attend permitting the states war
\ rants to go to protest, that administration
/ not Only borrowed from the state interest
fund, but passed an act through the leg:s-
lature appropriating $40, 900 from the
: executors and administrators fund with
which to replenish the depleted revenue
fund, disregarding entirely the constitu-
: tio1 al inhibition against such proceeding,
thereby forever depriving the school fund
of the state of the 100000 SO illegally APP
propriated.
1t is conceded, and the law so provides.
that the school fund is entitled to all the
unclaimed moneys. according to an act
passed by the general assemly in 1888.
which shall have remained unclaimed in
that fund for twenty-one years. Unless
these moneys shall have remained in that
fund for such a period subsequent to the
passage of the act mentioned. they cannot
be lawfully transferred from that fund.
Auditor Aliens report for 1908 and 1904.
at pages 306 to 313. gives a list of the
l estates in the escheats fund and the
amount due to the heirs of each OF them,
the total, less the claims paid and not
charged off, amounting to s122,s4S.S9,
while, according to the table on page II.
of the same report. that fund had a bal
ance on hand of but $3s. 2S0.6s.
What has become of this fund?
In June, 1875, 1876. $685. 1 was transferred
from the executors and administrators
fund to the public school fund, as con-
templated by the constitution. In April.
1883, SIS, 900 was transferred to the school
fund. These two transfers. which aggre-
gate s54, SOS. 81, together with the balance
on hand January /. 1905. as shown by
Auditor Aliens report. of $3s. $50 makes
a total of $92, Gas. SO. leaving a balance due
. to the escheats fund. and ultimately to the
public school fund, Of 100000.
This $50. 900 is the amount which was
!. wrongfully and Illegally diverted by the
: Democratic administration of 1899 to help
! itself out of a sorry dilemma. and in utter
disregard not only of the constitution Of
the state. but also In violation Of a CO.
existing statute. requiring the escheats
fund to remain on deposit, subject to
Withdrawals therefrom by the estates en-
: titled thereto for a period of twenty-one
years before the state could transfer any
9 of its moneys to another fund. and then
:. only to the school fund.
An examination of the books revealed
s the above stated facts to the present Re-
v publican state officials. and on February
h u. 1907. Hon. ]. f. Gmelich, State Treas
n urer. sent a communication to the Senate
and House reciting the facts as stated
II above. and asking that the $50, 1000 be re-
n stored. by appropriation, to the school
20 fund. His accumulation was referred.
in each house. to the Judiciary COMMITTEES.
and was never again heard from. The
/ Democrats had robbed the school fund In