The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-05-01
HEIN7ERES7QUESTION
Author ii The Bill Il, Give state the
Benefit o.. Interest EIplalss State
1reasurer's Opposition /.

@. @. Bratruc, n Of the members
OF the house OF representatives in the
last legislature from from Minneha-
ha. and an old line and real replb
lican, and a friend of Senator Kit
tredge, introduced a bill in the last
legislature to put a stop to the in
terest graft. 1t was fought by Gov
ernor Crawford and Treasurer Cas-
Sill and was killed by q vote Of So
to 30. Had the Bratrud bill been
passed. 1t Is estimated that the state
would have saved from $4,000 to
$4,000 a year. But the insurgents
had other plans and SO the bill was
killed.
Nh. Brtrud received the following
letter from J. E.. Hotter. of Canton,
who wanted to know about the facts.
MI. Hotter writes:-
G. 6. Bratr u IS Sioux ap['i Fails ali tsos; HG D.
Dear Sir:-Wil1 you have the Kind.
ness to let me- know what information
you may have as to the final DISPOSE
Iaen of your BIZ No. 159-a bill pro
What or who prevented this bill
from becoming a law? Did any state
onlcta1 have q hand In the proven
ton? Could o furnish me a cory
Of the bill? Do you know whether
Y state treasurer at the present
time business or Official con1eo-
ton with any bank at Sioux Falls?
Very truly J. E Hotter"
In reply t this inquiry. Mr. Bra,
trud. who va astonishsd 10 SEQ tho
socalled reformers OF the last leg
islature kill his bill for a square deal
on the interest matter, has made the
following reply
Sioux Falls, s: D.. April 16, 1908.
NJ. p. Hotter, Esq, Canton, 8. D..
NY Dear sir:-As requested. I en-
duced at the last session - providing
for state repositories.
.Ihls Dill remained in the commit
tee for more than three weeks with
out anything being done. appeared
before the committee: 80 did Mr..
Cassill, doing everything he could to
mise with the committee. and sug-
gested that they report the bill, max
ing 1T take effect January l.. 1905.
giving Cassill n years Interest on
The state funds. which was refused.
Ihen finally suggested that the
49, 80 ASpolt euo Dill making IT
take effect at the end Of CassilIs
term, giving him a chance to get his
interest on state funds for two wears.
But o course Cassill was figuring on
reelection. and If he osuld get the
interest on the state funds for four
on an average Of $780, 600 Il would
mean about $780, a ear or $50
600 for four years. The committee
could not see to the interest Of the
state, for which they were elected.
but were more interested in Mr.. Cas-.
sill
Il finally made a demand on the
committee for a report on the bill,
either one way or the other. They
finally yielded and reported the bill,
RECOMMENDING that it DO NOT pass.
When this report came up for &C
ton on It the following day, I at
that the bill DO PASS. and also fur
ther asked for q roll call. Nearly ey-
err insurgent VOTED AGAINST THE
MOTION AND THE STALWARTS
VOTED FOR 1T. which the record
shows.
81 do not think there is any ques-
ton but every State officer was op-
posed to this bin. know that some
worked n did all they could to
kill it.
Inc only argument used against
this bill was that the ~treasurer's sal
We offered to introduce a measure
allowing the people to vote on giving
the treasurer a reasonable and 1usl
salary. The people would not hest
tate to pay $4,000 or $4,000. salary
provided. they are satisfied that the
would be several times the salary.
Hoping this will give you the desired
information, I am very truly yours.
G. G. Bratrud."
Mr.. Bratrud also enclosed to MI.
Hotter the advertising card Of the
Sioux Falls Savings bank, which
prints the name OF g. H. Cassill as
vice president Of the bank-a posi-
ton to which he vas elected as soon
as he became state treasurer, and
which is currently reported to pay
him $4,000 q year. Mr.. Cassill does
nothing to earn this salary, discharg-
es no duties to the bank, and is the
only vice president OF any Sioux
Falls bank who gets q salary. Mr..
Cassill does not live in Sioux Falls.
and has no duties to perform in con-
nection with his Office. This bank
is the only one in this city which had
a state deposit. The inference Of
course naturally follows that Mr..
Cassill is getting this salary as In
terest on the deposit of state funds,
and his activity against the Bratrud
bill Is further proof of the charge,
which has often been mada and
never denied.
Suppose that the travelling passen.
ger agent Of the Northwestern, for IN
stance, had "petitioned" Nj. Kittredge
to vote against the railroad rate bill
in 1906, would he have beea justified
in doing SO and then setting up the
claim that he was bleeding the voice
of the people?" When Mr.. Crawford
was q member Of the t~orr1tn11Al coun-
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