The Marshall republican., 1908-10-23
LOOKING AT THE BOOKS
Republican officials Quickly piseoV
cred How Democrats Handled
Sacred Funds.

n lODh Ut lIt "
of book keeping 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 sOs to 3l3 OF the report issued
by State Auditor Albert o.. Allen, for 1898
and 1904. IL given a list OF the estates ana
the amount due to the heirs Of each es-
tate from the escheats fund on December
81. 1904. The total aggregates s11S,72s.35.
The escheats ledger for the same date
shows S123. 722.13 credited to that fund,
while according to the fund ledger and
journal. there was at that time 1922 $3.50
to the credit Of this fund. Thus 1t will be
seen a variance exists between the Audi
tors report proper and the two sets or
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 ut 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 o.
article 9. 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 distributive 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
distributivc 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
sacredIy guaranteed by the constitution
\ to the public school fund of the state II
\ remaining unclaimed for a period OF ten
\ years.
In 1899 the administration then in con-
I troll Of the states affairs was confronted
\ with a deficiency in the revenue fund, and'
z to avoid the disastrous results which
4 would attend permitting the states war
Z ants to go TO protest. that administration
4 not only borrowed from the state interest
fund. but passed an act through the-legts-
= lature appropriating $4,000 from the
e executors and administrators fund with
e which to replenish the depleted revenue
It fund. disregarding entirely the constitu-
r ito al inhibition against such proceeding
e thereby forever depriving the school fund
OF the state OF the $40. 900 SO Illegally ap-
propriated.
n II is conceded, and the law so provides.
that the school fund is entitled to all the
unclaimed moneys, according 10 an act
passed by the general assemly IN 1899
which shall have remained unclaimed IN
that fund for twenty-one years. Unless
these moneys shall have remained IN that
IL fund for such a period subsequent TO the
passage OF the act mentioned they cannot
te be lawfully transferred from that tuna'
es Auditor Aliens report for 1908 and lso4'
at pages 500 TO SlS, gives a list OF the
III estates in the escheats fund and the
e' amount due TO the heirs OF each OF them
ne the total, less the claims paid and no'
ey charged OF, amounting to Sl22,s4S'Ss
ry while. according TO the table on page IL
tie OF the same report, that fund had a pal
c. ance on hand Of bat sSs.2SO'6S'
What has become of this fund?
40 In June, 1875. $50. $685. was transferred
y from the executors and administrators
=. fund TO the public school fund. as con
y templated by the constitution, In Aprh
y 1854, SIS 900 was transferred to the schoo
90 fund. These two transfers, which aggre'
gate s54, SOS. y, together with the balance
on hand January l., 1905, as shown by
Auditor Aliens report, Of s3S, 2SO.6s, makes
a total Of se2, 94S SO, leaving a balance du'
'o' TO the escheats fund, and ultimately to tn
public school fund, Of $4,000.
THIS $50. 900 is tile amount which wa
wrongfully and Illegally diverted by tn
Democratic administration OF 1893 to hell
itself out OF a sorry dilemma, and In ute
disregard not only OF the constitution o
" the state. but also in violation of a co
existing statute. requiring the escheat
~ fund to remain on deposit, subject {
~, Withdrawals therefrom by the estates en-
titled thereto for a period Of twenty-on
years before the state could transfer an
zoo OF its moneys TO another fund. and the
only to the school fund.
An examination OF the books reveale
his the above stated facts to the present Re
inv publican state officials. and on Februar
nth IL. 1907. Hon. j. F. Gmelich, State Treas
Tn urer. sent a communication to the Senat
Al. and House reciting the facts as state
ol9 above. and asking that the sSe,oOO be n
zen stored. by appropriation. to the scho'
400 fund. His communication was referre'
in each house. to the Judiciary Committe
be and was never again heard from. tn
,nt Democrats had robbed the school fund
an broad daylight to pay exorbitant apprS
SON prlations. and had not even put ont
ma. certificate OF Indebtedness" drawing 5 p'
we'd cent interest, their long established msti