The Rich Hill tribune., 1908-10-22
LOOKING AT The aooKe.
Republican Officials Quickly plseov
cred How Democrats Handled
Sacred Funds.

ncrntlc administrations nf Missouri, dis
closes the fact that no one OF them 10 IN
harmony with the other, az they were kept
by the Democratic predecessors Of the
present Republican state ofhcials.
on pages sos 20 sls Of the report issued
by State Auditor Albert o. Allen, for 1903
and 1904. Is given list OF the estates and
the amount due 20 the heirs uf each es-
tate from the eschoats fund on December
81 1904 The total aggregates tii3,72s.35.
The escheats ledger for the same date
shows sl2S T22.l3 credited to that fund,
while according 10 the fund ledger and
journal. there was at that time fi32. s.Ss
TO the credit OF this fund. Thus Il win be
seen a variance exists between the Audi
tors report proper and the two sets OF
books IN his Office. each - them purport-
ing TO give the correct figures as to this
escheats fund az certain date. and sim
no one Of them is AZ all alike either one
Of the other two IN amount
IN connection with this escheats fund.
however. as IL the case with others, the
Democrats paid no heed at All to the pro-
visions Of the state constitution. disregard
ing IL with impunlty whenever the eNiEen-
Giles OF the occasion required that & be
done 20 save the partys record" Ac-
cordinF 20 the provisions % section 6.
article ? Of the state constitution. the
net proceeds OF all sales of lands and other
property and effects that may accrue 20
the state by escheat from unclaimed divi-
dends and distributive shares % 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 % which
fund together with so much q the or1i-
nary revenue % the state ss may be by
law set apart FOR that purpose. shall be
faithfully appropriated Tor establishing
and maintaining the free public schools
and the state university in thls article
provided for. and for no other uses or pur-
poses Whatsoever"
Uutn 1888 the unclaimed dividends and
distributivc shares of the estates q de-
ceased persons were placed 10 a fund
known az the executors and adrninistra-
tors FUND. and formed a portion ~ what
ls known as the eschcatE fund. which was
ssercdly guaranteed by the constitution
20 the public school fund o. the state n
remaining unclaimed for n period o. ten
years
IN 1859 the administration then 81 con-
trai q the states aGsirs waa confronted
with a deficiency in ths revenue fund. and.
20 avoid the disastrous results which
would attend pernitting the staic's war
r,ntn 20 60 20 protest. that administration
not only borrowed from the state interest
fund but PASSED an act through the leEts-
latt4rs appr5priating $50 900 from the
srHH
which to repieniah the depleted revenue
fund disrcgapi.nR entirely the conHiitu-
. y.oi 81 inhibition against such proceeding.
thereby forever dcprtyinE the school fund
% tho state of the $4,000 30 Illegally np-
. pmpriated
1 u IS conceded. and the law 90 provides,
7 that the school fund Is entitled 20 au the
unclaimed moneys according 90 an act
passed by the general assem'y in 1888
which shall have remained unclaimed Ia
/ that fund f1r twcuty-oue years. Unless
I these moneys shah have remained in that
fund Tor such q period subsequent 20 ne
7 rsrsarr cf thc set mentioned. they cannot
be lawfully Transferred from that fund
Auditor Aliens report for 1898 and 1904.
"a pages JOG 20 siS. gives nsi q the
estates iu the cnchcats fund and tho
amount due 90 the heirs ~ each ~ them,
the total. lees the claims paid and not
charged N. amounting 60 Ji2e.etsSa.
while. according 90 the table on paro l2.
~ the same report that fund had bal
tnce gn hand ~ hut 52s.2so6s
what has become of This fund.-
In June. 1876. tsG6Gsn was transferred
FROM the oxcrutorH- and Bdminlatrstors'
fund ta the public school fund as COM
trmpIltrd by the constitution In April
tgs3. SIS a00 was Transferred 60 Tho school
fund TbrHe two transfers. whioh nEgrc'
gate tsttEs 'i together with tho balance
ou hand january D. 1905. sa shown ty
Auditor Aliens report ~ iss-sa.ts makes
"a total of tst9g SO leaving a balance due
ta tho rscheais fund. end ultimately 20 the
puuiic school fund ~ $4,000
Tu.s $50 900 lr thc amount which was
wronrfully aud illegally diverted by the
[ Democratic administration ~ 1898 90 help
lt-elf out Of "a sorry dnomms. and in utter
disregard not only os rhe constitution of
tho state. but also in violation ~ a CO.
existing statute. requiring tho rschrata
fund 90 remain on deposit subject %
Withdrawals uhercfrom hy tho rFtntea en-
. titled thereto for a period of twcniy-ons
years before the state could transfer any
% lta moneys 90 another fund. and then
only Go the school fund.
An examination OF the books revealed
the above stated facts 20 the present RE-
, publican state ofnciais. snd on February
, ~ 1907. Hon. J. ~ 0melich, state Treas
, urer. sent a communication TO the senate
and House reoitlnr the facts az stated
; above, and asking nat the $4,000 be Fe-
! stored, By appropriation, 90 the school
) fund. His Communication was referred.
IN each house. 20 the Judiciary Committee.
! and was never sgaln heard from. The
Democrats had robbed tho school fund "a
broad daylight 10 pay oxorbitant appro-
! priauona. and had not even put out a
'cortincate Of indebtedness" drawing per
/ cent interest their long established meth
Cd OF caring Ter the losses which the
a