The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-08-26
MUST
STATE AUDITORS REPORT WILL
HEREAFTER SHOW EVERY
ITEM OF EXPENSE
BALLOT is NOT ALL GREEK
A Seventh Twenty Square
Inch Ballot Need Not Alright
Voters If Approached
With Caution
BY A

BY DOANE ROBINSON.
Pierre-The first report of the stat
auditor, under the new law requiring
every item of every voucher to De
printd at large, is now in the hand
OF the printer. The report will make
a document Of more than 1900 pages,
and, for the first time, the public will
have a convenient means of knowing
precisely how every penny Of state
funds is expended. Hitherto this colld
be aseertained only by an examination
Of the vouchers filed in the state au
ditor's once. The new plan Is causing
some perturbation among some on
Gals, who declare they were not in
Termed that their vouchers were to be
printed. That its result will be gen
orally s~alutary cannot be doubted, for
even honest men will scrutini4e the
vouchers they fle for publication with
greater care, and there will be fewer
careless and improvident expenditures.
Officials, too, will be exposed to I'm
Just criticism from those unqualified
to determine the necessities of ex-
penditures, and a. new personal ele-
msnt is certain to be introduced into
succeeding political campaigns.
There is a good deal of criticism OF
the referendum ballot to be voted at
the coming election. Six laws ara up
for approval, and they make the bal
lot six feet long and ten inches wide.
In fact, the arrangement Of this laws
upon the ballot Il the best that can
be devised and n least likely to lead
the voter into FRO Each act STANDS
by itself under q proper heading, tbs
lines Of 1T running clear across the
ballet, SO that one could scarcely be
misled int voting for the wrong act,
as was the caze with the former bal
lot voted two years ago. Ths egls-
lature spent much time In derising
a form that would be clear and com
p~rahsndable. The great length OF the
ballot is chiefly due to the fact that
the military code was referendumed,
and has to be printed in its entirety
upon the ballot.
The forest service is meeting with
excellent results in the Black Hills in
its efforts to reforest the c~ut-over and
burned-over lands. The plan pursued
La the staple one Of sowing pine seeds
broadcast at the rate OF about eight
pounds to the acre. The birds and
gophers get away with a big per-
centage of the seed SO sown, hut
enough is saved so that q fine growth
of young pine is secured wherever the
seed has been sown. 1t is a mistake
to suppose that forest fires in the
Hills destroy all of the timber in the
sections burned, or even a consider
able portion Of II. Very small trees
are killed, but II Is really astonishing
to see how much burning a pine for
est will endure without material In
jury. In fact, the law of health which
governs a pine tree is pretty hard to
determine. A tree will come through
q dozen big fires with It's trunk only
charred and live on for generations,
drives a single nail into II and II
&<eG.
The succcss OF James Holding Eagle
Of the MandRns Is another illustration
OF q view often urged of the superior
results of the work of the denomina-
tiensl school among the Indians. 1t
may be too strong q statement to IA
that all Indians who have made good
In civilized ways came eat Of the de-
nominatienal schools, BUT II is true
that very many OF the successful red
mon were so educated. Mr.. Eagle rs q
graduate Of the Congregational Norm
al at 6antee, Neb., an institution
whose foundations were laid by Al
fred Riggs of the Minnesota Mission
airy family soon after the outbreak Ia
1852. When the Minnesota Santees
were banished to the Missouri, Mr..
Riggs accompanied them and has been
with them ever since and the men and
women who accomplished good things
for their race who have come from
his tutelage are very numerous. Svch
schools deserve the substantial sup
port of all who hope for a self respect
ing citizenship for the red man.
The Thomas murder case at st jrsis
promises unusually sensational deYe,-
opments, and the air Is filed with
sinister rumors Thomas himself had
been considerably In the limeli9ht in
recent months and Mrs. Mcmahon who
shot him had been twice q widow
within q very brief time, and her
enemies more than intimate that both
husbands were cheerfully assisted in
their taking or. Disinterment of Nc
Mahon the last husband Is suggested
The present condition OF the treas
ury supports Governor Vessey's con-
tention that the state debt will be
speedily extinguished. There Is more
than a quarter of a million net cash
on hand. making the total debt ae this
time less cash In the general fund
about t3se. geo. 1885,. 900 OF which is
owed to the twine fund.
buy The 5hsnard Elevator