The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-06-04
Rcfutation Of CHARGES
Against ". c. GiIbreath
Continued From Page one.

a penitentiary deal which is alleged
to have occurred over seventeen years
ago. For the past six or eight years
the opposition press in Mandan, Nor
ton county,-the home county of Mr.,
| Gilbreath-has published this decision
of the supreme court of Iowa. I'm
| friendly politicians of Mandan went to
Grand Forks in 1904 with newspapers
and showed these papers which con-
tanned this decision, to the delegates
of the convention. In 1906 another
delegation composed of political enc
mics OF Mr.. Gilbreath, industriously
used this decision against him at
| jamestown. In fact these men circu-
| lated this decision at every election,
beginning in 1902, and used it in sea-
son and out Of season until the pres
ent time. What has been the result ?
In Morton county in 1908 Mr.. Gilbreath
received larger majority than any
candidate on the republican ticket who
had any opposition. This clearly
demonstrates how the people who
know Mr.. Gilbreath regarded his
honesty and integrity. This entire
baseless fabrication has been the pub
lie property of the state for years, and
It's rehash at this time is an attempt
to deceive and mislead the new set
tiers of the state. Anyone with intel
ligenCe should know a clerk is not
custodian Of the pen funds.
immigration Fund.
Instead OF standing by Commission
er Gilbreath in his efforts to increase
the population of this state and ad-
vertise its resources, The Searchlight
and a few of it's ilk and character
insinuate that the commissioner IS
mis- applying the funds appropriated
by the legislature for the purpose of
promoting immigration. These news
papers do not appear to comprehend
that every blow dealt the commission
er and every aspersion cast and In
situation made of dishonest motives
or methods is detrimental to the best
interests of this state, and is apt to
produce disastrous results, because it
lessons the commissioner influence
abroad, and materially affects the lit
erature he is sending out and his la
bors for the upbuilding of the state
Such political demagogues and sland-
erers care very little about the de-
velopment of the state or its prosperi-
ty, but prefer the occupation of at
tempting to besmirch and belittle any
and all who do not endorse their poll
teal faith and pay tribute to their
selfish, sordid and unreasonable vag-
aries.
The Searchlight says: cit might be
of interest to note payment of some
of these warrants for the promotion
of immigration. the persons receiving |
them, and the amount for which they |
were drawn, the payments being made |
within a period of four and one-half |
as shown by the State Treas |
urer's books:
July 8, 1909, warrant No. $3.50 is-
sued to w. c. Gilbreath for $1,000; |
Aug. II, 1909, warrant No. SS,324 is
sued to w. c. Gilbreath for $1,000: |
Aug. IS, 1909, warrant No. $500 is
sued to F. M. Gilbreath for $1,000;
Aug. 81, 1909 warrant No. $685. is |
sued to r. +. Flent for $1,000; Aug. |
%. 1909, warrant No S3,5S2 issued to |
w. C. Gilbreath for $1,000; Nov. 49, |
1909. warrant No. S4,999 issued to w. |
C. Gilbreath for $4,000; making a total
of $4,000 drawn in the name of w. c. |
Gilbreath or $4,000 to all parties in the |
four and one-half months.
While the dates of issuance Of every |
one of these warrants above mentioned |
are incorrect they doubtless are the |
dates when they were paid by the |
state treasurer and from which Office |
the data and story originated. It |
never occurred to the voracious re- |
porter to go into the auditors Office |
and examine the records and ascertain |
the date of issuance of these warrants, |
or to find out whether vouchers or sub |
vouchers were attached to the ones
calling for these several amounts
named. He simply accepted the state
ments of the twain in the treasurer's
office as facts, and went no further.
To be as brief as possible: Section
237 of the Political Code of North Da-
kota, reads in part: at shall be the
duty of this board Estate Auditing
Board) to audit all claims which may
come before it, and no warrant shall
be drawn on the state treasurer by the
auditor in payment of any claim ex-
cept such as have been duly passed
upon and approved by the state audit
ing board"
Had the reporter gone into the audi
tors office he would have found each
of the previously referred to vouchers
duly approved and signed with sub
vouchers or vouchers attached there
to covering the respective amounts of
these several warrants.
1t appears that Commissioners Gill |
breath had furnished Gov. Burke a
complete itemized statement of all the
money spent by him since January /, !
1909 up to and including May %, 1910.