The Montgomery tribune., 1910-09-02
SOME PRUNING
KNIFE CUTS
FACTS CONCERNING AUDITORS
PRUNING OF GAME DE-
PARTMENT BILLS.
Accounts Aggreeatine Eighty Thou
sand Dollars Reduced Less Than
Twenty-five--The Case Of
Deputy James.


Deputy James.
If you get out your hammer to nail
down every Democratic lie that gets
into print you will be too busy to eat
your meals, but it Is well to brand the
boldest of them as they float around.
State Game and Fish Commissioner
Jesse Tolerton has found in Demo
cratic papers a little group of lies di-
rectly stated and three malicious ones
stated inferentially-the worst form
of falsehood. A statement that con-
tains enough of truth on which to
give lie good standing is the kind
the Devil is supposed to favor and all
honorable men detest.
In the bunch of false statements
contained in the following article from
a Democratic paper are three infer
entail lies intended to hurt Governor
Hadley, Jesse Tolerton, state game
and fish commissioner, and all Repub-
lican State officials whose accounts
must be submitted to a Democratic
auditor. State Auditor Gordon has
disclaimed all responsibility for or
connection with this newspaper arti-
Gle.
III. L. James is a deputy game war
den residing at Carrollton, Mo. His
monthly expense account has been so
uniformly large that Auditor John Cor
don called Game Warden Tolerton's at
tention to it. Mr.. Tolerton passed the
matter up and the auditor got busy:
called for s93 saary-31 days at So per
day-and sS6.O4 for expenses The aud
itor ascertaned that James was in Car
rollton on the End. 9Th. 7th sth, 18th.
14th 18th, 18th, 21st. 22nd, 23rd 9th
and Goth. He further failed to find where
he had been anywhere else on nine of
salary. On the 5th the expense account
had 50 charged up against the Florence
hotel at Brunswick. Gordons informant
found only so cents paid. and the 18th
and 18th the Kupper House, Kansas City,
was made to stand for s4.O0 hotel bill.
but reports only recorded payment of
S1.00 The Henrietta hotel at Chillicothe
was charged with $500 hotel bill, but
Auditor Gordons information was that
only $1.00 was paid and that JaHes was
in the city attending the Republican con-
Cut was taxed $500 for hotel bill when
there is no hotel at that wide place in
the road" And thus it went through
the list. Auditor Gordon. who has an ole
fashion idea that men ought to be honest
with the tax payers of the state. trimmed
one month. 1t remains to be said that
James account as originally sent in bore
the approving signature of Governor
Hadley."
H. L. James is man of good repu
tation, good standing and honest rec
ord equal to that of any Democrat enl
ployed in any department of the State
government. He is Republican
however, a fact that he has no desire
or reason to conceal. The man who
n wrote the above article concerning his
| claim against the state was either IL
J. norant or facts involved or desired II
give publicity to malicious false state
), ments for political effect.
When Mr.. James salary and expense
Il account for May was filed with the
4 auditor that official refused to pay /,
in full and on June wrote letter tc
Mr.. Tolerton to that effect. Instead
of passing the matter up Mr.. Toler
ton, on June 7, took the matter VI
with the auditor asking him to indi
Ii cate what part of the claim was no
l. legitimate and offering to bring James
" before him at once to make his owl
!. explanation of every item in the ac
:. count he had submitted-and he die
- bring James to Jefferson City. IAr
l. Tolerton told the auditor that HI
to would not approve or tolerate an.
il claim of deputy that could not b.
,s properly preferred, and he requested
a that the items questioned by the aud
~ itor be held in allegiance till Jane
IT, could present proof of their honest,
to in the form of receipts for money h
A. reported as expended for hotel an
" other purposes.
:. Mr. James thereupon secured an
y presented receipts and filed an item
Is lied itinerary duly sworn to. Tn
ay auditor, at the request Of Mr.. Toiel
at ton, had withheld $27 of the per dier
or salary claim of Mr.. James, pendln
investigation of the report which ha
reached him that James had spen
nine days at his home at CarrolltoI
doing nothing in the way of work fo
'n the game and fish department and ha
ir, not covered the territory shown b
le- his itinerary; and he had cut out $11.3
reported as expended for railroad far
/ and 55 cents for buss and street ca
q, fare. On July 81 the auditor enclose
uI to Mr.. Tolerton his check on tn
J." treasury for these amounts, referrin
a. to them as accounts withheld "at yor
request" and as paid "at your requel
and because of an itemized itinerar
Ill duly sworn to-" (The original bill I
Mr.. James had been duly sworn TO
So it appears from the auditors ow
letters that the "cut" made with tt