The Dermott news., 1918-05-23


Arkansas:
am a native of the State. and was
born and reared on small farm under
} adverse conditions, and was forced to
rely upon my own efforts for an educa-
ton. The people of my native county
overwhelmingly elected me delegate
to the Constitutional Convention. State
Superintendent j l.. Bond appointed
me his deputy without any solicitation
upon my part. have spent nearly all
my life on the farm. and have made a
thorough study of the scientific meth
DDS Of farming. and believe am quail
fed and specially fitted to fill this inn
portant office with credit to myself and
the State. wish to say have almost
the solid support of my own section of
the State.
John H. Page. my opponent. has been
at the State House feasting at the pub
lie crib for Eighteen Long Years, and
is now a candidate for Fourth term in
this Office. Does Page think this office
belongs to him
= Surely you have not forgotten the
Legislative Investigations of Ia yes af-
acial records. He was charged with
many acts he can never explain salts
factorily to the people. He was Secre-
tary and Purchasing Agent of the State
Charitable Institutions. where our poor
and unfortunate people are kept. Lat
er, he was made Secretary and Pur-
chasing Agent Of the State Peniten-
tiary his duties in both positions being
largely to purchase hundreds of thous-
ands OF dollars worth of supplies for
these institutions which are so sacred
to every man and woman of Arkansas.
The 1915 Investigating Committee
was composed Of SenatorsJ. NJ. Futrell
Of Greene, Geo. W. Garrett of Clark.
and Representatives Monroe Smith of
Ashley. U. A. Gentry Of Hampstead.
and Pierre Sweptson of Crittenden.
These five unbiased. impartial and dis
interested parties had no interest in
turning the searchlight Of truth on the
disgraceful official acts of my opponent
more than to comply with their oaths
and uphold the States interest.
The Investigating Committee found
checks ranging from S.. 90 to $500. ag-
gregating s.. $50. 90. that Page had held
sSp and failed to pay into the State
Treasury from the sale Of fertilizer
tags from 1918 to 1915. For a list of
the checks he held up. see Investigat-
ing Committees Report. Page 81.
From the records. Page found it aw-
fully hard for him to turn into the
State Treasury the peoples tag money.
The Investigating Committee started
him in trot towards the window of
the State Treasury. Page signed. a
statement showing he had withheld
3. 76O.S5 Of the peoples money from
the State Treasury from 1918 to 1915.
These checks (l2S in alb ranged from
. forty cents to $4,000. aggregating
q, 100. IS. A statement is on file in
the State Treasurer Office with Page .
own signature under the l28 check 8
listed he withheld from the State Treas.
: ury from 1918 to 1915. Under these l2S
checks he says:
VI hereby certify that the foregoing
amounts were for feed tags prior to
October LIST. 1918. and prior to the date
Of the granting Of the injunction
lkainst the collection of the feed tax.
John H. Page.
''Commissioner of Mines. Manufac.
lures and Agriculture.
The Investigating Committee found
that Page had withheld checks rang
ing from $l.OO to $3.50. 90, agRreRatinR
e74l.60. Again he 10 caught and signs
3 statement, on file in the State Treas
urer's Office. showing the checks and
amount Of each. Outrageous Conduct
Fcr. q State Official. Law violated.
Kirby's Digest. Section SAT.
In that dignifed and unassuminR
styls Of his he rushes up again to the
window Of the State Treasury. and lists
checks and turns over money belong.
ine 70 the people he withheld from the
State Treasury from 1918 to 1915.
These checks ranged from IS. 90 to
~ 80. He admits his guilt by signing
his name ut the bottom Of this list.
Hard TO get away from his own sigma.
ture. He shells down the corn In his
own handwriting.
Let's see what the Investigating
Committee had to say about this. Read
the following paragraph. Page s.:
Funds to the amount of "a. GIT. IS,
from the sale Of Feed Tags during the
year 1918 were withheld from the
orreasurer until February, 1915: also.
funds to the amount of s.. $50. 90, from
the sale Of Fertilizer Tags during the
year 1913. were not turned over to the
Treasurer until January. 1885,