Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-10-05
GOVERNOR REPLIES
TO TR|B ATTACK ON.
RULING IN |. c. CASE
SMALL ISSUES STATEMENT IN
WHICH HE ACCUSES CHICAGO
PAPER OF DlSToRriNG FACTS
IN STORY OF SUIT PENDING IN,
LA SALE COUNTY.

last night:
ITO tho pco.l> e lll.ao!s;
las n private cltl2el | would never
reply to the s.aaGeroaJ Yg,.. Of the
Chicago Tribune. AS yoIr governor
once more feel compelled to give
answer to its deliberate lies that yea
may be correctly informed as 10 your
governmental affairs
1.-THE taxpayers OF Illinois wera say.
cd approximately s7,000,G00 by my
veto, and the Chicago Tribune launch
ed into a bitter attack np01 me.
II refused to permit Attorney Cen
eral Brundage to take from the peck
cts OF Illinois taxpayers s1.500,o00 fer
the upkeep OF a political machine. and
the Chicago Tribune, Mr.. Brundage's
mouthpiece. called me an embezzler
and proceeded with Mr.. Brundage
down to Sangamon county, where an
indictment was secured against me.
1.-THE trial, which, | sincerely hope
will come speedily. will once more
prove the perhdy Of the Chicago Tri-
bune. <aaNW
Now. once more, the Chicago Tri-
bune, following its long determined
policy of doing everything In its pow
er TO ruin me personally and polit.
ically enters into the assault with
more lies. In it's issue of Tuesday,
Oct. 4. II says:
faction taken yesterday by coun.
sci for the state of Illinois in the big
case against the Illinois Central
which II has been fighting for four
teen years indicated that the railroad
had succeeded this summer in head
ing the lawsuit directly toward the
rubbish heap
Lien Small did 1t. is the substance
OF the Tribune's cry.
Read these quotations from the
Chicago Tribune:
land 1t ian alleged report OF a spe-
Cial master In chancery In the states
suit against the Illinois Central in La
Sale county, showed that Governor
Small last June accepted the semian-
nual check offered by the company
as full payment OF its Indebtedness to
the state for that period
"This is a deliberate falsehood.
did not accept or receipt for the check
in ay manner.
without using the short word
perfectly appropriate when discus
sing practically everything which the
Tribune says about the Governor OF
Illinois, permit me to present the
facts:
Il am informed by the master in
chancery that there is not single
finding in that report based on action
Of mine.
1T was not my business to know
and never knew the check In ques-
tion had been received by the state Of
Illinois until this morning.
Investigation reveals the fact that
a check of the Illinois Central for ST.
624,S32, dated June Z, 1921, was re-
ceived by the state treasurer shortly
after that date.
1.-The records show that the Illinois
Central has always sent its check to
the state treasurer, never to the
governor. And in this instance, just
as the state treasurer did during the
administration of Lowden and also of
Edward M Dunno, the treasurer noti-
fled the auditor that the check had
been received. And the state audi
tor, Just as he always has done, or.
dered the treasurer to receive the
money. And then State Treasurer
Miller and State Auditor Russell joint
ly signed a receipt which they for
warded to the Illinois Central rail-
road.
PERSONALLY do not konw whether
the Tribunes fears that the Central
is heading directly toward the rub
bish heap are well founded or not.
II am not lawyer. Attorney Gen
eral Brundage Is the peoples law en-
forcing officer, l do not know wheth-
er the attorneys for the Illinois Cen
trail railroad have outwitted him and
finally defeated him in this important
action or not.
"Only Brundage can tell. Usually
the Tribune speaks for Brundage.
Whether 1t does in this instance or
not, can only surmise. Perahps
Brundage is attempting to appease
the people for his own shortcomings
by attempting in advance through
the Tribune. to place the blame on
me. say do not know | can only
surmise. Perhaps he would not now
be in the dilemma in which the Tri-
bune pictures him had he attended to
the business of the taxpayers in the
Central suit with the same earnest
ness he ana the Tribune have sought
to ruin me personally and politically.
II know that the state has done
everything within its power to assist
Mr.. Brundage In 1917, when Mr..
Brundage assumed office, the gener-
al assembly gave him $4,000 to push
the Central suit In 1919 the general
assembly gave him 100000 more. The
last legislature gave him an addition
al $4,000 that he might work with
all his ability and industry to force
the suit to successful conclusion.
'In addition to this special fund,
he is provided by statute with six
teen assistant attorneys general. De-
spite my refusal to permit him to
take $1,500,000 from the pockets of
the taxpayers, ] did net veto single
penny of the $4,000 appropriation
to him for the prosecution of the
Central suit, because | did not wish
to handicap him in that important
undertaking.
81 did not know to what advantage
Mr.. Bundage used this total of $780,