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W vji j I J Vol. 4; No. 24. SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, FEBRUARY 25, 1905. Pkich 5 Cents 8 I "j FRAUDS BEING EXPOSED g Former Governor Wells last Tues S day told tho Investigating committee S of the house of representatives of the H forgeries of Brigadier General John HJ Q. Cannon, formerly adjutant general HJ of this state; formerly editor of the H Deseret News; formerly commander H of the national .guard; formerly secre HJj tary of tho St. Louis exposition com H mission. In the light of the revela j tlons of the ex-chlef executive it Is H little wonder that the hero of Sco Hj field and of Sunnyside has beaten a HE retreat and is now secluding himself H Bomewhere, because tho testimony H adduced at the hearing appears to be HE sufllclcnt to cause his arrest and pun- Ishment. H No one need marvel- that John Q. HJ has hiked away to other climes, for HI the atmosphere of almost any place j will be more congenial than that of HJ Utah. Ho is certainly up against it n and up against it hard. It is manifest Hj from the testimony that during his !M term of ofllce he forged orders to the VI amount of $2,078.27; and. that ho was I the beneficiary of every order, although M ono was made payable to Oblad & IM Knight. Former Governor "Wells fa Identified every ono of tho twenty or- ders as forgeries, saying: "At a cursory glance all tho orders B mentioned appear to bo regular, but the signatures of my name are for- gcries." The witness also stated that Can H non, In tho presence of John M. Can non and Joseph S. Wells, stated: "Your signature is on the orders, but you did not write it." Tho peculations of Tohn Q. Cannon appear to have begut i early as Oc tober 10, 1003, and continued until I Juno 14, 1004. The bmallest amount was ?C35; the largest ?203.15. It appears from tho evidence that John Q. began to get a bit scared as ' the year 1004 drew to a close. The j scare increased as the time for the legislature- drew near and ho confided Hs troubles to his brother, who tried .i2lp hlm 0l,t- Treasurer Johnson testified that John M. Cannon had of rered to make good the amount taken rom the fund through the medium ot I ino forged orders, if he, Johnson, would turn over tho forged instru ments Subsequently General Can nons attorneys asked, or demanded, jneso papers, and when they were re I bank requested they b deposited in lnf!?U.llng was orueht out about the interview between Governor Wells of t. ? u S- Cannn in tho presence or Joseph S. Wells and John M. Can- lr'nfC0,pt as above stated- " S0'1' however, that on that day ulZT Yt1,s berated Jn Q- 1 "nmenaured terms, declaring that he IB had been a dead weight on his hands for twenty years; that despite tho fact that ho, Wells, had endeavored to help him along; had honored him with positions of trust; in tho caso of tho secretaryship of tho commission had alienated tho newspaper men or tnt, city, who unanimously petitioned for the appointment of M. J. Cunningham, by turning tho newspaper man down, Cannon had gone back on him and had been a "millstone around his neck." He upbraided him, so it is said, with every dishonorable act committed during tho time mentioned. Under all of which John Q. sat mute and silent. Questioned as to what had become of tho money, Cannon replied that It had been used for regular expenses of his family; that he had not drank nor gambled it away. Tho disclosures of the witnesses were of such a startling nature that tho members of tho house havo de cided to Investigate everything con nected with tho affair thoroughly. They will also go Into tho affair of tho Carbon county "war," whero Gen eral Cannon was in command, and will ask that every vouchor and war rant be produced, in order that a complete detail of expenditures may bo had. Tho land ofllco will also bo examined and its affairs probed. A prominent country member of the house stated to Truth that ho and his country associates believed it was high time to examine everything thor oughly. "This affair Is a good hint to us to go into matters and sco what has become of tho money. There has been an evident looseness In tho handling of cash that should bo stop ped, and wo are going to probo to tho bottom, if we havo to appoint a com mittee and continue it until, after tho session Is ended." Tho disclosures of Tuesday and since are such as to place in a very unenviable light tho senato which passed a resolution thanking tho ex position commission for its work, and especially declaring tho belief that not a cent had been "stolen, lost or squandered." Senator Johnson's statement to tho senate and his testi mony on tho stand do not' dovetail very nicely, either, while tho attitude of tho first committee in trying to ex plain matters away and cover up of fense Is particularly peculiar. Tho county attorney is expected to take immediate steps for tho extradi tion of Cannon, who Is said to bo In Honolulu. That being United States territory, there would be llttlo diffi culty In getting him. Truth is endorsed by every good citizen In the state in its demand that an investigation of everything con- . . , , , -. .. . . i , nected with tho handling or stnto funds bo had. It is duo to tho of ficials themselves who havo handled affairs of state honestly, and tho pub lic Is entitled to know what has been done. Let tho light bo turned on. Lot tho guilty ones bo punished In every instance. Too much condoning of of fenses by men In high places has dcuu indulged In. Tho common thicr io railroaded to tho pen; tho rich man's son Is entitled to no more considera tion. Nor should those who cover up of fenso go free. Compounding a felony Is a gravo offenso against tho mnjesty of tho law. No favoritism ought to be shown. Had Cunningham been ap pointed secretary and committed tho offenso charged ho would bo In jail whllo his friends would be trying to hustle bonds for him. Play no favor ites, but lot justice bo done. n . - LEGISLATIVE NOTES. Hero is tho full text of tho bill In troduced In tho state senato by Mr. Lawrence to compel nows gathering agencies as quasi public corporations to furnish their service to any ono publishing a newspaper who Is willing to pay for It. This measure Is ono of great importance to tho pcoplo of Utah. As things aro now thcro Is neither a Democratic nor a Hepun llcau daily paper in tho capital of tho state, and there can't bo until tho mo nopoly enjoyed by the two mongrel personal organs which moBquerado as exponents of Democratic and Repub lican principles Is brokon. The bill as Introduced roads as fol lows: Anact to prevent unjust discrimi nation against publishers of rowspa pers, by persons, association of per sons, and corporations engaged In tho business of gathering and distributing for publication, Information or nows, and declaring such combination to bo unlawful. Bo It enacted by tho Legislature of tho Stato of Utah: 1. That all persons, all associa tions of persons, and nil corporations engaged in tho business of buying, gathering, or accumulating informa tion or nows for publication, and vending, supplying, distributing or disseminating tho samo for publica tion, either to Its members or other wise, shall bo deemed to bo engaged in a business upon wheh a public In terest is ingrafted, and shall make no distinction with respect to nowspapor publishers desiring to purchaso such nows or Information for publication. 2. It shall bo unlawful for any per son, association of persons, or corpor ations engaged in gathering and fur nishing nows for publication, to make any discrimination or distinction with respect to a person or corporation on gaged In publishing a nowspapor. 3. Any combination by persons Hf having for Its object or effect tho ml controlling of Information or nows Un gathered or accumulated, for dlstrl- Ifl button and publication, shall bo deem- BH ed a trust, and hostilo to tho public 19 wolfnre, and Is prohibited and do- JH clared unlawful. KS t. All persons, associations of per- Hpj sons, and corporations engaged In tho HE business of gathering and dlssemlnat- HI lng information or nows for publlca- ityl tlon by its mombers, or stockholders, iHJ or otherwise, shall bo doomed to bo H engnged In a business In which tho 'jHJ public Is interested, and shall furnish jHjj such nows to any and nil newspapers jHj desiring to publish tho samo nt tho HE same prlco as charged to tho members of Raid association, or corporation, or jHf stockholders of any such corporation, W without discrimination between tho :D members or stockholders and such W newspapers desiring to publish such Hi Information nnd nows; and shall ron- fin dor equal and impartial sorvlco to all M publishers of newspapers who shall a? offer to pay a rcasonablo prlco thcro- 1 for. , u 5. That any contract or agreement 'jjjyi In violation of tho provisions of this 5' net, shall bo absolutely void and not Jul enforceable either In law or equity. fiJ G. In all actions brought under this Sjj act, it shall ho sufllclcnt to provo that jgfi a trust or combination as doflned jFjjj herein, oxistls, nnd that tho defend- h ant belonged to It, or acted for or in jfljfc connection with it, without proving Hjl or producing any artlclo or agroomont, 1H or any written Instrument on which it Uj may havo been based, or that It was HJ evidenced by any written Instrument E at all. Tho character of tho trust or H combination alleged may bo ostab- llshcd by proof of its goneral rcputa- W tlon as such. If 7. All tolophono nnd telegraph & companies employed to transmit such fif information or nows shall bo doomed It? to bo agents of such persons and cor- fs poratlons, and all legal process may S bo served by tho ofllcers of tho law jn upon such tolephono and tolcgraph mi companies ;and an offer to pay a rea- h sonablo prlco to said tolophono or tol- if cgraph companies shall bo equivalent D to an offer to pay tho samo to the per- W sons or corporations gathering and jfe1 disseminating such Information or m, nows. jjn Tho word "porson" or "per- JP sons" wherever used in this act, shall Jul bo deemed to include corporations, if. companies and associations, existing ff under or authorized by either tho laws w of tho United Stntes, or of any of the m territories, any state or any forolgn If stato. ' 111 Thcro Is much merit In the senate II bill presented by Senator Wesley K. A Walton, which obviates tho necessity Hj of a complete now registration of vot- Hj ors overy four years. Tho bill, as wo Hj understand It, provides that those who Hj voted at the previous election will bo 9J carried on tho rolls for tho next eloc- HJ 7" JS .. r ."MM