, 1873-12-16
COUNT THE MONEY.

We arc III favor Of oil porBong, whether can
didntes for Office or not, who want TO Count tho
Money. No aro satisfied TINT all public money
should DO counted. Wo bclioyo that Troas,rors
and custoliaua Of public money should bo inclgi-
bio to ro-clccton, and that their torn,s Of ofico
should bo short. We are In favor OF count.
lug tho money at unexpected tinacs Wo arc
in favor Of having tllo money counted by
tho Public Enemy. We desire to havo n
public oncmy appointed BY tho CourtH or cloct-
cd by tho pooplo to count tho money. We
should like to have tho money counted at
tho State Treasury, and at tho National Troas-
1lry, and at nil tho 8ub-Trcasurica. II tl,oro had
hcoo periodical count at tho National Treas-
ury, tho Government would not havo had
1882, 900 In Jay Coolo's Washington bank. II
thero had been periodical count Of tho Chicago
City money, it would be In the Treasury today,
instead Of being in Riverside bondB or in cats
and dogs. Count the Money.
The need Of counting the money iB not con-
fined to my political party NOW existing, or nny
party that has previously existed, or tlat may
hereafter exist. 1t is ono Of tho needs Of human
nature. A few years ago thorc was dcfalca-
ton in the State Treasury Of Ohio, and tho po-
ltical party opposed to tho defaulliug Trcasu1or
raisod great hue and err nbout it, Au investi-
CATION was otdered, and it WAS found that tho
dofa}catton commenced in tho preceding torn,
whon tho other party was III power, and that the
Treasurer Ind "carricd tho dofalcation of liB
predecessor aud added one of llis own OH ton of
it. Tho howl was then on tho other side, but 1t
waB not Of long duration. Both parties being
equally in the mire, 1t Was deemed best to say
no more about 1t.
Quito recently, there WAS = defalcation in tho
State Treasury Of Minnesota, and tho investiga-
ton showed that 1t had commeuced long way
back OF the then Treasurer, that raft of de-
hclencies had drifted into lia administration,
he generously or foolish1y undertaking to carry
thom aafcly over his term Of Office, and float
thom into tho next man's cash account, hoping,
meanwhile, to collect something from tho spec
ulators and politicians who had got tile State
money. tow days ago, there WAS dofalcation
in tho Now York State Treasury. Not long sinco
there WAS defalcation in tho Iowa State TreaH-
ury. There is dofalcasion in the Brooklyn
City Treasury. Shortly after the Chicago ilre a
dcfalcation Was discovered in the Philadelphia
City Treasury. There haa been dofalcation Of
public securities in the City Of Pittsburgh. Do
falcatious in County Troaauries arc distressingly
numerous. Aud now comes tho delalcation In
the Chicago City Treasury.
Something must be done, and nothing elHo can
bo dono but to count tho money. Tie taking Of
LIQUIDS ayaila nothing to prevent dofalcatious
Tho s,,ms placed Ia tlo caro- Of Troaaurers arc
frequently III excess OF the amounts for which
bonds can DO given. Tho Treasurer Of tho
United States gives bond for only half mill
ion, whilo the sums held by him average over
QUO hundred millions. Mr, Gago's official bond
WIS for only QUO million, while tho monthly
balances show that he had 81 ,44i 900 On the lat
OF September, and that the balance was oftenor
over than under the amount Of liB bond. There
has bcon gross neglect everywhere in not sur
rounding the public funds with the safeguards
which prudent business mon would adopt for
tho management Of their private ostatos-tllo
most important Of which ia to frequently Count
tie Money.