The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1873-09-20
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TuE DEfAtNaTtON ErtDEMi''
Tho -. Louis Globe has the follow
ing sensible remarks upon the latc
enormous deficit In the official account
Of Internal Revenue Collector Harper
Of Illinois.
The accommodating Asmodcus who
lifted the roofs from the houses of the
city revealed enough to furnish the
spectator with materials for Il spicy ro-
nance, but If some newer AsmOdeus
should lay bare TO all the world the
SECRETS of trcasurcrs and collectors and
custodians Of public funds generally, II
IL probable thnt the revelation would
he more startling than anything can
be which concerns private life. We
get q peep into the secrets OCCASIONAL
~, when highly respectable bank
president Is drowned, us happened in
the case OF Mr.. Mills, or when n CASH
ier or treasurer finding that the luck
is against him, either walks up ana
avOws his delinquency, or runs away
and leaves his successors to discover II.
But, If we are to reason from what we
know, the number of those whom we
set To guard public ana private trusts,
and who have betrayed their trust,
must form n pretty large proportion OF
the whole.
New York, rs the chief monetary
center, furnishes the largest number Of
culprits, but Brooklyn has shown her
self amply competent to claim a metro
pOlitan position in such matters, ana
Illinois and Iowa can point to public
.Np,,ff- Of th.f tnitnh nj
nature which makes the whole world
of rascaIdon kin. About the case Of
Mr.. Harper there is nothing to he said,
except the commonplace surprise that
one SO well reputcd shoUid be so
unworthy Of it. Ihe official selection
of him to Il responsible position was
countenanced by the general opinion
of the community, and the approval OF
il made manifest by the bond which
was readily given-yct he was gam
bier, Il sWiHdler, aud perhaps worse,
and his b0ndsmen and mis- creditors
will have to suffer by his rascalities.
Looking at the case by itself, there is
nothing that could have been done To
prevent it, bat if we look at the general
system Of managing public treasures,
we will be compelled to hold the sys-
tenn accountable for the crirues which
naturally flow from it. Municipal gov
ernmenls and State governments,
county Judges, boards of commission
ers, and public bodies of all kinds hoid
large sums of public moneys constant
ly under their control. They leave the
custody of them entirely to All official
who is paid for his whole years work
perhaps one crccnt on the amount OF
his bond, perhaps one-hulf Of one per
cent on the amount of the current bal
aRGe which is kept in his name. Bare
ly is there any check on him; bis
statements are seldom questioned; as n
general rule his books are never cX-
amined.
Contrast the comparative meager-
ness of his salary with the magnitude
of the amount under bis charge, and
bear iii mind the laXity of supervision,
and Won haro ut once trreJ very strong
'iadncem t. to use the pphlie money
in private REGULATIONS. lti is oHly the
fir, step tnUi costs, aAl there are
tax, ,tr Step. promising 'e;.Snsei
ColN ctor Dt Cashier, who wishes 20 put
up n margin ON grain IN Chicago, orpn
Erie in ,5rund street, Will .2NG any
difficulty i'll finding out how 70 go
about it. If he wins he becomes an
ornament to society; if he loses he will
be found out only after he has lost what
would have been II handsome fortune,
and the public viii be astonished to
learn the length of time during which
his operations have been continued.
We may not hope that all men will
he honest, and we must expect dis
honest men to struggle for the advan-
tages offered by sucn positions, and il
is accordingly well to secure such
guarantees as you are given by good
bond; but il is better 10 have such ii
system of checks and supervision as
shall insure the regular aid trust
worthy inspection, not merely of the
officials reports, but Of the books on
which his reports are based; and If
some Of those who are clamoring for
reform, will secure such ..sitive and
easy reform as this, they will render
no small service to the cause of public
morality