The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-09-14
Remember the Primary Meeting OF
tho, Democratic, Party, 10 be Held ai
each Election Precinct, on the ttth Of
lNs. ..lpiH FhhHthsi DH ! aNti
atcobcr Next. 4, ,et
.rIlE DEFAMATION ErIDEMIC.


The st. I.pnis Globe has the follow
ing sensible REMARKS upon the late
enormous deficit in the official account
Of Internal Revenue Collector Harper
Of Illinois.
q'hc acc0bmo,lating Asmodeus who
lifted tile roofs from the HOUSES OF the
CITY revealed enough to furnish the
spectator with materials for u spicy. ro-,
nance, hut II some newer Anmodcus
should lay bare tO,all the world the
scjrets Of treaslrers and collectors and
c,istodians Of public funds generally, II
IN probablc that TIM revelation would
be more startling than anything eau
he which concerns private life. We
get Il peep into the secrets occasional
liz, when highly respectable bank
prcsidopt j. drowned, nv hnplnnct IN
The ease Of Mr., Mills, or when y cash
Ter or treasurer, iiiidlng THAT the luck
IL against him, either walks up and
avows his delinquency, or runs away
and leaves his successors 10 discover II.
Hut five urc tn reason from what we
know, the, number of those whom we
set to guard public and private trusts,
and Who have betrayed their trust.
must form u pretty large proportion OF
the whole.
New York, NJ the chief monetary
center, furnishes the largest number OF
culprits, but Brooklyn has shown her
self amply competent to claim u metro,
politan position IN such matters, ana
Illinois and Iowa can point to public
thieves ~ proofs of that one touch OF
nature which makes the whole world
of rasealdom kin. About the case OF
Mr. Harper there Is nothing 10 be said
except the commonplace surprise that
one 80 well reputed should he SO
unworthy of II. The official selection
of him to a responsible position was
colinteiianced by the general opinion
Of the community, and the approval OF
II made manifest by tho bond which
WAS readily givcn--yct he was n gam
bier, u swindler, and perhaps worse,
and his bondsmcn and his creditors
will have to suffer by his rascalilics'
Looking ut the case by Itself, there ~
nothing that could have been done 20
prevent II, but II we look Mt the general
system of managing public TREASURES
We win be compelled 10 hold the sys-
TEN accountable for the crimes when
naturally flow from Il. Municipal gov
crnmenis and State governments
county Judges, boards Of commissions
urs, and public bodies of NIL kinds hold
large sums of public moneys copstant-
~ Under their control They leave the
,.ustody of them entirely to an official
who IL mid for HIS whole years work
perhaps ono per cent on the amount 0i
his bond, perhaps onc.half q one per
cent on the amount OF tho cuFrcht bu-
ancc which j. kept In his hnpip, iWre-
~ IL there any check on MN MS
statements are seldom questioned ns n
general rule his books are never eS-
nmincd.
Contrast the comparative mcagcir-
mesa nf his salary with the magnitude
of the amount under his charge, and
hear In mind the lnxity OF supervision,
and YOU have ut once three very strong
Inducements to usr tho public money
In private spcculntlons, II IL only the
urst ptep TINT costs, and there are
plenty oil friends ready 10 help him To
lake ilrstrp Nopromising treasurer
Collector or Cashier, who wishes To pat
up u margin on grain In Chicago ORION
Erie In Brond street, VIII have any
difficulty IN finding oft how TO ~
about Il. IL hc wins he becomes az
ornament 10 society; If he loses he VIII
be found out only after he has lost what
would have been ahandsomc fortune,
mud the public will be nstonishcd to
learn the length Of time during which
his operations have been continued.
We may not hope that MI men WIZ
No honest, and We must expect dis
honest men 10 struggle for The advan.
tag,s offered by such positions, anu y
~ accordingly well to secure sucli
guarantees nv you are given by goou
bond but II Is better 10 have snch q
system OF chccks and supervi sion "
shall insure the regular aud trust
worthy inspection, not merely OF INC
oillcIai's reports, but OF the books 81,
which his reports aro based nhu u
some of those who hrc clatioring '0i
reform, will secure. such u positive ant
cnsy reform ~ this, they viii render
no sip,Jlservicc to the cause o' pu"'''
InrWiW, e.sth ~ aHf i'i"