The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-05-31

That Is Whist the last Dencn spent Inc
figures have been patiently and faithfully
taken from the records, and In this arithmetic
THE SERVICES OF ANANIAs,
who keeps back part of the price, have been
dispensed with. Every dollar OF ex pense dur
ing that period is not represented even yet
for while the court was quartered at the old
state house, the librarian seems 10 have
catered In the matter OF fuel for all depart
ments in the building. No separate charges
to the supreme Court are made during that
time He bought in bulk, approved the bills
in bulk, they we're paid in bulk and then
charged in b1lk to the fuel account. n the
court could be reached it would considerably
increase the debit and would be a
corresr onding credit to the present
vouchers, which shonli have been inspected,
were missing, either through carelessness or
design Hence i5 Is safe 70 say , mat l the las,
numbers; but the total obtained nom sources
which have a black and white authority, and
Where the Journai' Is Ananias debts the Re-
publican bench during fve years with Sl1,-
IA 81, the vouchers charge them with H,36I Al;
and for the contemplate purpose OF dlstorting
the truth out of All shape. he retired from bat
tie before the year 1870, which contained an ex-
peuse of Sl2,273 81 for the bTary. When he saw
| that item looming up in the distance, he ran
his head in the sand. like the ostrich, and let
that year pass. To illustrate the animus un-
enough to introduce in the course of his prose-
cution certain bills of the present bench, con-
/ tracted aud paid during this present fiscal
year. What he wants ioT his purpose, he takes
like a freebooter. The principles OF attack
laid down at the outset are first neglected,
decsnc and honest warfare are outraged and
the pi. ate Is law unto himself
| THE CASE IN BsIEF
may now be concisely stated so that
minds even far below the average
can understand the points involved
and plainly see all the bearings. For
years previous to the advent Of the present
bench 1t was the fashion with the state &C
countants to keep their books perennially and
abominably muddltd. Just imagine house
wife who keeps her silverware and plano in
the cellar, puts her coal and ice-chest In the
garrett, and her door plate on the roof. and
you have q fair idea Of the inapcial situation.
SO long as the money was cared for and the
balln sheet Tailed, 1t was matter OF
supreme Indifference whether the va
rioos expenses got into the right pews
they show them into the first pew which
happened to be handy and found q lazy solace
in the ref sction that III they were in one place.
ashez No nentecost Of Common sense ever
visited this department Of The government
ill one day the bright idea dawned on some
royal mind that when Smith buys shirt L.
must not be charged to Brown. 1t was big dis
covery and led to brilliant results. Order
under the present administration it has as
t tom. To-day if the taxpayer wants
any shirts, he has only to turn TO Smiths &C
counts, where he finds sensible business en-
try Of the expense. 10 those VINO have never yer
system of bookkeeping, 1t would be q hard
thing to explain their frightful confusion.
general fund: bills of Hume, Adams & Co., for
carpets and fixtures, will be found among the
fuel and stationery accounts; fair is foul and
foul is fair" to the end OF the disgusting chap
ter; and the only marvel is that the Indiana
ship of state has not been hopelessly wrecked
in the storm. The supreme aa Court is charged
method of keeping books, with every
item which can be construed into expense for
that arm of the service. NOthtl g escapes into
other departments, with the single exception
of the salaries, more conveniently placed by
themselves. From one extreme we have gone
TO another. Business has vastly tncre 'sed
during the past few years, and unavoidable
expense has kept pace v IT'D il. In the first
pace Therefore, to i1dEe the expense standard
would be unjust and absurd for reasons re-
curing no further comment; and in the sec
T Ond place, the old account no more indicates
the actual expenses of the court proper than
? does the present system, considering the In
creased burdens and sweeping items il
has to bear. This will receive attention when
the present court comes under survey.
ANCIENT HISTORY.
The charge has been made that extravs-
eance has been the rule under the present
court In order to convince the Taxpayer oil
the falsity of this statement, the expenses oil
the previous bench have been reviewed
3 AS TO COAL, ETC.
, The following items for fuel alone are all
, taken from the general fund. They cover
three years since the occupancy OF the pres
, emit buildings. For the other three no record
of expense under this head can be found, and
7 the taxpayer can conjecture for himself how
much IL required to keep the court from freez
ing in the old state house and elsewhere dur
ing that time.
: No. of
3 Date. voucher. Amount
Feb. 1S68.........-..........SS6i coal 170 81
April, l869.................-....249 7 coal 8iS(
Aug. 1859 coal 337 81