The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-05-25
GOVERNOR ROBERTS ANSWER TO THE
C0MPTROLLER'S ITEMI2ED REPORT,


to Messr. II. G. Stone, Il. $. Jemison, A. @.
Baker John ID. Rogers, and other gentle
men Of Galveston, in answer to awrilten re-
quest of date before, to give the results,
either by speech or letter, of his adminlstra-
zion MS Governor. This letter was published
in the Galveston News of April 10th, the
same date that the tented account of the
Comptroller comparing the last year
of Governor llubbards adminstra-
ton with the first year of bis
appeared, and WAS clearly intended
Ms an answer to that statement.
In the outse. of this letter tho
Governor says "PreSious to the Goth of
February last, which was the end OF the APP
preparation year, l requested reports from
the different departments and institutions of
the State government so aped as to eShib-
it the operations Of the government during
the two years preceding that date Most OF
them have been published tor general intor-
nation. The object Of such comparative
statements contained in those reports, cover
ing each Of the two years, was to show to
the country what knew to be a fact, that
the Democratic administration of the State
government, which commenced its improve
ment in 1874, had been continued with most
beneficial results during my administration.
Those reports have been misunderstood, and
the motives for calling for them have been
misconstrued by many persons, ms It has been
exhibited in the press of the State. One rea-
son for this Is n misrepresentation OF terms,
as for instance in taking Expenditures in
tho Comptro!er's report to mean and repre-
sent "expenses, and another reason is that the
subdivision Of the operations of the govern
ment into different departments, and the
modes of keeping accounts in each, make it
necessary often to examine into the reports Of
several ofthem and put together items that are
found disconnected so as to arrive Mt accurate
results upon any one subject" We have
nothing and have never had anything to say
about the motives which prompted the
Governor to call for the comparative re-
ports referred to by him. We are glad he
did so, if it did not put the State to any
unauthorized expense to obtain them. for
it is u very good idca for the people to have
knowledge from time to time of how
theirmoneyi is being expended and taken care
Of AS to these reports being misunderstood, we
do not see why they should have been. They
were written in plain English and contained
only columns of words and figures, which all
intelligent persons could comprehend. The
simple process of addition and subtraction
was all that was necessary for any mind to
grasp them fully and anslyze them satisfac-
torily. 1t is rather ahsir-splitting process of
logic that plays upon the difference between
the words expenditures" and expenses"
Webster defines Expenditure" to be "the act
of expanding; laying out of money; dis
bursement. A corrupt administration
is known by extravsgant expenditures
Of public money. Money expended; ex-
pense," Expense is defined by the same
authority to be "a layout or expanding
the disbursing of money or the employment
and consumption, as Of timo or labor. Great
enterprises are accomplished only by great
expense of money. time, and labor. Money
expended cost, charge; that which is dis
bursed in payment or in charity. a pru-
dent man limits his expenses to his income.
The expenses of war are rarely or never re-
imbursed by the acquisition either of goods
or territory. That which is used, employed,
laid out, or consumed; rs the expense Of time
and labor" We have given the definitions
of these two words in full from the diction-
ary According to these definitions, the dis
tinction the Governor attempts to make is
without n difference. The expenses Of his
administration are the debts created since he
has been Governor, and the expenditures
the money paid out. The ;:emized report
shows that expenses under him have largely
been in excess of expenses under Governor
Hubbard, although nearly all salaries and
the expenses for the frontier were greatly
lessened by the Sixteenth Logisla-
ture. Right th9re is the rub. The
Legislature favored him to the extent
of several hundred thousand dollars, Yet no
spends more money than Governor Hubbard
did during the last year Of his administration
by nearly $4,000. lie SAYS also in his letter
that preparations have been made at the
two State penitenti res, 50 that the next
Legislature may, in a short time, place 1000
convicts within the walls" He saws this,
although it is known that only three hundred
and odd can be accommodated IN the walls
at Huntsville and only 1000 ut Rusk and
that by the inhuman and iniudicious policy
of putting two men in o cell. Where are the
other six hundred or.seven hundred to be put
He also sa-s: "There has been an increase
in the number of judges and district attor-
neys, by which n greater promptness and
efficiency in the execution of the laws have
teen attained, and still the expenses of the
working force Of officers of the government
have been considerably diminished"