The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-01-19
THE CASH BALANCE-A TIMELY v
THING.

And now the treasurer of Penn
sylvania is putting on Texas airs
and announces that the state will
soon have a cash balance of one MIL
lion dollars. Instead of abusing the
administration for having a good
thing, the Philadelphia papers and
the other papers of the state are
wisely considering what are the best
uses to which this money may be
applied. 1t is presumed that the
special funds of that state have been
kept in tact, and therefore its legis-
lature will not be called upon to re-
imburse any account from which
money has been improperly taken
Here we are fortunate enough, as
some of us at least think, 10 have a
cash balance. 1t would have been a
very good thing had such luxury
been on hand long ago, for then this
eternal borrowing from special funds
would not have been one of the easy
means by which the wheels of gov
ernment have been kept creased.
AT one time Texas had ten millions
OF dollars turned over, IN settlement
of accounts between the federal and
state governments, to the credit of
our school fund. This magnifcen1
sum of money was frittered away and
had not wise legislative act been
secured by James w. Throckmorton
and Others, inaugurating the plan of
loaning the remnant of this fund to
railways, the last dollar of it would
have disappeared, just as the uni
versity fund has passed out of the
state treasurer's hands. But
Texas has one of the most
ample funds for public free
schools, ever provided by any coun-
try. 1t is in lands, which are now
being quite rapidly sold, and, before
many years, if the state administra-
ton be not turned over to adven-
turers, it must yield an annual reve-
nue. sufficient to educate every child
in the state. But we were upon the
subject of cash balance, and
it was our purpose 10 show
that instead of suspending
taxation and such stuff, the
state government should honestly
return to the special funds such
money as has been borrowed from
them. The university fund has a
good many times been called upon
to assist the revenue account, and
now, when for the first time in the
history of our state administrations,
there is on hand money of any mo-
ment belonging to revenue and unap-
propriated, the plain duty OF the gov
ernment is to reimburse the uni
versIty fund with all that has been
borrowed of it. The university can
not be established at once, as the
people have willed, unless this act of
justice be granted, and we have no
doubt it will be. Therefore we may
begin to see some good reason for a
cash balance. Over five hundred
thousand dollars are due the uni
versity fund, and there are other
small matters that equity demands
shall be settled. Thus part of the
cash balance will be required SIM
ply to reimburse special funds.
Then, from all over the
state complaints arise that the
jails are giving accommodate
ton to an unfortunate class, Whose
only ofIense is that they are bereft
of reason. The fact that such peo-
pie are locked up in county jails with
felons, allows no hope that they
may be relieved of their terrible
maladies, and this fact calls for the
earliest appropriation of another
slice from the cash balance. The
appropriation of one hundred thou
sand dollars for lunatic asylum
purposes, at the last session of the
legislature, will be utilized so as to
give accommodation to two hun
dred more of these unfortunates, and
reports show that they will still be
unproyided for by about three hun
dred. How just it would be to
make another appropriation, say of
two hundred thousand dollars,
when the seventeenth legislature
meets i'll extra session, that at the
earliest moment possible all these
unfortunatcs may be treated as
humanity requires they should be.
Truly cash balance is a very great
necessity, and the grandeur of Texas
may be exemplified through its wise
disbursement. -<