Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-15
STATE BOOKKEEPING.

Long ago we called attention to the I'M
satisfactory system of bookkeeping i'll
vogue in the several departments OF the
State Government. Frequent reference to
it has been made since then. With the
solitary exception of payments Of money
into, and drawing money ont of, the State
Treasury through the medium of the
Controllers office, there is no sufficient
check upon dishonesty. 1t is a marvel
that such loose methods should have so
long been tolerated. Their evil effects have
had painful demonstration. When it was
suggested that no fee should be paid into
an Office for service therein, except upon
the certificate of a distinct department, our
Third-strect contemporary laughed at the
idea, and declared it wholly impracticable.
1t is scarcely probable that the suggestion
will now he treated with Sc0rn. ltappears
to us as the only reasonable system. 1t IS
the method employed in all large business
establishments, and is the best check that
can be interposed One of the earliest
acts of the forthcoming Legislature
should be to provide system of
checks in lieu of the present loose sys-
TEN. State officials who have given
the matter attention, and who are 50 stu
ated as to sec daily exempliticaiions of the
weakness of the present system, we are
authorized to say favor new methods upon
some such basis as that suggested.
Regarding the recent thicving in the
Office of the State Treasurer, by q deputy,
it should not surprise anyone familiar with
the system that now obtains. The State
Treasury should not be the repository of
special deposits SO long as it is, the posi-
bilty exists Of these funds being used to
supply gaps in the State funds, from which
an enforced loan can be ma,!c for private
ends. Bankers of this city long ago called
attention to this liability 1t. is simply
fortunate, and nothing more, that we have
had men in the office who have been more
honest than the system demanded since
the temptation has been ever present. 1t
has remained for deputy to demonstrate
still another method by which crime can
be committed III the Office. If County
Treasures, to save transportation of funds
for quarterly settlements with the State,
desire to leave funds at the Capital. there
are plenty of responsible banking concerns
where such deposits may be made. The
special deposit business in the strong box
of the State should be abandoned.
IT was perhaps Il mistake that Mr. Blaine
did not make direct appeal 10 the moral
sense of the community and stand off
the persistence of Beccher, Curtis and
Schurz in that direction. These men made
such an appeal and kept at it, insisting
upon the blackncss of Mr.. Blaine's charac-
ter, while he contented himself with log
zeal debate regarding the policy Of the
country Had he turned the tables upon
them, and brought the campaign
down to the level of personal assault and
defense, the result would probably have
been involved in no doubt and Mr.. Blaine's
majority would never have been questioned.
No man ever entered a campaign more
heavily handicapped by pledged votes than
Mr. Blaine. One hundred and fifty-threc
of the Electoral votes of the solid South
were cast in advance against him. And
how splendidly he went through the can
vass thus burdencd and how we'll he bore
himself against such odds
IT seems to be dawning upon leading
lights in the Prohibition party that they
did not do so very smart thing after all,
to fight the Republican party and cuddle
up to the Democracy. Now that the cleo
ton is over they are beginning to ask,
i" What is gained? If Cleveland is elected
we can make no claim upon the Democ-
racy, for it is cur open enemy. and being
in power, it will for four years give aid and
comfort to our foe If Blaine is elected, the
Prohibitionists are still worse off, for they
cannot in conscience ask anything from the
party against which they made open war,
and four years hence they will have no
claim upon it for concessions. They are
in short, awakening to the truth that you
do not often convince men by belaboring
them with clubs.