The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-14

mits any such Investment no matter how
safe IL may be; on the contrary, il positively
forbids IL. As long as IL is done, no gu , tons
a. ked. and the money forthcoming when
demanded. no pecunisry loss falls on the
Treasury; but the public morals are CIR
Iupted, the law is violated, aud when il ia
questioned the party that resorts 10 evasion
ought to be, and will be. refused the conf
deDce of the people.
The whole system of managing the pubic
moneys is wrong. No suitable place is pro-
yided for safely keeping the public moneys.
The Treasurer with a responsibility for mil
lions, receives q salary equal only TO the
services OF q good b0okkeeper and that of
his assistant one equal to that OF dry goods
salesman or district insurance agent A
safe depository should be provided: toe of.
bcers should be paid enough to command
the services of competent and reliable men,
and they should be held in sufficient bonds
and penalties TO secure the performances of
duty as required bY law; aud frequent super
vision by Competent authority should en-
sure it. The system of State bookkeeping
IS ell wrong. The State should be credi ted
with moneys received and debited with her
appropriations 1t would be easy then TO
show If there is surplus or deficiency.
Now she is charged only with the moneys
received and paid out, and the Auditors
and Treesurer's reports may show a sarplus
where there is deficiency. Take the money
on hand May so. after the April settlements.
snd deduct the appropriations t. run the
Government TO the 30th of November. and
see where the surplus will be Take the ap-
propositions for the year aud the provisions
made for revenue and find 4 surplus TIE
matter is conducted generally as If the Gov.
eminent ended on May 80, and the revenues
from May to November are antic pated aud
disposed OF in advance. This they call "a
casual deficit" and propose TO borrow, in
direct violation Of the Constitution.
They can only hOuoV in case of
a casual deficit" or to pay interest
on the public debt. They can not uurposely
make deficit and then call it casual" If
war, epidemics failure OF crops, or any other
calamity prevents collection of taxes there
may be casual deficit" aud they may bor-
row. But false system OF bookkeeping,
under which false surplus is ~ zde to appear
and is appropriated and spent in anticips-
ton OF collection Of taxes; or, If levies to
meet appropriations are not made and ap.
Dropriatione IN excess OF provision to meet
them are merde. il is not casual deficit"
IL is Official perjury on the part OF those re-
sDonsible for it. That is the true name for
II. The Democrats have the power They
should remedy these wrongs. There should
be no concealments or evasions, or trusting
10 anybody's honesty. They should properly
provide, clearly direct, and insure obedience
TO the law.
"a public Office is public trust" is the
motto OF true Democrats. The Law specifes
the conditions and duties TO be performed
6y the official as trustee. Nothing short of
performance can be accepted by a Demo
cratic Legislature, IN the discharge OF its du-
ties, it being trustee.
While l have every confidence IN Treasur-
or Cooper, and believe he viii meet every
demand made on him for money due from
the State, it is DO reason at all why l should
MOI require OF him q strict performance of
the duties OF his office as required by law,
and refuse to accept performance in some
other way, that may draw the States money
from his hands, but in the meantime permits
him to use 1t for his own personal gain 1t
is no reason why the Legislature should ra-
fuse to make him show the money actually
on hand when called on by its committee, or
report him in defaDlt, and at once provide
Tor the States safety as may be needed if not
on hard. FRoIssART.
Plymouth, Feb. 5, 1885.