Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-07-26
KEEPING THE BOOKS.
a Democratic system by Which Over
Fifty Million Surplus is not Con-
SidcreG


Fifty Million surplus is not Con-
| sidcred.
Chicago Inter Ocean: Treasurer
Jordan, who would like to be considered
the real head of the treasury depart
ment, appeared before the senate COM
mittee on finance Tuesday to oppose the
joint resolution already adopted by the
house in regard to the treasury surplus.
That resolution, as It nov stands, SIM
ply makes it compulsory for the secre-
| tary of the treasury to call in bonds
| with the suplus IN excess of $l0O,000 900.
The senate committee may change the
| figures to Sl30,000,000, $135, 100000, or
| $140,000,000. These are the amendatory
| figures about which the committee
hovers. Mr.. Jordan's argument was in
opposition to the resolution IN toto.
The treasurer attempted to prove to
the committee that with proper system
of bookkeeping there would be no sur
plus. If this were really 80 why should
he object to the resolution He has only
| to correct his books to render it, if
passed as it came from the house, o clear
case of "ipnocuous desuetude." Besides,
| it the books are erroneously kept it is
his own fault. The monthly statement
of the assets and liabilities of the treas
ury is signed &c. N. Jordan, Treasurer U.
So. Does he mean to say that he pre-
septs to the public misleading report
from month to month? For example,
in the report which happens to be
nearest at hand the footings are: Assets,
$507, 1905 IL; liabilities, $402, ,26l ,S71 .0l
Mr.. Jordan promulgated thia report over
his own signature Did he indorse sta
tlstical lie? We can
not think SO poorly OF
him as all that. As matter of fact the
strong probability is that these figures
| instead of exaggerating the surplus
represent it Just at the lowest practical
| BILE notch; OF course by forced system
OF bookkeeping. 1t Is we'll known that
| the treasurer has from the first been
anxious to make it appear that the
! balance in the treasury was quite as
| small as it really was. He designates
minor coin as "assets not available"
Before us is o statement of the CON
| dition of the treasury March 81, 1885, us
shown by the old system OF book keep
ing which has obtained under republi-
can treasurers: also of its condition at
that time as shown by the system OF
bookkeeping introduced by MIR. Jordan.
a mere matter of book -keeeping
is not, in itself, important. 1t does
not matter penny to the
actual assets and libilities OF
the government which system is adopted.
| When 1t comes down to what is known
i'll common parlance as "brass tacks,"
The government is neither richer or
poorer for such change, but the fact
that the present treasurer has already
greatly reduced the surplus by his
system of accounts warrants the infer
ence that the nominal surplus is now
less than the actual, rather than the
|oppoeite. The claim which Mr.. Jordan
now makes comes from him of oil men
with very poor grace, and he can not
complain If he is suspected of being
disingenuous in making it.
! The statement IN regard to March 81,
1885, Just referred to, is part of an in-
i terestlng and brief table found in the
speech Of the Hon. A. j. Warner In the
house, made on the resolution in ques'
ton. Being short, it Will bee: rsprodnc-
ton in full, and as follows:
CONDITION OF THE TREASURY MARCH 81. 1885.
Balance then in the treasury,
old form of statement. ....... Sl63Sl3,45l 93
s8,767 ,40S SO
New form of statement.... l0O,0O0,600 W
sl58,7s7 ,4os 30
June 80, 1885, including dist 104,473.B05 81
4 bursing officers balances. lC),0tl,0C9 CO
$204, AIS, sos 81
Difference. hO,7Ob,902 II
This difference shows that the actual
surplus over and ABOVE all demand La
bIllties between the two dates named
was S50,706,202. In other words, the
present administration retains surplus
of fifty millions and over IN excess oi
the surplus retained by the former ad.
mlnistration. This fact, which is un'
affected by any legerdemain with the
accounts, is the basis of the pending
resolution. 1t is idle to attempt tc
scare the country by q cry of too low Q
reserve when there are fifty millions
! in excess of what was held when the
democratic party came into power. Mr.
Jordan may tinker with his book keep
ing as much as he pleases, but he Car
not justify so enormous an increase IL
: the treasury balance.
The bonds which it is proposed Il
r have called IN do, it is true, diaw only
j, per cent interest, those drawing ant
!. AZ not being ripe" yet; but the annna
/ interest on S50,000,000 at 8 per cent il
: 81, 100000, a sum worth saving. il woult
: very much more than meet eli the dis
bursements called for under not only th,
@ pension bills but the public building
a bills vetoed by President Cleveland. l
9 the presidents is SC very solicitous fo
e the public funds, he would dt
Q we'll to turn his attention to tha
t $50, 100000 OF excess surplus. Then, too
t if he would simply give an executive
order that the policy pursued by th
y treasury department under republican
y administrations he adhered to in goo.
o faith he would obviate the necessity TO
y any joint resolution. Had he done j
n earlier in the day he would have saves
D. himself the humiliation OF the rebuk
n involved in such resolution.
vi Whether the surplus to be kept in th
70 treasury be fixed at $100000,000 @
d some higher figure is detail to be dc
n termined by congress upoE q close ca
cnlation of probabilities, based on tn
fullest attainable information. Blu
There should certainly be no surrende
g. OF the idea underlying the resolution.