St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-29
THAT TREASURY MIDDLE

The taxpayers of the state will be in
terested in the analytical review made
by our Caledonia correspondent of Au-
ditOr BRADEN's letter, in which the lat
ter gentleman undertook to rescue the
Republican party from the hole into
which Treasurer BoBLETER had pre-
cipitated 1t. The more this letter is
looked into and discussed, the more ap-
parent becomes the fact that the Re-
publican system of public financiering
is not only dismal failure, but that if
it is to be continued bankruptcy will
be the inevitable result.
Under Republican administration we
have reached the point where an in
crease in the rate of state taxation is an
absolute necessity. 1t cannot be avoided.
1t will be necessary to cover the deficits
which have already accrued, and to
meet the Indebtedness that has been in
Cured in a foolish attempt to bridge
over the existing financial embarrass-
ments until after the state elections.
This state of affairs has resulted from
Republican extravaganza. 1t is the old,
old story of what follows from one po-
litical party being continued in power
too long. The experience of all state
governments has taught the lesson that
a change in administration at least once
in each decade is essential for political
purifcBtiOn. When one party becomes
en.renched in power for more than ten
years, extravaganza and corruption fol-
low as logically as day succeeds night.
1t is something unknown in the history
of political government that when a
party once becomes corrupt it can purify
itself. The only remedial application is
a change of administration.
1t has come to pass in the history of
Minnesota that the remedial applica-
ton is badly needed. For nearly three
decades the Republican party has had
control of the state government, and it
would be something strange if, within
that time, the party had not passed
under the domination of rings, and job
berry would flourish as green bay
tree. The evidences of such conditions
are to be seen in the legislative records,
and nowhere are they more visible than
in the lame explanation Of the muddled
condition of the state finances which
the state officials have seen proper to
make to the public.
These are matters which must arrest
the attention of the honest taxpayers
who cheerfully contribute to the legiti-
mate expenses of the state government,
but who do not propose to be robbed of
| their earnings for the enrichment Of the
| favored classes. The state officials adj
| nit that things are at odds and ends in
the treasury department, yet, with a
nerve that is almost paralyZng in effect,
they only ask the taxpayers TO give
! them another term in the management
of the state finances and they will bring
everything around all right.
| Is this a busineSS-like proposition
! these gentlemen submit to the voters?
! Is it the way business man at the head
of a great business institution would
deal with an incompetent accountant or
an unfaithful subordinate? If the af-
fairs of the concern got into tangled
condition through their inStrumentality
wouldn't he ask the old crew to retire
while he put new hands at the books to
discover where the trouble was and
what the remedy was to be? That
would be the business-like method a
business man would adopt.
The taxpayers of the state are at the
head of the state treasury, and the state
officials are only their accountants and
bOOkkeepers. The affairs of the con
Germ are muddled. The business-like
way for the taxpayers to proceed is to
| at the books.