The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1889-09-05
A Midsummer Nights Dream.

ever emanated from public Office
We allude to his recent official. bu
,'exparte, proclamation to the world
announcing that there ,s still fe'
dollars left in the State Treasur!
After a column Of figures, thl
feager and over anxious officer as
sures the taxpayers that til
finances of Ohio have never been
a better or rac-- c:sdltable condl
ITO, ..nnh they are at the presen
time. As Auditor Poe is the chic
and most responsible flnancia
officer of the State, this modest
this most modest-commendat,ol
of himself is liable to provoke serl
Gus inquiry and arouse grave su
spicions.
The law makes it the sworn dut'
of the Auditor to issue an annua
statement. giving detailed accoun
of the financial transactions for th'
fiscal year ending November Is
It Is less than three months, unit
the timc appointed by law for tn
performance of this duty, and yet
in the midst of sumner, Audito
Poe defes hard work and no
weather by preparing q column o
figures, which prove to his owl
satisfaction that both tha finance
and the Auditor of Ohio are al
right. 1t is Only a few short week
since the Auditor of WarreI
County left his home and his Office
for a long vacation. Before he sc
suddenly skipped he assured his
constituents, that the finances oi
Warren County were never in
s'such q creditable condition" An
investigating committee has been
engaged for eight weeks IN digging
up the rottenness and crookedness
in ssthis credItable condition." and
80 far have only discovered a short.
age Of 100000. In a partial ro-
port they have assured the confiding
taxpayers of Warren County that
the key hole to the safe is still
intact, and hence this ''creditable
condition" is safe.
Lord Beaconsfield is credited
with saying "that figures are very
deceptive" This can not be said Of
The last set of figures presented to
The people of OHIO by the Auditor
Of State. If they are true, the
finances of Ohio are in a sorry
plight. If they are true. Cover
nor Foraker's last message to the
Legislature is horrid travesty on
ruth; and as the Republican cam
,aign, of a defensive character, has
been conducted entirely upon tho
igures presented in Governor
Forakcr's message, either the
Governor or the Auditor of State is
wrong. THIS fact forces the con.
;lusion that tho finances of Ohio
ire in such q muddled condition
hat no two men can make the
igures tell the same lie! But Poe
IS. Poe in this controversy is worse
han Poe vs.. Foraker.
According to Pee of August II,
here is only s201,846,1l in the
state Treasury In cash to meet tho
expenses of the general revenue
und. against which appropriations
'ave been made OF ovor So, OOO, 900.
sut Mr. Poe tells beautiful rabbit
tory. lie Gays "be expects $780,
100" from the June taxes, "he ex-l
ects $400. 1000" from the Penlten
iary, she expects s23O,OOO' from
Dow tax in December, and "he ex-
ects 81 800. 900" from the Decemb r |
'xes for 1889. These are greet
xpectations. and after banking on
hem the Auditor arrives at the
rofound financial conclusion that
thcro is a total credit to the Gem
raj Revenue fund up to February |
5, 1890. of the sung sum of about
2, ,46l.S40 H." Mark that eleven |
ents at the end of the millions of
oilars. Mark the word "snug" and |
about and then no:e tho preci-
on with which this wonderful
nancfer can look six mouths
head in the affairs of a great State
nd figure its receipts down to
eloven" ccnts. This is great
ucsswork. Some people might
link that our gifted Auditor of
tate was taxing tho future and bis
'tellect TOO mnch in guessing at
eleven" cents in the proposed COL
ction and disbursement of over
100000. But Poe Is all right.
eople can not be expected to have
'nfdence in a system of guessing
Mess there is exactness, even to
eleven" cents. However, it Audit.
: Zoo had thrown in a few mils.
a vulgar fraction of a cent. it
ould have carried conviction and
'nfidence into the lurking place of
e last lingering doubt. We are
'oud of our Auditor. Ttere are
W fnanciers who can start out
Itb 0.000 and by the mere
loynncy of hope anil the elasticity
his figures wind up six months
nee Wilh a cash halanco and .hn