Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-02-28

refers to the Ohio state treasury as
being bankrupt On the first Of Feb.
the total balance in the treasury was
close to $500, 900, of which $26, ,812 was
in the general revenue fund and $f67,
625 in the sinking fund. This does
not look like bankruptcy. But the
'boys" must have something to harp
on.-Deshler Tribune.
In answer to the above we can say
nothing more to the point than the
following, taken from the Columbus
Call OF last week, which not only gives
the ''boysn something to harp on, but
furnishes big dose of music for the
general taxpayer of the State, be he
Democrat or Republican. The Call
saws;
In carefully prepared interview
in the last issue of the Sunday Nea0s,
Governor Nc Kinley broke silence con
cerning the condition of the States
finances. In doing so he took occasion
to evade in the most impressive way
possible the statements repeatedly
made in the CaHthat the treasury was
kept running principally by making
overdrafts or advance drafts, and by
holding up of accounts current and
the accumulation of enormous defici-
encies, which in affect are beginning
unauthorized certificates of indebted
ness.
While not denying the accuracy of
these statements, the Governor saws,
in robustious way. that the treasury
is in a prosperous condition, and then
proceeds to ''prove it'' by saying that
whereas there was but $31, 900 balance
in the State treasury on the 18th of
February, 1894, there was on Feb. 10,
1895, (the day of the interview $1s4,-
900.
This is singular system for prov
ing easy financial conditions. The
day to which he refers (February 15)
is the close of the first quarter of the
fiscal year, when one-half the reve-
nues of the State from taxation has
come into tine State treasury for the
purpose of meeting the liabilities of
the ensuing six months.
Governor Mckinley knows that
$1S4, 1000 will not meet one months
liabilities, much less six. He knows
that Immediately after the 18th of
February, 1894, when there was but
$31 200 in the treasury it closed its
doors and only resumed after $500, 900
worth of bonds were sold and the
proceeds turned into Mr.. Cope's big
| safe.
True enough 1884, 900 is q larger sum
of money than $31, 900, butnot a larger
sum than $31, 900 plus $500,000.
The fact that there was but $184, 900
balance on the closing day of the the
first quarter of the fiscal year, with
half the years taxes paid in, is an
alarming condition of the States
| finances.
If the Governor will go back few
years, before the State was swiped by
two successive Doodle Legislatures,
and four consecutive years of Repub-
lican State administration, and exam
inc the balance sheets, he will find
that the State treasury was in far
different condition on the 18th of for
mer Februaries than in 1894 when the
balance was not big enough to pay
one weeks liabilities or in 1896, when
they were barely sufficient to meet
three weeks bills.
| The Governors disingenous state
ments in his carefully prepared inter
view simply prove what the Call has
repeatedly asserted that the first half
of the revenues of 1895 are gone, with
81, ,200,00 past due liabilities, and
nearly all the appropriations for the
year yet to be met. In other words,
the liabilities due to be paid before
January /, 1896 are $4,500,000 with a
little less than 80, 500, 900 in revenues
due to come in to pay them.
| We knew that if Governor McKin-
ley ever opened his mouth on this
subject he would confirm what the
Call has said in regard to the con
dition of the States finances. The
more real figures he gives, the more
fully he will sustain our position, not,
withstanding his attempts at disin;
| penOus GOmDarisOns