The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-17
STATE TREASURY.

4 II
The management of the state treas
ury has for many years been the sub
ject OF public criticism. While it may
be true that the state has lost no
moneys deposited in the various banks
throughout the commonwealth. it can
not be questioned that the public funds
have been used for political purposes
by depositing them in favorite banks
where such deposits were expected to
yield returns in the shape of political
influence. This system cannot be de-
Tended. The legislature at its last ses-
sion passed a bill providing for the
payment of interest on deposits in such
banks as have the custody of the state
funds. While this is an Improvement,
1t does not, in my judgment meet the
difficulty and correct the evil. 1t should
not be in the power of the state treas
urer, or of any man or men controlling
him, to say what banks shall handle
the millions of dollars that are an
nually paid into the state treasury. 1t
would be far better for the state to
receive no interest upon the deposits
than to suffer a system to continue
which can be used for partisan political
purposes, and, in my Judgment. the evil
will never he corrected until the state
keeps in her own vaults, as does the
United States and many of the states.
tion of this character. believe, would
be to the interest of all the people and
be a step toward better government
If it be argued that this would be lock-
ing up the public funds and taking
them out of circulation, my answer is
that they should be promptly paid out
to the schools and penal and charit-
able institutions and the cities and
counties that are entitled to them ac-
n
they have been.
NOT APOLOGIZING.
I am not here to apologize for or to
ask you to vote TO return to our lesis-
lative halls those who betrayed the
trust reposed in them by the constitu-
encies that honored them. The public
official who commits crime or betrays
his trust becomes an enemy of his party
as we'll as of his state. He disgraces
and Injuries his party more than him
self and for him there should not be
even standing room. The Republican
party is composed of honest men. and
he is no true Republican who receives
his party's preferment only to betray
his trust.
Prudent bankers do not go out of
business because they discover the
peculations of a dishonest teller The
thrifty farmer who finds his barn in
tested with Vermin will not burn down
the building filled with the years crops
only for the purpose of ridding him
self Of the pests. Our victorious hosts
at Santiago did not throw down their
arms aud surrender to the enemy be-
cause some quartermastcrs failed in his
duty, or the COmmissary neglected to
bring forward the rations or the hos
pitals We're remiss in carinG for sick
and wounded. No, they scaled the
heights of FL Caney and planted the
flag on the summit and looked after
the malngerer when the battle was
won.
Neither will the Republican party,
with all it's glorious history and all its
achievements for humanity; with all
it's victories in peace and in war; with
all it's accomplishments for mankind
and for civilization and all it's bright
eninG prospects for the future; now
standing in the sunlight of it's noblest
achievements, break ranks and dsin-
tegrate, because of the wrongdOing of
L. stpt