The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-01-27
NOT MUCH money.
oHIO's FINANCES ARE IN A DE
PLORABLE CONDITION.
The surpiusi is smsii-Indications Are
That Advance Drafts viii Have TO
Be Made on Counties 90 Meet
Obligations This Year.

Obligations This Year.
Columbus, o., Jan. 22.-[Special. J.
During the state campaign last fall the
Republican eoitors and stump speakers
beat their tomtoms and shouted, Look
at our full state treasury--the result
of six years of continued Republican
administration" The annual report of
the state treasurer, w. ID. Guilbert, just
filed with Governor Bushnell, puts the
matter in different light--no doubt
its true one. This report states that the
balance in the general revenue fund of
the state on Nov. 16, 1897, the begin
ming of the present fiscal year, was only
$4,000. The general revenue fund, it
should be understood, is the fund out
of which the current expenses of the
state government are paid.
The larger figures used by the cam
paign promoters of the Republican par
ty included the large balances placed
in the treasury by the new forms of
taxation upon franchises and corporate
wealth, not taxed until recently, and
which the Republican legislature was
not able to spend in the building of
wings to the state capitol because OF
defects in the law it enacted for that
purpose. Our Republican friends seem
to have been making a virtue of me-
cessity.
Raid on the Treasury.
The unwarranted assumption oi
credit for economical administration OF
the state government, in add ion to
the effect it was intended to have In
the campaign, has precipitated a gen.
eral raid upon the treasury by the peo.
pie who are at the head of the state de.
partments and state institutions. They
have with one accord seized upon the
present opportunity to get funds fol
carrying out all their fancy notions. Il
has swelled the total of the appropria
tions asked for to nearly quarter o.
a million dollars more than the esti
mated receipts Of the state for 1898.
State Auditor Guilbert says that 4
the appropriations asked for are grant
ed the state will be forced to resort t
the unbusinesslike method of making
advance drafts upon county treasurer
for future taxes in order to meet it
debts to the end of the year.
The fact might as well be stated tina
while Ohio is in fair financial health
she has no more money than she needs
and If those in charge of her state in
stitutions can be believed not so much
and that a balance remaining in tn
treasury because the act appropriatini
1t out of the treasury is held to be in
valid can hardly be used as evidenc
of the honesty and economy of the par
ty in power.
"Honest Abe" Forgotten.
Abraham Lincoln had a narrow es
cape from being ignored by the Obi
Republicans on the occasion of hi
birthday this year, and perhaps
would not have been so inappropriate
after all f this had been done, for
Abraham Lincoln were living today
|
ing the Republican party. There doesn
seem to be room enough in the Repub
lican party in Ohio for Mark Ham
and every other really great man at tn
same time, and they were so bus
electing Hanna to the United State
senate that the party forgot all abou
Mr.. Lincoln and the preparations the
had begun to make for the usual cele
bration of his birthday. After severe
attempts some of the committees hav
got together and arranged" for
formal observance of the day. n
doubt Senator Hanna thinks Lincol
was quite a man in his time, but h
would not succeed in the politics of tc
day; and that is probably true. Whf
would Lincoln have thought il he coul
have looked into the Hanna headqual
ters at the Neil House last week?
After "Figgers" Grosvenor.
Even those who do not approve {
gerrymanders will derive some pleas
ure from the redistricting measul
which has been introduced by Senate
Finck, in that 1t will probably retil
from congress Charles l.. Grosveno
now misrepresenting the Eleventh di'
trict in Washington. Grosvenor's Iii
tie sense of honor in politics is show
by his determination to make his part
attack civil service reform, thoug
pledged to the people by it's st. Lou
platform to support it, as forcibly as
his hunger for political spoils.
If the bill becomes law Grosvenc
will have enough to do to save himse
from defeat in the congressional ele,
tion this fall, and will probably /
driven to let President Mckinley, Ser
ator Hanna and the Republican spoili