Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1901-11-13
STATE Deb. Figures.

Republic;
TO day the Governor Of Missouri
presents 10 the people Of the State
a complete exhibit 10 response 10
the charges Of discrepancies in The
management Of the State debt. The
great labor Of gathering the data
concerning the long period since the
Civil War WIS forced upon the ad
d,inistration by the sweeping gen
eral assertions Of the Globe.D Demo
cmt. The assertions, repeated day
after day with envcnomed spite
against Missouri, were that discrep.
aHcies existed In bond payments, in
interest payments and in the sink.
ing fund.
The antics Of the Globe subsequent
TO The first appearance Of its charges
are familiar. II refused 10 accept
the invitation of the Governor aud
investigate the books. When
Auditor Alien. at the request Of the
Governor, put his oflcs force At
work on the records 10 prepare an
exhibit, the Globe aud Chnirmau
Akins's organ both announced that
no figures given out by the Auditor
would be accepted unless accompai' :
led by a certificate of outside ex.
perts. In order to silence even that
perverted partisan declaration of
evil intent the Auditor felt il desIr.
able to employ outside experts. He
occurred the services of one of the
most eminent accountant firms in
New York, a concern known and
respected by every clearinghouse
in the United States.
Immense labor was involved in
the comparison of accounts and
vouchers for the old periods Of slack
bookkeeping just afterthe war. But
the work is finished, and the State
will be proud to learn that the ex-
ports find no evidence Of actual dis
honesty at any time Ia the State
debt book kkeeping. There were a
few mistakes of dealing with figures
In the two Republican periods which
covered the years between 1865 and
1873. That is the sum total OF the
"discrepancles,' and these mistakes
were not known to the Globe. Demo-
Gratis expert and play no part 10 IT'S
tables
In the Democratic period there
are no doubts or obscurities which
affect the balances
Notwithstanding the long period
and the immense sums handled IN
the State debt funds, the Democratic
accounts show not only absolute
honesty, but strict and lucid book
keeping. In the books ofthe Demo-
cratic period the New York experts
found no difficulty end coald bave
furnished a final certificate in few
DAYS. The length Of time consum-
ed in the preparation OF the state
meRt and the expert examination
was caused by slackness in The book'
keeping methods of Republican Aus
di.or Draper and his predecessors.
What the Globe.Democrat ana
other Republican organs Will no"
do remains to be seen, Ifthey were
as sincere and honest as the Cover
eor and Aaditor bave been in Search'
ing out the truth they would admis
that the moneys Of the State deos
of Missouri have been d'seufseo
with integrity and without loss 70
the public.
Their past suggests less honor
able course. They will pro0ao'y
coptipue TO be noisy about none&'s
\ teal troubles. Bat their noise WIZ
he the storminess of a pIOt teapo'
over dy,pg FIRE. Auditor A'leas
report 10 the Governor is hls,9ry'
II viii be classic after the "'ooe'
Democrat and recent teapot 'sm'
pests are forgotten. 1t is the record
of honest old Missouri 10 oea.'og