The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-04

cial officer of this city, City Treasurer
Bremen aforesaid hath advised the ex-
mogul that he should hasten to comply
with the requirements of the new char
ter. The advice is good. But the ex-
mogul hearkeneth not to it. He has de-
vised system of bookkeeping, and, ac-
cording to his own infallible thought,
it is the greatest thing that ever was.
Charter or no charter, there is the ex-
mogurs system of bookkeeping. And of
what avail is it that the charter specifies
certain things which the city comptroller
must do under pain of being chargeable
with official notwithstanding it mild
ly. There is Mr.. McCardy's system of
bookkeeping. Surprising, for instance,
that the charter specify that the comp
troller and the chief financial officer of
the city of st. Paul, the city treasurer
f,coresaid, shall check and intercheck,
and that they shall see that their ac-
counts are in absolute agreement at Ger
tain specified periods. OF what avail?
Is there not intervening that system of
bookkeeping, Of which the world hath
never seen or heard of the like? The
city charter, forsoothi What is the city
charter? Is it not thing, the true and
impeccahle Interpretation of which has
heretofore rested with the city comp
troller?
Far be it from a mere partisan oracle
such as the st. Paul G lob to offer
its advice or suggestion to our non-par-
tisan city comptroller 1t, realizes that
the charter, eXemplifying the lack of
provision of its trainers, does not take
into account that our city comptroller
would find it necessary to engage the
services of two expert accountants in
order to enable him to make that i'm
perishable system of bookkeeping accord
with the foolish requirement of the char
ter. There is the rub. What would you
have? Have the comptroller push aside
his imperishable system and just do as
the foolish charter says he should do?
Out upon you for one Bremen! You are
young in official life. You fail totally
to comprehend the uses of your office or
of the charter which you invoke. Know
you, inexperienced official nonentity that
you are, that your Office and the charter
aforesaid exist only in order that that
system of bookkeeping devised by the
city watchdog shall have the ampiest
scope and play, and that neither you
nor any other thoughtless or presump-
tive prentice hand in finance shall even
seem to gainsay his will?
Let us have no more of this The
eternal mountains never move at human
behest. Mahomets experience should
not be lost upon you, Mr.. Bremen Pre-
pare forthwith to move, for the mountain
of official rectitude shall never bulge.
Be gone with your charter A plague on
you and it! You are but a mere partisan
at best. That imperishabie system of
bookkeeping shall endure if you and
your city charter have both to be de-
ported hence now and forever more.
1t is thus that our one-time city auto
crat dispeses of the Slight embarrassment
of the charter and it's requirements. 1t
may be well; hut if the great man were
as great in the domain of practical
craftsmanship as he is in that of finance
he would have thought more than once
ere he had committed himself to such
doctrine, even much as it becomes him.