Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1887 — The Condition of the State Treasury. [ARTICLE]

The Condition of the State Treasury.

Indianapolis Sentinel: Justice to the pe >ple of the State demands that a few plain words should be written about the condition of the State treasury, Eor some unexplained reason some one of the present Republican State officers or some one of their deputies, has give n out the lie that the State treasury is empty. The republican organs of this city have published the lie and it has been copied by the republican press of the State and country. The publication of the lie in the Eastern papers has given the State an unenviable reputation and is liable to injure its credit. — This is unjust to our people and is working injury to our business interes s. The lie can so easily be ' refuted that it is beyond the comprehension of all sensible peo.-le that it should have been started. Under th law the Auditor and Treasurer of the State must publish a report of the condition of the State treasury at the end of each month. Tnese reports have been regularly published and have always shown a large sum in the treasury. The statement p .Wished officially in the Sentinel and Journal on Wednesday of this week, showed that there was £403,091 50 in the treasury on the last day of August—a pretty good, round sum. At the close of July, ..bout the time the lie was started, the published balance was $503,652.60. Now, if the treasury was empty at that time, it would be interesting to know where this half million dollars was if not in the treasury. It is the duty of the State officers to sustain the credit of the State, but instead of doing this. t e present Auditor has allowed his deputy to give out the impression that the State is bankrupt, and the lie has spread like wildfire. The Journal rejoiced to see the lie come back with a hundred per cent, added in the way of comments and these extracts from + he Eastern papers were eagerly copied into its columns. This was done, doubtless, for the reason that when an unprincipled man starts a big lie, he rejoices to hear others repeating it Now the facts are that Indiana has a good financial record, and this is well known at home. The current expenses of the State for every purpose except interest on the public debt, are about $1,000,000 per year. No State, considering the population, can show such a record. The tax levy for State purposes is only twelve cents on the SIOO of valuation, and it has been that for years, until the State determined to build Ihree new Insane Hospitals, costing $1,500,000; this twelve cent levy was abundant and left a surplus, but to pay for these Hospitals, a loan had to be secured, .''he State went into the money markets and borrowed at a less rate of interest than was ever paid by any State. The papers of the country which have published the lie will only be r oingthe manty thing to retract. Justice to our State and people demands that they should.