What ErnieM said is correct, it's a safety issue. It will work that way but don't do it.
Early on, "back in the day" when motor control circuits where just getting started, they were actually wired that way. The neutral side of a component was directly wired to ground, any ground any where. A lot of people died because of it. That's when things like OSHA began to take shape.
Spend the extra pennies, get a longer piece of wire and connect it correctly.