The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-09-24

portant branch of power has been in tn
r hands of parry who are never scrupulou
AS to constitutional du,y, and never hesi.at
! TO employ the mighty influence Of publ
mo"ey for the advancement of all partisal
! schemes. The politics of Ohio has bee
senslbly y tainted by The direct or indirect us
Iof 5his species Of patronage, more shan ono
isince the financial Offices of the executive
! department has been in the hands of tht
!, Wings. More than once have the ullmat,
uses of public money been felt in the amos
tphere of political mana cement, when it ha
/. not been difficult to trace the stream to il
, fountain, through channels Of moral evasion
If not of overt malfeasance.
| Il is the province of the Office of Audito
to perform prescribed duties. 1t is part 0
: the executive department. It's character il
one OF constant and exclusive obedience tt
the behests of legislation. 1t knows NJ
privilege or duty not found in specific legal
provision. The nature of the Office is pc
cullar: Its line and field Of duty are founc
In municipal prescription. There are no de
tails, no extensions nor limits of power in
Constitutions. Fundamental law merely
provides for its existence, and that it shal
report all it has seen and done from time +,
time. Official oath looks but to the Con
ltuton-a man, as an officer, swears not t
support the laws merely, but the Constitu
ton. We all know that there has long beer
a species of casuistry rife in the land whicI
acqults any malteasance in an officer, no
forbidden by The letter of the Constitution
This loose principle of moral accountability
has been more largely infused into public
sentiment by the whig party, in order t.
ensure them immunity in Gal lphanism, Gard
nerlsm, Land ncripism, Three -per-cen5-fund
Ism, and all the oyher isms expressive of ht
abuse OF public money Cor the accomplish
menC oi party ends, and the deple ion of the
publlc Treasury tor the reward OF parry ser.
vices.
We leave it to the people-ask yourselves
you Can perceive in community chat whole
some growth OF aversion to official dereeC.
uon, particularly in money matters, which
once you all felC, surrounding you palpabIy
as the pervading light OF day? Has not NOR
al sentiment degenerated-and who will
stain his soul with the indeIibIe lie, that ha.
biCual whig NAL administration has not been
the sole cause Of this alarming lapse in po.
lltical morality? Even wings, themselves
have been compelled to praise our Broughs
and osher democratic Auditors.
A State Auditor should look closely to the
plain le ter Of the law as to his duCes-thest
he should obey and stop there. If he is allow
eI by public forbearance TO 80 beyond then
one s,ep-his power becomes literally bound
less. Who does uot remember the appro
pirate appellation given by Senator ArchbolC
TO the present Stage Auditor when he wa.
urging the passage Of resolutions looking
to the Limitation OF the Auditors power, anC
expression of censure upon his frequent tran
scensions ofthe plain legal intent of his du
ty. This "Linsey- -woosey King" said VI
A. should be shorn of his infnite discretion
over all ali airs OF STATE, unless we plain re.
publlcans are ready to confess ourselves serfs,
instead OF soverei IN freemen.
/ Whose fault has 1t been that this officer
has won so justly this graphic cognomen ol
Mr.. A.? Is it the fault of the Constitution.
or even Of the law? Can any man believe
that our Legislature in 1926, meant to clorhe
a mere executive State Clerk, with uncheck-
ed power upon that portion of the taxes re-
laung to our public works. And yet he has
exercised pienary-" "Ktngly"-p power on
that subjeco! He has made his Office in
that subject, tile tarjng poOer Of this State!
1t is not the fault Of the office, but of the
man. He belongs to party who 90 for stri-
king down all limits to official power, and
while wearing the garb OF servant, becoming
the master; and no man will say that Audi
tor Wood has not shown his faith BY his
works. The properly and the people of Ohio,
have been The mere sport OF his arbitrary
and sovereign will
No matter how closely and distinctly def
ned may be the powers of an Office, it all
depends upon the principles and character
OF che officer, whether his services be mark
ed with srictness of Interpretation, and its
certain consequence, perfect fidelity of per-
lormance We exhort the people of Ohio to
rember that if they elect William Duane
Morgan, to the Office of State Auditor, things
'willbe changed. His plain practical talents,
his thorough and unselfsh honesty, and his
enlarged competency, warrantthe assurance
that the money of the Office will be kept to
its legal ose, he will be found ever at his
post, and the people will never have to say
that he has changed merely administrative
powers into despotism worthy the ruler
ship of Russia!-Statesmaa