The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-06-25
RepubIIean Relormers at world
THE STATE raEAsUar ooIIAtsED!


within the past few days, bring the astound- |
ing intelligence that defalcHtion exceeding
HALF A MILLION OF DOLLARS has
been discovered in the accounts Of w. H.
Gibson, the Republican State Treasurer
elected in the fall Of 1855 under the alluring
banner Of f'"RETREN NCHMENT and RE-
q
The public announcement OF this enor.
NOUS dedication has fallen like thunder
clap ontiie ears OF wonder.struck commu-
nity, and honest Republicans, as we'll as
Democrats, are filed with intense indigna-
ton st this sterling evidence of dishonesty
in those who crying "Stop Theft" sought
and succeededip gaining possession of pla.
ces where they might pillage and plunder
to their hearts content.
This man Gibson is a man of ability, a.
lawyer, former Bank President, Railroad
President, speculator in stocks, and po-
litical declaimer OF tact power and eloquence.
In the last Presidential contest, il was the
boast of his special admirers, thst he had
stumped forty counties Of Ohio previous to
the lst of September. During the disas-
trous contest Of 1866, which resulted in the
election of Chase & Co., his speeches all
over the State, were distinguished for their
intense bitterness and their foul assaults on
the motives, capacity and integrity of the
Democratic State Administration then in
power. He appealed to the people to drive
the "THIEVES" and "IMBECILES" from
power, and to elect Chase and others who
had the intellect and integrity essential to
the proper supervision of the States best in-
terests. Under the excitement and delusion
which then unhuppily pervaded the length
and breadth of the country, these irhpassion-
ed appeals fell on willing ears. The Demo.
Gratis were driven from power, and the peo.
pie, misled by false issues, and coniding in
the sincerity of the pledges of the Repub!i-
can leaders, surrendered the State into the
keeping of Messrs. Chase, Ford, Gibson &
Co.. And now at the end of bare eighteen
months THE RESULTl Z.
A sretence has been set up, that this
enormous defalcatioh of $547 ,0eo, is in fact
the default of Mr.. John G. Breslin, who was
the former State Treasurer and the brother.
in.law of Mr.. Gibson. "Dro,oniny men
catch at straaos," and desperate politicians
may seek to save themselves by clinging
to this imposture. But it wont dot is fail.
acious. 1t may answer for awhile still fur
ther to deceive and mislead the confdng,
but it won't bear the test Of intelligent ex.
animation. .s-
Its utter improbability, if not transparent
falsity, is established not simply by the last
annual report Of Mr.. Breslin in which he
minutely particularized his losses, but by
che annual reports of the present Republican
State officers, by the message of Gov.
Chase, and by the special report of the Fl.
nance Investigating Committee (Messss.
TAYLOR, Sihnett and Smith,) who devoted
months during the summer and fall of 1856,
to thorough and searching examination Of
of the past and present condition of the
State Treasury. All of these authorities
establish the TACT that the outside amount
due from and not yet paid by MIR. BresHn was
some $2l2,0c0 or thereabUuts. Ii an addi.
ditonal sum of over half a million of dollars
was then missing, how came it TO escape
the detection ola committee Of Investigate IN
who it is not to be presumed worked blind
folded, or suppressed truth!
! But in addition to the contradiction which
is given To this pretence by Gov. Chase's
message by the Annual Report of Auditor
Wright. and by the speciul report Of the In
vestigat.ng CoHtmittee, we have still another
authority that is conclusive and overwhelm.
ing. 1t is the report of Mr.. A fired Kelley,
April 7, 1857, accompanied by the written
acknowledgment of Mr.. Gibson that Bresin
had. at stated times, within six weeks after
leaving the Treasury, paid him (Gibson,) the
entire amount, lacking $2l2,00o, due ut the
expiration of his (Breslin's) term of Office
That a Il our readers may see this report, and
the distinct official wledgment of Mr..
Gibson, we spread them out in our columns.
If any one desires to examine them in the
original Legs lative documents, they may be
found in the Appendix to the State journal
OF 1856, pages 80 to 81. =, The reader will
particularly observe by Mr.. Kelly's report,
that the amount he alleges to be the sum due
to the State from Breslln- at the expiration of
his term of office, was ascertained by an ex.
perienced accountant selected by Mr.. Kelley to
assist in his neutrality-suspicious. n, too,
of Hhig politics, who for fourteen years pre-
dediag 1852, was the clerk Of the Treasury
office AS already remarked, the amount
thus ascertained to be due from Mr.. Breslin,
except the sum of $3l2 600, had, according
to Mr.. Gibson's own written statement, fur
nshing dates and amounts in detail, been
paid over to him as long ago as the 9th of
March, 1856. The unpaid Balance of $2l2,.
COO, is fully referred to by Mr.. Kelly Sr his
report. BY reference to it. the reader will
see that. $50 900 Of that sum was, amply se.
cured by a deed Of trust on valpable reaiy es-
tate; and that an additional $4,000 was a
deposit debt due from a crippled branch of
the State of Ohio, which Mr.. Kelley regarded
as safe. Beducting these sums, the actual
net loss through Mr.. Breslin's mismanage.
ment, is reduced to total of $l37,00O.-
The man and the administration who were
elected to succeed him, and who were pledg-
ed to introduce thorough reform and account
ability into the financial affairs of the State,
have already, before the second year of their
administration has half expired, given the
public fulflment of their pledges in the
form Of defalcati6n SO enormous That IL
exceeds any that has euer bsfore occurred TN tie
history.ef any State in the Union!
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