The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-07-02

Then it was that the Republican Legisla-
'ture, on the 9Th of April, 1856, on Mr.. Nor
gan's urgency and Mr.. Kelly's recommen-
dation, passed the law "prescribing the du.
ties of the Auditor and Treasurer of State
relative to the receipt, safe keeping and dis.
bursement of the public money and account
ing therefor" . '. -
tGen. laws of 1916, page 299.] |
Under this law, the Auditor, Governor and
Treasurer have duties to do, which il done
dutifuIly, would have, as believe, saved the
State from the crushing disgrace that has
fallen on her name and credit Remember
this law of 1856 and its history, and will
show you soon, what are its requisitions
and how they have been complied With; or
rather how they have been disregarded by
the State officers from the date of its pas.
sage until nova period of fourteen months.
To thisreEissness, will call your attention
directly. - ..... H
twill be seen, therefore, that we have no
very stringent law for pecuniary accounta.
bility until the Legislature Of 1856 enacted
one. Before then cur Treesurers had loan.
ed money ad libitum. 1t was notorious that
certain favcrite bankers and brokers could get
money when they pleased. 1t was known
that Bliss had loaned. 1t was suspected that
Bresln was loaning. The Democratic Leg
islature put to him certain inquiries as to
his operations. But his answers, found on
page 81 of appendix to House Journal, 1854,
will show how innocent he then seemed in
his statement. In that special report he
con(esses TO having money placed around
the State for public service only. Beckel,
of Dayton, had some. The Marion Bank,
to wit, Judge Bowen, that beautiful decora-
ton of the Bench oh! he had none! Mr..
Breslin answered that he had "received no
consideration in any way, OF interest or 9th.
erwise, for deposits or transfers, and had nc
agreement to receive any,"
\ AS no proof could be made of transactions
SO confidential end delicate; the business
went on-went or with the remSsness of
the Legislature which impliedIy sunctiosed
Invention wi:hcct any systeR Of accou-ta-
bIity adequate to protect the States money,
until Mr. Gibson mounted the political hust-
ings and under the cry of retrenchment and
reform, and of driving out the democratic
thieves and imbeciles, succeeded in supplant-
ing his Democratic brother in law in the
Treasury.
What nice fne5se, cordial contracts and
gentle embraces these fraternul 1'reasurcrs
exchanged in the month Of January, 1856
can only picture. What chuckIing in Tiff.
fin Bank parlors and friendly shaving shops
through Ohio, then took place, can only
imagine. Whether Breslin. was then in
default and Gibson agreed to damn himself,
TO become his scnpe goat-and be slaush.
tered in the wilderness-.we have no record to
determine. All is surmise. The Repubh
can Legislature, Auditor and Governor did
not know. They took the record as the
Treasures made it. Tlat record has been
made, endorsed by Governor, by Auditor,
by the sworn statements of the Treasurer,
Gibson, by the Smelling Comm ittee appoint.
ed April llth, 1856-by the Finance Com
mttee of the Senate, and by the constant
action of the State government since January
1856. {
Now what is that record! When we find
this, we may get the best light as to "who
has got the peoples money!" Let no Re-
publican squirm as l read it, for if he be, an
honest man, it does not affect him. The
Republican creed may be, in my poor opin.
ion, full of good deal of humbug and all
that sort Of political claftrap about negroes
so common and 60 stale; but it nowhere
sanctions dishonesty in public fiscal agents
The Democratic party as such, have repeat
edly held alof, the doctrine of pecuniary re-
sponsibiity. :, 4
A voice from the crowd. "Try Fill
more man." A laugh,
Mr.. Cox: say, try an honest man! Let
Democrats, Republicans and Fillmore men
see to it, in their nominations to these offi-
ces OF trust; that honest men-irreproacha
bly, high and pure-are nominated. Parties
will exist Nominations will be made by
them. Let these nominations from all par
ties be made from the honest men Of the
State, and not from the political mounte-
banks and shy lock instruments. A voice:
"That's the talk!'1 =.
Now for the record from the printed doca-
ments! What is the record left by Mr.. Bres-
lin when he went out Of office. He account
ed for every cent he received, as will appear
by his report; it specified particularly what
losses he had sustained in the Treasury by
the deposit of State moneys: :,
These losses amounted to $20s, 1874 IA.
They were made up by deposits-in the
Commercial Bank of Toledo, $24,9l7 o3
City Bank Of Cincinnati, /, 1881 95
D. Reckel, Dayton, '-N 50,785 4S
w. w. Cones & Co., Cincinnati, 47,799 68
Making $2OS,324 IA
over 5000 of which is secured and will
probably be collected, as Mr.. Kelly report
ed to the Senate; making about $4,000
the actual nett loss through Mr.. Breslin's
mismanagement. This defcit--if such it be