Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-07-02
nlisreIIaueous Reaoinp.
Correspon lencs Of the Cincinnati Gazette
THE OHIO STATE TREAsURY-ANoTH.
Err CHAPTER OF FACTs-wHo GOT
THE PEOPLES MONEY!
CoLuMnus, June 90. 1857.

THE PEOPLES MONEY!
CoLUMBUs, June 20, 1857.
There Is one portion Of the system of Treasury
accounts that needs elucidation, and If It can be
explained to be modern discovery in book keep
ing of great value, Mr.. BreSlin might obtain a
patent therefor, or become the rival of the Bart
let's, the Gundys and the Grauger's, as profess
sor in Commercial College.
In examining the ledger, kept during the Off
cial term of John G. Breslin, "the late Treasurer"
"from the State Of Tiflin," we find that ''cash"
account was regularly kept from January, 1852
to November, 1854 from which time this old
fashioned title appears no more in the pages of
the ledger. From November 1854 to January
1856, the Breslin style of bookkeeping was SUI
generis.
When the trial balance was made at the close
of his administration, cash then, as figure of
writing if not of speech, appears as balance on
hand of s204, 9S7, 81.
Mr.. VIM. H. Gibson, the new Treasurer, hav-
ing been sworn in, opening the ledger finds BY the
trial balance that S204, ,987,97 was on hand But
strange to say, every dollar Of this sum- so far
cash was 90 nce.ned, was an unreal thing-cssh
oschewpd so long, and introduced so late, is as un
substantial as the stuff dreams arc made of. There
was not oneI Dollar Of Cash in the vaults Of
the State Of Ohio, when VIM. H. Gibson came
into possession Of the large and capacious safe,
large enough to contain the finances of the State.
The suspended debt, so called-doubtful claims
against doubtful Democratic politicians and against
some broken banks-was what Gibson fell heir to,
so far as the books Of the Treasury show.
Why was the cash account omitted to be kept
upon the Treasurers books, just at the time it was
Was it not at the time a crisis bad arrived, when
Gov MediI, alarmed at the Toledo Bank Tronb-
les, had hunted up Breslns bond, so long remain
ing uuapproved! Was it more convenient to let
whatever was The difference between the other ac-
counts be the cash accounts?
AsI am writ ing Of the Breslin books, let me
call the attention of the public to this poiut. By
his own accounts, It clearly appears that, with the
amount shown to be on hand, from the 18th No
vember 1855, to the 1st day of January 1885,
there came in funds from other sources enough to
meet the engagement of the Treasury, including
the January interest, without drawing from the
County Treasures in anticipation, as he did, to the
alarming extent of s76O,7O7,S3 not one dollar
of which by books of the State, is shown to have
been paid to his successor, Mr.. Gibson.
Here we may pause and renew the inquiry with
emphasis. "who has got the peopls'' money"
Here is the trial balance statement of the books
of the Treasury Department under Breslin, kept
by Ed. M. McUook.
Nov. Is, 1866. Amount on
hand. s663,574, 80
Jan, Is, 1856. Receipts from
Nov. Is, to date. 68,S57,l4
Total $7s2,432,O4
Disbursements from Nov. Is,
1856, to Jan. Is, SO. 521,444'O1
Balance @ S2O4,9S7,s7.
The books of Mr.. Brsslin show that he had Of
the "peoples' money!" on the 18th November,
1856 the large amount of s66S, go, larger
sum than was needed for all the emergencies Of
the State, during the few remaining months of his
administration, including the January interest,"
Yet, under the fraudulent plea that money was
needed to pay the interest, to preserve inViOlate
the credit Of Ohio, he sat down and deliberately
i -. A.. Nountv Traoauraro oil ovar tha