Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-09-15
Mr.. DelanO,s. Speech.

confined chiefly to State politics. We can
not pretend to report it from recollection
with any great degree of accuracy; and
vet we feel disposed to give our readers its
drift and some of the principal points made
in it by the distinguished speaker.
Mr.. Delano set out by declaring that iu
his opinion, the Importance of our State
politics was too much overlooked in
the great national questions of the day
He was for giving each their proper share
of attention, and, on this occasion would
confne himself chiefly to our State affairs.
He said the Democratic party had had
the entire government of this State, in its
Legislative executive and judicial depart
ments, in their hands from 1851 till in
1855; and that since that time, with the
exception of 1856 and 1857, they still
have had the Legislative department in
their bands. He said that when the De-
mocrats came into power in 1851, they
promised US retrenchment and reform, but
had never redeemed their pledges to the
people.
The party, instead of reducing the ex-
penses of the government and relieving the
people of their burdens, had largely in
creased the expenditures and laid upon
the people additional burdens of taxation.
He said that during the two years in
which the Republicans had the Legislature,
the expenses of the State Government had
been considerably reduced-and that no
good reason could be given for this differ
ence in favor of Republican rule, except
the economy and prudence of the latter
party, and the extravaganee and impru-
dence of the Democratic party.
When the Democrats came into power
in this State in 1851, one of the first
things they should have done was to ma
ture plan for the safety of the public
money that was in, or might come into the
State Treasury. They ought to have pass
ed a law to guard the public money but
they had not done it. From '54, till 1856,
when the Republicans came into power,
the Democrats had utterly failed to pass
solitary law for the safety of the public
funds. They had entirely failed to dis
charge their duty to the people, though
as far back as 1853, it was rumored that
Breslin, the State Treasurer, was making
improper use of the public money.
Ereslin was elected in 1851, and not
withstauding the suspicious against bin,
was reelected by his party in '53, contin-
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1854, it was known to Morgan, Edgerton
and other State officers that the treasury
was deficient, when there should have been
more than half million of dollars on hand,
and yet these Democratic public servant
kept the fact concealed from the people,
and actually sold the United States bonds
belonging to the Sinking Fund ofthe State,
to pay the January interest on the State
debt, and thus secure Breslin from the
maledictions of the people. This opera
they called doubling the January cape. In
June, 1855, it was found that Breslin had
not money enough in the Treasury to
double the July cape; or in other words,
to pay the July interest on the State debt.
Again these taithtul Democratic public
servants, Morgan, Edgerton, &C., concealed
the fact from the people, and screened Bres-
lin by another expedient, and doubled the
July cape. These facts must have been
known to Gov. Medill through his official
relations, and yet neither be nor any of the
Democratic officials, made the people ac-
quainted with the matter, or took any steps
to put Breslin out of Office. Instead of
turning him out of office, as they should
have done, in October 1854, Gov. Medill,
Morgan, &c., accepted nominations and ran
on the same ticket with Bleslin for re-elec-
ton.
That Breslin stole about s75o,OO0 of
the public money was proved by the flight
of Breslin to the British Dominions; by
the report of Mr.. Sparrow, an influential
Democrat; by the report of Morgan, Ed
gerton and Reemelin, and by the statement
of Breslin himself.
Mr.. Delano contrasted the policy pur-
sued by the Republicans with that pursued
by the Democrats. When the Republi-
cans got possession Of the legislative de-
partment of the government, among their
early acts was the passage of law for the
security of the public money. Mr.. Delano
read the law to the assembly, commenting
upon it, and showing that for all practical
purposes, it was infinitely preferable to the
Democratic sub-treasury law in force. If
this Republican law had been in force in
1851, when Breslin went into office, the
Breslin defalcation never could have oc-
cured. The Democrats had left the STA
bic door open for four years, and permitted
the public horses to be stolen, and then
wanted to charge the theft upon the Re
publicans who had shut the door, almost
as soon as they had come into possession
of the public stable. He was no apologist
for Gibson; he was deeply guilty in the
same way that Governor Medill, Morgan &
Co. were by doing what he could to cover
up the fraud and yillainy of Breslin. The
conduct of Governor Chase and other Re
publican State officers towards Gibson was
in striking contrast with of Governor Me-
dill, Morgan & Co. towards Breslin. AS
soon as the unfaithfulness of Gibson was
known to Gov. Chase 4 Co., they divulged
the matter, and at once turned him out of
office, leaving bin to the maledictions of
the people, and to the upbraidings Of his
own conscience. But Gov. Medill, Morgan
& Co., well knowing the villainy of Bres-
lin, concealed it from the people, and in
stead of turning him out of office, and