The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-08-24
Good Administration of the State
Government

This was one of the things the Republicans
claimed to be. included in their mission. The
falsity of their pretensions in this regard was
exposed by event in so thorough and ludicrous
a manner, that it may be well to recapitulate
them. They had no sooner taken office than
GIBSON, the Treasurer, BAKER, the Secretary
of State, KIMBALL, the Attorney General, and
one or two of the Supreme Judges, formed a
cabal for portioning out the State money. So
utterly corrupt were these men, that they, the
Officers of the State, were speedily found set
ting up shaving shops with the peoples mon
ey. In due course there is a loan to negotiate,
and a corrupt bargain is struck with LUDLOW,
Cashier Of the Trust Company, by which the
State is -defrauded and the Secretary Of State
suppliedswith means to go into land specula-
tons in Minnesota. There being occasion for
money to pay the interest on the State debt,
Governor CHASE proceeded to get it of the.
Trust Company at seven per cent interest,"
When that corporation exploded it appeared
that at the very time of this borrowing. the COR
poration in question was largely indebted to
the State, but our wise and competent State Of
fcers did not know it. Here, then, was the
acute inaneier, Governor CHASE, borrowing
the States own money of the Bank and paying
seven per cent. interest for the use of it!
Previous to the deveiopement of this trans
action it had appeared that Governor CHASE
had recommended the deposit of State funds in
a bank which he must have known to be rot
ten, according to a Republican investigating
committee 1t was of course stoutly denied
that he had made himself a stool-pigeon for
this rotten bank, but the letter was produced
and published. 1t was also charged at the
same time, that the money of the State had
been advanced to bay the Journal, and that "a
note, or notes, was in existence, and in GLIB
SONS possession, given for this money. This
was also strenuously denied, but it is now ad-
mitted. Governor CHASE concocted the plan
of purchase. He called upon Mr.. HAMLIN at
Cincinnati, and proposed to him to become the
editor. The paper was bought, and the Audi
tor of State went on the notes at the request of
Gov. CHASE. One of these was in GIBsoN's
possession while Gov. CHASE. was declaring
that not a dollar of the public money had ever
soiled the hand of a Republican. Afterwards
they made a loan to GIBSON to get him to sur
render this note. Having got hold of it, they
drew a draft on HAMLIN for the amount. The
draft was dishonored and is now admitted to
be in the Treasury. What has become of the
note we do not know. 1t was probably de-
stroyed when obtained from GIBSON. There
is not in the history of corruption and NAL
feasance a more notorious case than this. For
the purpose of purchasing a p~artizanl newspa-
per, the Governor of the State gets the Audi
tor to make certain accommodation paper
This is handed to the Treasurer. who cashcs it;
and it appears that it was cashed with the mon
ey of the State. ofOhio., Some of these accom-
mediation notes were paid by HAMLIN, who
verbally undertook to hold the mixer harmless.
One of them has not been paid but a dishon-
ored5 draft for the amount of it is in the Treo-
sury. For the fourth or fifth time we are
obliged to ask, why was not the money HAM
LIN paid put into the Treasury too? The
State has as much right to the money as ithas
to the dishonored draft. Why isis not paid
over2 Why does not the Attorney General
commerce suit against all the parties to this
nefarious transaction ?-Ohio Statesman.