New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-14
Eex- Bsmp.bire ocly, bu' Of the Republican cause
in oil the st,tes. The Lesson may everywhere b
probably beeded.
THE OHIO FRAUD.


recently brough. to light b. DO means the least
remarkable ono is the fraud upon the State OF
Ohio, carried on for series Of years, and Of which
three successive State Trea.urers were the nstru-
ments-s fraud by which that State 10 loser TO
the amount Of S53l,5ll. A report upon this
affair lately made to the State Legislature By an
Investigating Commission, gives at length the
whole story, at least 80 far as the Commissioners
were able to make if out; for they complain not
little Of the obstacles put in the way Of the nSestl
CATION by tie unwihDgness Of witnesses, and OF
the grand mistake committed 10 the beginning Of
allowing the defsulting parties to escape, instead
Of bouncing at once on their persons and their
papers.
The defslcatiobs, it seems, began with ALDER! A.
Bliss, who was treasurer from March, lo47, to
January, I552. Bliss, it seems, was q poor msn
when be came into Office, and his eight sureties
were certain persons not friends Of bis, nor even
bis scquaintances, but strangers, citizens of Coun-
bus, and one Of them president Of q bank there,
who assumed this responsibility as q matter Of
speculation, with the understanding that they and
Bliss should have the custody, and having the Gus
tody, should have the use of certain portions Of the
public money 1t does appe,r that during Bliss
term Of Office this custody aud use Of the public
money was a source Of profit to various banks and
bankers. But not exclusively to them, since it is
shown by the evidence that Bliss himself
received interest on account Of the deposit
of State funds, for which lie does not
appear to have ever accounted and also that he in
vested $50 600 of the public money in the purchase
of the stock of a bank, on which he received the
dividends. He altO commenced and carried on,
while in Office, purchases and speculatOns in real
estate in and around Columbus. The result OF all
these dealings with the public money was, as might
naturally enough have been expected, that when
Bliss came to 20 out Of Office there was deficiency
in bis accounts which he nsIgey attributed, IN bis
testimony before the Commissioners, to wrong en-
tries in the books or Losses occurring he could not
tell how. Unfortunately, the laws of Ohio, pre-
Stunning rather too far on the honesty Of such per-
sons as might be intrusted with the public money,
had made no provision whatever for the iull and
complete I'D ustment of the accounts either OF the
Treasurer or Auditor at the close Of each official
term Of Office. Nor was the Auditors account
check of this sort upon the Treasurer, since 1t was
not kept with the individual Treasurer, but with
the Office, by whomsoever held, so that the
Auditor had nothing to do with and no over
sight over the settlement Of one Treasurer
with his successor in Office. Hence there
are no official means of ascertainlng
what the amount of Mr. BLISS losses and defcien-
cies may have been. At the same time this defect
in the law afforded him an opportunity to cover up
and conceal those Deficiencies by means of Pri
yste arrangement with John G. Breslin his sue
cessor. What was the precise nature of this
arrangement and how it was brought about does
not appear; for Mr.. Bliss, though residing In the
State paid no attention to the summons of the
Commissioners, and refused to appear before them.
Firally Is be would not come to them, they
pocketed their dignity and went to him; but even
then he refused to produce any papers or memoran'
da. II appears, however, from other sources that
the sum which be ought to have paid over to BreS-
lin was 1904 ,435. Breslin, in report which
he made states that be received from him 2i6 5'9,
the balance being covered by checks given BY the
.uretier, payable in two years without interest
But the ,um of S246,579 acknowledged as paid In
cash. included a certificate of deposit of W. f.
Chittenden of New-York, which, contrary to law,
Bresn agreed to receive as money. Not only that
but he made en- agreement that this deposit should
not be called for for six months. That Bliss should
have asked this is considered by the Commissioners
as proof that at the time this certificate of deposit
was not available as cash. BY what motive Breslin
was induced to agree to this postponement remains
equally in the dark with his motives generally for
assisting Bh,s to cover up his deficiencies; but the
consequence of the delay was that three-quarters
of the amount was lost to the State, leaving Bliss
defsuter, even without further impe.chng his
settlement with Breslin, to the amount of some
S35. 900, for which, as the Commissioners think,
he and his suretes are still liable.
Breslin, who entered upon Office in January 15J2,
having previously been Speaker of the House Of
Representatives was at that time al most hOurishing,
fortunate and promising young Democratic politi-
can. But fearing, perhaps, that the reign of the
sham Democracy in Ohio was not to be long tie sp-
pears to have re. made up his mind to make hay
while the sun shone. Having commenced his ca
reer with the above fraudulent arrangement for
which no doubt be was paid, at least in promises, to
cover up the dihciences and misconduct Of bis
predecessor, he entered at once on similar
course of speculation with the public money which
be pushed to much more audscious extent. Hay-
ing fled to Canada, Of course he was not within the
reach of the Commissioners. He is, however, as it
Seems, very snxiOus, pretends to BE- to get back
to Ohio, whether out of regard to his own private