M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-01-27
ALEX. PEARCE, EDIroR.


What the State has Lost by Re
pudintiOn and Mal-AdminiS-
tTatiOD.
1t will be remembered that tie Re-
publican Legislature of 1856 repu d.
ated the contracts which the Demo-
cratic Board of Public Works had
made with responsible parties for
keeping in repair the canals of the
State. The ground of repudiation,
ostcnsioly, was fraud, but when the
matter came before the Supreme Court,
the Attorney General never urged
that objection to the contracts and the
Court annulled them on other grounds.
Since that time the canal repairs have
been controlled by the Republicans.
Two years have elapsed and we look
in vain for the advantages that were
to accrue to the State by the act Of
repudiation. Indeed, so far from the
State having gained anything, we find
by comparing the amount which the
contractors we're to have received
with the sum which the repairs have
actually cost the State, since the re.
pudiation, that we have lost taCO ham
dred and Mirty.one thousand DOL
lars! That is to say-had the con-
tracts not been repudiated, the State
Treasury would have in its vaults
S231,0O more than it contains at
present. Under Republican manage
ment the repairs Of the canals have
cost the State nearly a quarter Of q
million of dollars more, in two years,
than they did under the management
of the Democracy!
But worse than this-since the
Public Works were placed under Re-
publican control, they have ceased to
pay the State any revenue! In truth,
they have become q burden to tue
taxpayers! Let us see:
In the recent Report Of the Audi
tor of State, the net revenue earned
by the Canals in the year 1851, and
applicable to the payment OF interest
on the canal debt, is stated to be $751;
POS O5. In 1852 the amount from
the same source paid into the Treasu
ry fer the same purpose, is 1927, 1872
13; in 1858, S169,09O Al; in 1854,
$l42, $50 06; and in 1855, S154, ,256
81. In 1856 the expenditures ex.
ceeded the net earnings the sum OF
$76,GG3 13; in 1857, S24,G2S AZ, and
in 1858, sG5,73S so.
/ 1t will be perceived that so long as
the canals were controlled by Demo,
cratic officers, they yielded a net reve-
me to the State, but as soon as they
passed into the hands Of Republican
officials, they tajled to pay egpenaeS!
The three last years Of Democratic
rule, the canals yielded a net revenue
of $4G5, ,997 Oh. The three past years
Of Republican rule, the canals have
failed to pay expenses by the sum OF
S1G7,030 35!l Add this TO the for.
mnr sum and we have the amount
which the State has lost by Republi.
can mal-administration- viz: $685..
O27 SO.
TIE question arises, how long is
this kind Of management to be tolera.
ted! Are the people willing that the
State shall become bankrupt for the
poor satisfaction Of keeping Republi.
cans in Officer The Public Works OF
the State have cost about sixteen mil
lions of dollars, and the State is great.
ly in debt for them yet. Principal
and interest must be paid. If the ca.
mails won't do it, tue people must be
taxed for it. So much for Republi-
can economy as exhibited in their
management of the canals.
Mileage.
The question in regard to which
. M Eod,ro1I oei,o1 NJ Clourb