Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-12-22

EDITOR CHaoNICLK: TIE CHRONICLE and
Gazette publish report of the Treasurer Of
the Belmont County Agricultural Society,
and Col Neiswanger, the President, certi--
fes that he has examined the 6ooks apd
vouchers from which the same 'wss made,
and finds all to be correct Neither saers-
port nor the certificate is dated; but the in.
ference is that they have relation to- cor
County Fair, for the year 1859. The SUBJ
ject oil the funds of the Society is worthy Of
notice. Now, sir, chat books and tcksss
books were they which Press Nsiswanger
examined, and finds correct1 II his csrti6-
cate relate exclusively to Treasurer Col
linsA books, it is probably uue 40 statsd;-,
but, sir, there is another class of books and
records Of the Soci ty, kept BY Ross J.
Alexander. ESQ.,, Secretary of the Society
and under the supervision of the President.
1t is the duty of the Secretary to keep q fair
record of all the funds Of the Society, 6on
whatever source received, or paid out, and
| it is the duty Of the President to see thss
such record is fairly kept. and that all the
proceedings be published. No one, not even
the Board of Directors, can know, unless it
be from the President and Secretary, how
much money was resolved for FAR purposes
during the year 1859. Now if the President
simply meant by his certificate that the
Treasurer had accounted for all the funds
which came into his hands, the fair charac-
ter of Collins would justify belief that the
certificate Of the President is true. But il
the President. by his certificate. would have
the Society to infer that AL the funds
which were received for Psr purposes Ia
1859, have been paid into the treasury, he.
deceives himself, and for the reason that
this branch Of the case 10 entirely too much
mixed up with mystery ssa eoncealmsnt 70
Justify any such infsrenee.
The Trsssurss's rspert shows IN hso Of
/ 1894. fer family tichets. II ~f950, whss
there vsrs not - many spsssatss ty ess-
third, the family tickets amounted TO ens
thousand one hundred and fifteen doIlsrs.-
Then, at the same ratio, the family tickets
would amour, to Si671, and which woult
show an item Of six or seven rba5dred dot-
lars, which did not 90 into tie tfeasury.-
The Treasursf's report shows another item
Of S6l3,50 for single tickets. Now lss the
two first days Of the Fair Of 1859 be thrown
OUT Of visw, and for the two last days, only
jus, let it be supposed that s94 family tickets
be deducted from the vast erowd Of spects.
tors on each Of those days, snd soald any
one say that IN average Of less than 34oo
would remain On either of those dsys! Then
# this srpposition be true, il wosid show
another item of $500 which did not 60 into
the treasury. The report shows NO item =
all sor Balloon tickets-and will any psr-
soa sa that there were less than 5000
spectators, Cyer the age Of ffteea ysars,
present on the last day Of the Fair! II
there were that many present, il shows an
other item of $500, which did net 60 ins5
the treasury. Three such items 6S6n pay
for the Fair ground, pay the deSts q the
, Society, and leave a surplus. ID vi idle u
disguise the fact that the. Socissy are not
satisfied with the management Of their
funds, and it rests upon the President and
Secretary, and upon them slous, 10 explsin
this matter, for no one Else has ths mesns-
1t is lair and proper to turn their aftenfsea
to this subject, in order that they may ma he
satisfactory explanations, if they can, and
, it is hopeJ that they can; but if they can
not make the matter reasonably satisfactory
they ought, at least, to cover sp their trdcxs
so that the confidence of the eoamssisy
may be restored. Our County Fair is, esery
year, increasing in its benefits and bies.-
ines to our farmers and mechanics. and sill
becoming more and more attractive, whilst
at the same time, it exerts great moral and
scientific infue noes over all classes, and
for these reasons every obstacle in The Fay
OF success ought to Sc removed,