Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-09-08

of the taxation of the State. We find too Will
1 the Treasury was thus filed from the taxation
Of the people, thcie was no Legislation whatever
directed to the object Of securing the proper ad
ministration Of your public revenue. In o,he
words, there was no Hesitation whatever for th,
regulation of the Treasury in its receipt. saf
keeping and disbursement of the public funds
That is unquestionable. Different men explain
this thing differently. The Democrats say tha
there was division in what is called the Dem
ocratic party, and that portion of the Wing;
went with portion Of the Democrats to defea
proper measures. OF that have nothing to say
because hold it for a certain truth that, wheI
party has a ma]oriiy-a clear majority-in the
| legislature and administrative branches of q
government. that party is responsible for The
administration of the affairs of that government
If that be not so, there is no use to have any
ganization whatever. and there is no response
bility at all. take it, then, as settled thing
which the common sense of all mankind justi-
| fies, that the party which has clear majority
in Legislation and administration. is responsible
for IFS Legislation and for the administration Of
the government
This party neglected. during its term Of four
years -d1ring the whole term of the first Leg
islatrrp. which held two sessions, and during
the two years of the succeeding Legislature,
which held one session--to make any effective
provision whatsoever, for the safe keeping oi
the public money, but left it entirely at loose
endsi.,
So much for legislation. Now for admins
tration- MIR. Breslin was Treasurer; he was
elected in 1851. To him was committed the
custody of all your revenue of every kind; as
State Treasurer. Mr.. Morgan was Auditor
Mr.. Medill was Governor. As early as 1853,
Mr.. Breslin was suspected of mismaHagement
of the revenue offhe State; he was suspected of
using the public fund.- 1or his own private BEN
eft. What was it the duty of his associates in
the State administration to do? That is the
question which address to an intelligent au-
dience. In my humble judgment. their duty
was plain. Ii was to expose that misconduct
to the people, to see TO it that he was deprived
of the trust which he thus unworthily fulfilled.
Upon that / suppose that there can be no hon
est difference OF opinion. What was done in
point OF fact9 In lS53-the fall of lS53-the
parties held State Conventions, and MIR, Bres-
hn was nominated for recollection. Gov. Medill
wa, nominated for Governor. Not word was
lsped TO the people of the State as to the actual
condition of their Treasury. That is true
Was 1t right? / think there is nobody. be he
Democrat or Republican, who will say that that
was right The people, ignorant OF this mis-
management, reelected Mr.. Breslin in 1853
Encouraged by impunity thus far, in lS54-5 he
went on in the same career, and at the close of
1855, when he went out of Office, he had ab-
stracted. from the State Treasury, between five
and six hundred thousand dollars. of which
amount he rendered no account. There were,
besides that, moneys deposited in unsafe places
and such like, which, added TO what is COM
monty called the defalcation-deposited by him
in various institutions as he alleged, in the ex-
ercise of his rightful authority, where it proved
to be insecure, and where it has been in part
lost to the State-making the amount some
three quarters OF near n million of dollars; but
the defalcation which existed in point of fact of
which there was no account anywhere, was
between five and six hundred thousand dollars.
This was known 10 all the public officers con-
nected with the administration of the govern
ment and especially to the Auditor, to the Gov
ernor, and to the transfer agent at New York.
j say that the existence of some defalcation, and
that measured by hundreds of thousands of dol
lars, was known. About that there can be no
question.
What. again. was the duty of these agents?
1t seems to me that the duty of these officers
was to communicate this information immedi
ately to the people. 1t was the duty, as it seems
to me. of the Governor to require Mr.. Breslin TO
resign his Office. and then take his chances be-
fore the tribunals of the country, or Immediate
ly TO cause a prosecution under arrest, and 10
bring about the appointment. under the Con-
siiiution, of a new Treasurer. That seems to
me to have been the duty of the Governor and
State officers, Did they do it? We all know
that they did notl We all know that these
very State officers were nominated for the re-
election upon the same ticket with Mr.. Breslin;
they went on the same ticket with him. and
thus gave to his conduct before the people, al
though they knew what he was doing. the
highest sanction. Was that right? / think
not.
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
Well, now, 1 have said what the Legislation
md administration upon this important subject
actually was. As l have said, the Republican
party rose at this time. 1t was not the old
Wing party. 1t is not the Free Soil party: it is
aot responsible for the acts of the Free Soil par
". Nor was it the Democratic party. 1t was
! new party, or rather an old party revived. 1t
was the Jeffersonlan Republicanism revived in
1854. That party in 1855 elected Its Stale
ticket and its members of the Legislature, and |
it being new party, it is to be tested by its |
new acts.
The very moment The Republicans obtained |
he control of the government, they sought to |
'educe the expenditure SO far as was in their |
power. / cannot go into details upon that SUBJ |
ect. but if | could, could explain it more mi |
autely. They went to work to organize sys- |
em for the safe keeping of the public money. |
W hat was that system? 1t required that the
Treasury should take bonds from every depos-
tary of the public money. in such sums. and
with such securities, as would make the safe |
keeping of the money sure, beyond all question |
Or peradventure. That was the original prin- |
,iple.
Well, all that have to say in regard to this |
system, because it has hardly had fair trial |
lit existed only during the brief term of the |
Republican administration, AND only part of
-hat-all have to say in regard TO it is that L !
believe, if the system had been adopted by |
he first Legislature which assembled under
he new Constitution, that there would have |
been no deialcation to-day TO complain Of; / !
believe if that system had been adopted, in ad- |
iition 10 the bond Of the Treasury, there had |
been required of every derositary sufficient se-
,urity to oblige them to keep the public money |
,afe, there would have been no defalcation. and |
your public moneys would have been in satis- |
actory condition all the while. Of that have |
10 doubt.
So much in regard to Republican legislation. |
Whether you think il was tbe best legislation or
,ot. don't undertake to say. but think you |
viii say that it was incomparabiy better than |
he absense of all Legislation which preceded it,
Then, fellow citizens we come to administra-
ion. Here the first thing have to say is that |
Mr.. Gibson was elected Treasurer. Mr.. Gibson |
.ntered into some arrangement or understanding |
With Breslin by which he undertook to conceal
rom the public his defalcation. Mr.. Gibson |
lid conceal it. He put in his statement that be |
lad received from Mr., Breslin funds which he
,ught to have paid over, He borrowed money
md bonded securities, 80 that when the Auditor /
i State, under the Legislative enactment. ex-