The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-04-06

As before remarked, Nj Morgan duri- & his
official term suspected that Bresn was dePos-
iting the public money with Banks, brokers and
Others, and cared the State might suffer dam
age thereby. Un'er the then existing laws
his office was no check whatever on the Treas
ury. Fle was unable to ascertain the condition
Of the States funds, or to interpoSe a hand to
save the Treasury from plunder. In this state
OF things in the language ofthe gentleman from
Madison, he sounded the tocsin Of alarm. In
his first annual report December, 1852, he uses
the following language:
"An examination Of the law organizing the
local treasures of the various counties Of Ohio
and those having reference TO the Treasury OF
the State will awaken surprise that the system
Of accountability prescribed for the former is so
explicit and complete, whilst the laws applying
to the latter are loose, mtnger and inadequate.
The impression is n general one that all mon
evR paid into the State Treasury become an I'M
mediate charge against the State Treasurer in
the books of the Auditors office, and that the
daily receipts at the ore are matter OF daily
record at the other The extent to which this
impression is erroneous may be Judged by the
TACT that the late treasurer ofState A. A. BlisS)
at the date of his retirement was credited on
the books Of this Office with larger amount
than the liabilities with which he was charged.
This fact unexplained would seem to prove that
the State was in his debt, yet it will he seen by
reference to the special report of the present
Treasurer dated Dec. %, 1922 that MIR.
Bliss transferred to him the sum Of 81, 4,o42
81, being the balance which appeared by his
(the late Treasurer's) own hooks to be due the
State u \ r As a necessary consequence Of a
hot &c ;pba do bn
counts of the Treasurer OF State are mainly ad
iusted by him alone, and on retiring from Gflce
he settles not toHh the proper auditing oGIcer bit
,UiH his successor" ~
In his next annual report, Dec, 1861 Mr..
Morgan again recurred to this subject in the
following terms
"A sense of duty requires repetition Of the
effort made in the Auditors last annual report
to impress upon the Legislature the necessity
Of placing the revenues ofthe State under add-
tonal checks and safeguards. 4 !. The impress
sion is a natural as well as general one that
all moneys paid into the State Treasury become
m immediate charge against the Treasurer on
the books Of the State Auditors Cf1ice, and that
the daily receipts at the one. are matter OF
daily record in he other The extent to which
this impression is erroneous may he Judged by
the single fact that during the months OF No
vemJe, and December, 1852 payments Of nancy
tceye made TO the Treasury, GrpoHntjnG to a sHnr
trrep1jng three quarters Of a million Of do'ors, Of
which the Auditor had no information mil he
/ toll0tcirG month Of February. This occurrence,
although extraordinary is neither nelC nor the on'y
one Of this kind. 1t will serve, however to il
lustrate the utter absence Of accountability he
tween the Treasury and the coordinate depart
ment, charged with the duty Of adjusting ac.
counts pertaining to the receipt and djsbulsc
ments of The public revenue"
| In his last annual report Dec. 1855, ter
quoting the previous passages from his former
report, Mr.. Morgan says;
| "Having thus, in every former annual report
which the undersigned has had the honor to
place before the legislature, brought this vital
subject prominently to notice he eSteems it an
imperative duty to avail himself Of this last Of
ficia opportunity which he will possess ito again
invoke for it that careful and effective consider
alton which its pTeemnent Importance de.
mands."
There, sir. is the record ola 'athtul and sa-
ga1iouS public officer
Both the gentleman from Madison and the
gentleman from Cuyahoga, in charging neglect
Of duty upon the Democratic General Assem-.
blieS elected in 1851 and 1853, respective, are
compelled to admit that Auditor Morgan did
his duty, and had his warming voice been heed
ed the Treasury Of the State would never have
become the prey OF plundercrs and thieves. Out
oftheir own mouths they convict themselves Of
an atrociouS attempt to asperse the fair name
and fame of as pure and faithful public servant
as ever held Office in Ohio.
Now, sir, having replied TO the charges made
! by gentlemen against Auditor Morgan, | ask
them, | defy them, or any gentleman upon this
! floor, to name single act Of maIfeasance, mis-
feaSance or non6asance committed that officer
during his entire term 1t can't be done
He has been $50 clear in his great Office that
| his entire record, as public servant, is free
| from spot or stain. | can tell the gentlemen
! that the leader and founder, the body and soul
of their party in ohio, Gov. Chase. believes the
charges which they are making against Mr..
Morgan here upon this floor to be false and un.
! founded. When the great deficit in the Treas.
ury was discovered in June, 1857, and Mr.. Glib
son was compelled to resign, TO whom id Gov
ernor Chase first tender the appointment Of
Examiner Of the Treasury? Why. sir, to ". D.
Morgan. Gov Chase had the same facts before
| him then, in reference to Mr.. Morgan, that the
gentlemen have now. Did he believe then that
! Mr. Morgan was pnrt'ccpPs crimln1s in the rob
berry Of the Treasury? Wonld he appoint an
accessory of Breslin's and GibSonS to nvesti-
gate their do,ngs, and bring them to Justice!
That is what these Republican gentlemen
charge on Mr.. Chase, Before the gentlemen
again assail Auditor Morgan they had better 60
to Mr.. Chase and take his advice, for every
blow aimed at Mr.. Morgan is blow directed
at their dearly beloved leader. If they are not
very cautious, they will prove Mr.. Chase par.
J. b,,f fba lu n
MIR. Morgan.
But, sir the gentleman from Cuyahoga af>e,
charging that the deiacaton in the treasury
was attributable to Auditor Morgans neglect o
duty makes the same charge against the Demo
cratic Legislatures elected in 1851 and in l843
In oader, however, to make out this branch o
his case, he is comael,ed completely to exoner
ate Mr.. Morgan as have before remarked. W.
are told that the Democratic party must stant
responsible for this great loss Of the people.
money, because thr Democratic legislatures JUS
named did not act on Aauditor MorganS re
com,nendation, and provide for safe keeping o
J the pnblic money. Nov: sir, assert that il
both the General Assemblies referred to, thi
great mass Of the Democratic members, earnest
} ly strovc to apply the droper safe gnardS 10 th
Treasury and were only defeated in their pur
poses by the united vote OF the opposition bard
ed together with few misguided Democrats a
) shall proceed TO show: .fa
The able and intelligent Democratic S'nato
from Carol, (Maj Atkinson,) introduced int
the first legislature elected under the new Con
stitution a Bill to provide for the better organ
ization Of the State Treasury, and for the collec
! ton, safe keeping, transfer and disbursement q
the public revenue a bill substantially Ike th
present sub. treasury law OF the State The lil
passed both Houses, but there was disagree
!, ment between the Houses on Ger ain amend
+ ments, and committee oi con ference was sp
pointed The committee reported and the fna
action on the hill was the vote on agreeing f.