The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-01-06


Laws Of this State than any other man, set
the State Journal right, for essaying to se
down to the advantage Of the Republican
party the exclusive credit Of Whatever meri
exists in the present financial system o
Ohio. As II this modest claim was mot suf
GcIent Of itself, the Journal imputes to the
democratic party oil responsibility for the
existence Of such legislation % permitted
the Breslin and Bliss Villainies to occur and
20 undetectsd. How false this charge 10 in
every particular, may be inferred frum the
fact, that the law under which Bliss and
Breslin were each enabled to get possession
Of money from county treaSurers without the
Intervention or knowledge Of any other State
officer. was passed BY the Wing Legislature
Of ls46. In the Senate, the law here refer
red to, was reported BY the Hon. Alfred Kel-
ley. and on demand Of the yeas and nays,
every whig voted In its favor. and every
democrat recorded himself against It. This
law, then, which allowed State TreaSurers,
without notice to, or check from, any other
State officer, to get possession Of large
amounts Of public money, was part of the
whig financial system which the Democracy
in 1859 found already on the statute book
1t had been placed on the statute book IN.
der the high sanction of Alfred Kelley, and
there 1t stood unchalenged through the en-.
tire official term Of Auditor Woods, up to the
very hour the State Government passed In.
to the hands Of the Democracy In 1861
We repeat, the party which passed this fa-
tai law kept 1t In existence as part Of their
State financial system. In lS52.'3.'4, the
democratic party had majority in the Leg.
islatnre. At each of these three sessions, a
bold, determined, but unsuccessful effort was
made by the democrats to place the State
Treasury under proper check and safe. guard.
But at each session, the effort failed by rea.
son of every whig and free soiler in both
branches, acting and voting unitedly with q
minority Of democrats who were in the in. ,
terest Of Treasurer Breslin. The agitation
and discussion which then occurred we're the
seed which in good time was to yield ample
harvest. The public attention was thorough.
y awakened to the necessity Of better Treas.
lry laws, and when Alfred Kelley again en-. 9
ered the Senate In 1866, like q wise, able
Ind patriotic man that he is, he unhesitating-
y overthrow bis own law of l84S, and gave
lis whole mind and thought to the estab lish.
nent of system of accountability similar
m Its great purpose to that for which the "
democrats had so manfully battled at the
'ession OF ls52.'3.4. II will be seen, there c
ore, that it 10 unmanly and dishonest to
'laim that to the Republican party belongs h
he exclusive honor Of inaUgursting the sys. e
em of improved accountability which is now v
IN the statute book and which it is hoped e
will hereafter guard the Treasury of Ohio .
rom repetition of the vas. wrongs which n
has suffered in former years. o
1t may we'll be a wonder that no demo.
ratio Legislature in the twenty years pre-. =
'eding 1859, saw or acted on the necessity "
# law subjecting the State Treasury to I,
requent personal examinations and reouir. il
ng the Treasurer to make some other and
more effective adjustment of his liabilities
han mere formal balancing of books an.
'ually. But If it be wonder that Demo Y
ratio Legislatures were guilty of this over. n
lght, 1t is just as true that Wing Legislators " "
'ere equally blind and derelict. For more N m
ian twenty years, no human being, except ly
le State Treasurer himself, knew the &C. C
lal condition of the public money /; and ., :,
ever until they were temporarily restored . .
D power in 1855, did Wing or Republican sl
ropose to throw the Treasury open by law p,
thorough inspection and frequent exam 81
lation. At the session Of that year, under g. g"
he lead and impulse of the indomitable i,
lelley, they continued the work nobly com. I,
1enced by their democratic predecessors, q
nd In spite of Gibson's audacity and the o. o.
tate Journals known hostility, they sue. h
eeded in passing laws which were admira. al
10 in many respects. yet being exceptions. I'll
le in others, have been largely improved BY y
le democratic legislation of 1858. -:
II Republicans, by frank and impartial :,
Eatement OF the facts attendant upon the f. W
ancial legislation Of Ohio, are able to es. II
'blish anything exclusively to their credit, l" y
re will be among the very last to disparagc Ii
,eir labors. But before criticising with pl
20 great severity any oversight of the dem.
cratic party, we insist that the State Journal
hall keep in mind the two prominent facts
hich we have already named and again re. p
eat: lst, That the law of lS4S, which al. Fl
'wed Bliss and Breslin to get possession Of 6, 6,
nbIic money without the cooperation or d,
nowledge of any other State officer, was q N
hig law that was passed in direct opposi- sc
on TO the recorded votes of every Demo. ol
attic Senator. end, That although the a a
Vhig, or Opposition party, had a majority N
the Legislature more than half of the time
r twenty years preceding 1859, yet in all Fl
lat time' they neither passed, attempted to ~ ~
lss' nor even suggested the adoption of "
W which would empower any human be- th
g except the Treasurer himself to know Ell
ON personal examination the actual condi. IT
on and safety Of the State Treasury. ~
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0ArMpa pnhnno.