The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-17
NEW SERIES-NO. 218.
The Record.

The Republicans, in almost every State
where they are in power, have increased the
burthens of the people, by imposing on them
taxes infinitely higher than any of their
Democratic predecessors had occasion to
levy, and have in most instances robbed the
State they controlled of large means.
In New York, they increased the taxes in
one year one hundred and twenty five per
cent. In Iowa, in Wisconsin and we think
in Illinois, they have done the same. We
believe they have done that in every State.
OF course they pretend that all this is to
pay old indebtedness, but we venture to
predict that whenever they resign State
government, it will be. found they have
largely added to the indebtedness they
found.
If this were all, however. it would be but
a triaing complaint comparatively. The
dishonesty they have practiced while in
power is the great cause for complaint.
Let us look at few of the things chargea-
be to them in different States.
In Maine they have been cheated by
pious Republican treasurer out of some
ninety thousand dollars, used in part, as is
acknowledged, to carry out congressional
elections.
In New Hampshire one of their officers
is in prison for abstractipg certain valuables;
another, the liquor agent, has cheated the
people out OF about hundred Thousand
dollars, and one of the Senators detected
in actual forgery was permitted to resign.
This last act rather beats Wisconsin; for
here, when a Republican member of the
Assembly was caught in the commission of
forgery, he was not permitted to resign,
but was expelled.
In Ohio, Gibson, Republican State
Treasurer, is under conviction for the ab~
straction of the public funds in Ohio.
In Indiana, the stocks deposited to secure
bank notes, were illegally loaned, and of
course lost.
In Illinois, last year, the Treasurer res
signed, and no persuasion could induce his
political friends to assign any reason for this
unrepublican act, though all the world sus.
pected his passion for stealing was so redo.
dent Of Republican feryor, that even his
friends dared not trust him no longer. And
the suspicious of the world were correct
In Michigan it is acknowledge the State
Treasurer has made way with large sum,
and yet the legislature dare not investigate
the matter for fear the rest of the State
officers may be implicated.
In Wisconsin we know that our Governor
has spent during the past year an enormous
sum for the examination of swamp lands,
sum estimated by Republican authority at
forty odd thousand dollars, and probably
greatly under estimated.
1t is true law was passed enabling him
to do this, but we do not believe there was
man in the legislature who supposed any
thing like such sum would be called for.
Nor we do believe there are many who do
not believe a great portion of that sum was
expended rather to procure favorable reports
from State conventions and the State elec-
tions than from the land Office, the corres-
pondence with which latter seems never to
have extended to the head of the department,
and although called for by the Legislature
we have not yet seen it laid before the
public.
We don't say this is an illegal robbery,
but we do say it looks much like taking an
undue advantage of the confidence of the
Legislature, and when such thing is done.
it is as well to look sharp after those who
do it. Depend upon it they will bear
watching, though perhaps they won't yet
allow their acts to be fairly examined.-
MilsUaukee Nescs.