The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-10-03
,If0 WrAe.g srF

UOInAIt6 ana olAIl-
SEVEN CENTS, 'beings over S28, ,0o0y NOR,
thansthe committs ,reportedbsiEss sra sw ssg
bna snosan4tgoI I o. w .csn srFt rotis .s,ag1
/; Up to 1854, Iowa had been q reliable Dem
ocraticr State, and her State affairs had beer
conducted in . most economicaf and pfuden
manner But in 1854 under the cry of re
trenchment and sreforin, ,sandi through the -po.
tent agency pr slavery agitstiop, Black Repub.
licanism, sucseeded in wrestling the State from
the Demofracy: How have they redeemed
litheir pledgesis = What act of reform did they
propose7 aWhatl sort tof fetrenchments did
they institute 2rsLet us seas We propose IL
take the last -four years 81 Democratic SGe
and contrast their. expenditures with those Of
the frst four years of Black Republican rule.
The facts and figures are all taken from the
[repcstofthe Auditortefs State to the uEegisla-
lures To asoqruq edI zol G1oEs sIedw 10 ,ro
r. Democratic ErpendifureS.4s.s<s aoiiq
From lS S50tod852 two years, in.as Z nz6S77'E
cluding the printing Of the y spo yd3I,
new code of laws, the Demo- al CO. -,ssv
I crats expended for State pur- -
3 poses-9--. e.!aI - $131 631 40
Fromo1 3toul 1864, (two years AEo.bIo nosad
J. the Democrats iexPended- Il-s lis ,542n0 90
Total expenditures BY the DEM =. =.
n al Il -brm EE 1Ssl9 &c & 5GsE.-5c.s LIS =,
il -or Black Repr5lieun Expenditures Aab 4
From 1854 to 1856; (two. o.years.)s2 I'D isii .
the Black Republicans expendisslrl baa sbr
ed. for State purposes $256, ,573 21
Or siI thousand five handred aud sepenty-
: three dollars more IN tco years than the
Democrats expended in the preceding four
u yearsl gclbIO III 0t0N yIstalgssR g7sz bai,
From 1856 to 1858, s(two years. h.isss esd
o the Black kRepulicansexpended-- "a, ,907s 03;
OUer t,oice as much in faeo, years
/, as the Democrats expended in assoTq Lsae
: foas years! ,d4sd 5aslnsie's ID hgs O L9ITs'
= q ssis.LzTsagg nj bsza Bas zsy7-.--:'o---- :,
: Total Black Republican sHpend7 .ogossa :.
iture IN tour years. srsr 557+o 9oh4so za
Being in four years., Sig Htndred and .ts!fty
one th0psaad Aree h3adred and sir, dollars
and serenity .fye cents more than the Demo, O.,
Gratis expended in the same period A,roa,ls :
= bsa9ia WeI1SsG 0s,NsS IaNt.af rszs
? On the Sd Of June, 21s56, Congress made
two large grants of lands to the State Of Wis
eonsin,a to aid in. the construction of railroads
in that State.d Coles Bashford, Black Re,
publican, was then the Governorof Wisconsin, ?
He immediately convened an extra session]of
the Legislature, in order to dispose of this
grant, and in his IN essagel to them, recon-
,parcelled among the different railroads in the
State then In process of constructions The
Legislature passed a bill appointing ssixtsen
directors to make the oapportionment, two of
whom were to be appointed by the Governor,
he refusing to sign the bill until this clause
was inserted. Thereupon he appointed his
brother, Levi Bashford as one of the directors,
and Mr.. John Potter as the other. When
the directors met, instead of arportioning the
lands among the different railroads, they de-
termined by a vote of ten to six to give the
benefits of the whole Of the North Eastern
grant to one road, the Chicago, st. Paul and
Fon du Lac Railroad; the two directors ap-
pointed by Bashford voting in the majority
This created storm Of excitement in the
State. The Chicago, st. Paul, and Fon du
Lac road was to all intents and purposes for.
eign road, passing only through a small por-
tion of Wisconsin, with all its interests in Chi.
cago, the rival of Milwaukee
The La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad
Company received, by the same vote, the whole
of the northwestern grant. Fire Of the six
directors, who voted against these outrages,
Immediately resigned, and the charge went
forth that the Governor, the Legislature and
the ten directors had been bribed At the
regular meeting of the Legislature that year,
petitions rolled in from all portions of the State
demanding an investigation, but being COM
posed of the same men who passed the origin
al bill, they stifcd all investigation. But the
next year (1S57) different set of men were
returned to the Legislature, the matter was
Investigated, and report made. This report,
and the evidence taken, disclose the astound-
ing fact that million of dollars, a portion in
the stock of these railroads, was actually paid
to the Governor, the Republican members of
the Legislature, and the ten directors; the
whole Black Republican government of Wis
consin was bought up and bribed by these two
corporations. The Black Republican Govern
or was paid by the Chicago, ST. Paul, and
Fon du Lac Company, FIFTY THOUSAND
DOLLARS in tho stock of the road for his
services.
The La Crosse and Milwaukie Company
paid him fifty thousand dollars in the stock Of
their road, and ten thousand dollars in cash,
making, in all, one hundred and ten thousand
dollars The, members of the Legislature,
and the directors received different sums, ac.
cording to their influence and ability. Some
of them received $4,000, Others $40, 600.
and some but $4,000. Three of the leading
Black Republican papers in the State received
$4,000, $4,000, and S5, 600! |
It was a case of wholesale bribery and corrup- |
ton, the most stupendous ever heard of in this |
or any other country. From the Governor
DOWN to the lowest official, who could be of |
my service, the Black Republican party of |
Wisconsin was bought and bribed
Of course, where SO much corruption exist |
ID, there must be a large increase in the ex-
penses of the State government. Men, who |
ian be thus bought, will not scruple, upon any |
,retext. tor -plunee their arms into the ,urbl;c