The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-09-04
WooDsFIElD, MONROE COUNTY. OHIO SEPTEMBER 4 1861.


: ing aspirants--in short filed all the off
, ces of Moorish Cadi.o - ez.
"There was hurry and hustle, and con
fusion, of course IF any one feels abb
to justify all this, he can try. We coule
specify still further. We might mention
4 the appointment of relations, family coa
nections and friends, to Office, but we le
that pass now-' ED vi
/ This single witness, if credible, sub.
stantiates every charge embraced in oul
resolution. IF / . had leisure and access
; to their files i could fill q volume with
similar extracts from Republican papers
The Cincinnati, Commercial, the leading
and most influential Republican journal in
the State. was constrained to testify June
THY: "While disposed to deal charitably
with the Governor, We can not frame any
decent excuse for the reckless aextrava.
gance which every day Develops" Ex.
posing the "tin cup" and scamp kettle''
transactions, it declares that it will justify
the Aharshest public censure." (June
8tb.) It afirms "that an inordinate
amount of personal favoritism and politi.
cal jobbing were mixed in the conduct of
affairs; that Ohio had been disgraced by
the incompetency of its Executive officer,
and that all kinds of corruption and ne.
glect had been suffered to rinfest for a time
the military. commisssriat. Again, (June
13th), '.the people demand instant referm.
They are sick Of Governor ,Dsnnisoa's i'm
becility. We have heretofore apologized
for the Executive, reminding the people of
the enormous labors deyolving upon him,
&c but the result of Governor Dennison's
efforts leave us no other motive but to
confess that our charity soas, npssdsrscted
and that he IS a sad failure" gsp4gcf
And again, (Juue 26) in taking the
Gazette to task for "glossing over failure
and defending official malfeasance," it
says: 1.-THE Gazette knows as well as we
do that the history of the, administration
of military affairs in this State has heen
eminently disgraceful; that the promises
Of the Governor were out; Of all proper.
tion to his performances; that corrupt
and swindling contracts were given ont
repeatedly through the blindness and con-
nivacce Of officials who ought to know
better; that our volunteers were trifed
with and made tho victims of circumlocc-
tion, delays and frauds, which good busi.
ness management would have avoided;
that money has been needlessly squan-
dered and precious time foolishly wasted;
and that so great and glaring. has been
the misconduct of affairs that the press of
the city has unanimously until the Ga.
zetts's tardy apology, condemed the heads
of the State Administration for inexcus.
able neglect of duty. = It is. therefore, too
late in the day, even if there have been
great recent improvements, for the Gazette
to seek, to whitewash the dark chapters of
our military arrangements, or to cover
the nakedness of our official malfeassnce
by -expatiating upon the enthusiasm and
efficiency and accomplishment, Of our
brave soldiery." asiloz1o1.
But I forbear to cite further authori-
ties from the newspaper pressne Youlwil
see that if your administration. has been
maligned, it is the work of your own Pc
litical friends They aided in electing
yon to, Office they zealously supported
you until after the commencement of the
wal, and with reluctance they testified to
your, incompetency, and denounced the
corruption, extravaganza, and fayoritisu
which have been shown in the .condact o.
the war;, It is certain that the people o.
1.-The State, including the Democratic party
; have credited these witnesses. For, more
! than two months they have remained un
, eontradicted and unehallenged. For rea
sons best known to himself, the Governor
i has called no one of these .aceusers tx
account. If Democrats have erred at all
it has been in believing that Republican
, tell the truth about each other. You ar
, the only person in the State unadyised 0
, the particulars of these charges. The,
. commence with the celebrated contrac
: said to have been signed by the Governo
5 in person by which two of his politica
9 and personal friends were to be paid fft
: cents per day for subsisting all the troop
: then in Columbus, or aoho should B
t brought there during the war. They EN-
} braced those famous contracts for cloth
e iGg by which exorbitant prices were pal,
: for inferior articles, as is best shown b
D the rate allowed the contractor and ,th
r sum finally charged the volunteers on th
. award of the regimental board Of referees
: They have regard also to, the unnecessar
: expenses incurred in transporting troop
: by way of Columbus when shorter an,
J, cheaper route was open. In one instanc
E / am told the Cleveland aud Pittsbur
i Railroad Company proposed to carr
D them free Of charge, and you personail
s insisted on the long route, at cost to th
i State of $2.10O. - = '..'7 '7'.'''
t l conld go on and GIL . column wit
items sustained by these witnesses an
!, the concurrent testimony of the ,returne
r soldiers. and gentlemen who have had oc
). casion to transact business with your vs.
r Department, such as the !'Tent Pole.
4 ..Tin Cup. 'nGunpoWder coptracts - lEt: