M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-08-29
Whether they had probable causs for

w uetner lney nau pf0odOt6 cause Tor
the condemnation they administered
the public must decide. Judging from
the tone of your letter, a stranger
would INFER that yon had not heard
the wisdom and integrity of your war
management called in question until
YOU read the proceedings OF the Dem
ocratic Convention ! Whereas, in
truth, these charges of imbecility and
malfeasance were originally preferred,
aud have been most stoutly maintain
90, by the men, aud the press Of your
political friends. Indeed, your pres
ent move sayors of an adroit purpose
to raise q smoke under the cry OF
"party malignity." aud sympathy
for rebels" in order that you may
withdraw from danger the frail bark
in which is freighted whatever Of off
cial reputation has survived the broad.
sides Of Republican batteries.
The Democratic papers have treated
you with singular iorbearances and
tenderness, But the Republican press
Of the STATE, as far back as the months
OF May and June, abounded in charges
of mismanagement, iavoritism and
fraud against your administration. -
They specified the acts-named the
parties-gave the figures, and de-
nounced the delinquents in terms OF
severity, in comparison with which
our resolution is moderation ITSELF
Lest it may have escaped your notice,
snfer me to give you one or two ex-
amples. The Ashtabula Sentinel, OF
June 10, SAID:
"We have denounced the manage
ment Of the War Department of Ohio
because it was had--intolerably bad
The Governor, at the head of the De.
partment, is responsible, and as he
has not shown that others were at
fault, it is proper to hold him to ac-
count. Our neighbors ofthe Warren
Chronicle complain that we do not
specify our charges. We will specify
that men were ordered into Columbus
before there was adequate, or even any
preparation made for them. They
were then sustained at an enormous
cost, amounting to an aggregate OF at
least one hundred thousand dollars
more than it could have been dorC
with proper economy. With all this
outlay the men were subjected to IN
necessary hardships and absolute suf
fering. The we're not well fed, anC
they were badly lodged. THIS state
OF things was continued for loaf
time after the wrong and the cause O
it were understood. The outrageous
price for sustenance allowed at Camr
jackson was not corrected, ard NJ
| proper effort made 10 correct it. A
second contract was made at Cincin
natl, and third one at Cleveland, a
still higher figures, and that wher
there was time enough to adopt ,
cheaper plan. Neither of these con
tracts was revoked when they wer,
abused, The clothing contracts wer,
let without competition, and those
who took them were allowed to divide
them among themselves, instead O
being required to compete for them
Sixteen dollars a suit were paid ID
this manner, where not more than ten
dollars should have been paid. SO il
has been with almost everything else.
All was characterized by the most
fragrant waste and extravaganza.
"This was the fault of the Depart,
ment, and the Commissary and Quar-
master might have been held account.
able for it. But the fact the Gov.
ernor usurped their duties and made
contracts himsslf that they should
have made. He made himself the
factotum of the whole Department
issued orders, made contracts, receiv.
ed deputations and sent deputations
to talk with other Governors, met in
Governors meetings, wrote letters and
proclamations, revised the telegraph
dispatches for the newspapers, talked
to the crowds and heard the com,
plants of the conflicting aspirants--
in short, filled all the offices Of a Moo,
rish Cadi.
There was hurry and hustle, and
confusion, of course. If any one feels
able to justify all this, he car try
We could specify still further. We
might mention the appointment oI
relations, family connections and
friends, to Office, but we let it pass
Gow."
This single witness, if credible, sub.
stantiates every charge embodied in
our resolution. If had leisure and
access to their files could fill VOL
ume with similar extracts from Re-
publican papers. The Cincinnati
Commercial, the leading and most in.
fluential Republican journal in the
State, was constrained to testify (June
7th): "While disposed to deal char
ita5ly with the Governor, we cannot
frame any decent excuse for the reck.
| less extravaoanca which every dav da.