The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1863-11-18
Gov. Tod Plans an Excursion 10
Gettysburg nj the stale hx-
pense---WhO Pays 1.-THE Wnr
Power.

ROVER.
Governor Tod, of Ohio, has address
ed communications to the officers of
the State Government, including the
members of the Legislature, to accom>
pany him to Gettysburg, Pennsylva-
MIA, and assist at the dedication of a
burial place for the soldiers who fell
at the battle of July; the expenses of
the trip to be paid ly the State. Tie
cost to the treasury of such an expe-
dition, provided the parties invited see
fit to attend, will be from ten to fifteen
thousand dollars.
One of the provisions of the Consti-
tuition of Ohio is that mo money shall
be drawn from the treasury, except in
pursuance of a specific appropriation
made by law As the battle at Get
tysburg took place since there has
been session of the Legislature, it
follows that Governor Ted has no law
full authority to issue transportation at
the expense of the State, fer persons
travelling 10 Gettysburg or elsewhere;
and that, in doing so. he will not only
transcend his lawful authority as a State
officer, but will be guilty of an act
which is expressly pcLibittd ly the
Constitution.
1t may be thought that ten or fif>
teen thousand dollars expended for So
lapdable purpose as the dedication Of
place of burial is no great mattel
lut when paying their taxes the Peo-
pie will scarcely feel the addition, and
that we shall gain more than an equiv
silent in the respect which 70 humane
and Christian a performance will at
tract from the rest of mankind; Lut
there is another point Of view from
which it is not unfair to contemplate
the transaction. TO pclmit men,
whether Governors or citizens, at
their discretion, to insert their fingers
into the public treasury, is the estab~
lishment of precedent of, to say the
least, a doubtful character. Governor
Tod may be an exceedingly discreet
and honest gentleman. lutin the course
of time there may lie successors less
disintercsttd, selfsa crifcing ard hon
cradle; and then what guaranty shall
we have that the people may not be
required to pay the cost of other ex'
cu,sions less laudable and more ex-
pensivc?
This act on the part of Governor
Tod, is simply an example Of the Ct
feet Of great public commotions in dis
,urLing the moral sense of mankind,
and rendering them obliyious Ct the
right in matters Of the most ordinary
character. Governor Tod is probably
not, in his disposition, dishonest.--
Judging from'lis appearance, we should
be inclined to suspect that, in his own
private affairs, SO far from being ex-
travagant or profuse, he would per-
haps be nearer the opposite extreme.
In ordinary times, he would doubtless
have made, if nothing else, an eeonom.
ical Goyernor-would have watched
the treasury with all convenient vigi-
lance, and done his best to render the
burdens of taxation as light as posi-
bic upon the people. But the habit OF
hsndling large sums of money liberal
ICES. Hundreds and thousands sink
to nothings when compared to millions,
and it is reasonable to suppose that the
ten or fifteen thousand dollars which
the Gettsburg expedition will cost, is a
sum, in the eyes of Governor Tod, SO
diminutive, tha3 the question whether
it is legally or illegally drawn from
the treasury, is hardly deserving a
moments consideration.
It is unfortunate, under such circum.
stances, that the ability Of the people
to.pay does not necessarily increase
with the disposition of the disbursing
power to cxpend. If human things
were organized just as they ought tc
be, the facts would doubtless be other
wise, but os they are, not only all the
great, but all the little sums which
our ndw-highly-liberalized Executive
extracts from the treasury will have te
be replaced-if they are replaced Al
all--from the pockets of the people
being frst earned by horny hands il
folds and shops and factories. View
ed in this light, ten or fifteen thou
sand dollars expended BY the oficial
Of Ohio in railway excursion rise
10 an item Of Importance; and if the,
are the men they ought to be, holding
Ahe places they hold, they will be asha
med TO be seen travelling, eating an.