Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-02-04

degraded by his Administration Z
When Tod came into Office, the people of
the State enjoyed reputation beyond re-
proach, and still deserve it, Who gave
them reputation Of not bciiig true 10 tlic
government and invoked force 10 keep them
IN suhjcctionY Who, when the people bad
risen, as one man, TO defgud The COnstitrt
tion, aud the Union insutcd their patriot
ism, crushed out their zeal. and brought the
rough hand of consoription to tbcir.tbroatsl
Who put public discussion and knowledge
under ban, broke down Printing Presses
and imprisoned Editors for the exercise of
constitutional right ? Who invaded the
s;lnctty Of private dwellings, dragged away
citizens to foreign dungeons, and spread
terror and dismay among the weak and
helpless? Who created discussions in the
public mind, distracted public unanimity,
filed the State with spies, aud dOggcd the
harmless citizen to his bed chamber Who
cndcavorcd to incitc instructions in the
State by sending troops TO various counties.
with orders, in certain contingency, which
did not and would not exist but might be
provoked, to shoot down noflensive cti-
zcns Who has publicly disseminated
among the people, that the Government
had rightlully taken their property, and
had an equal right to sacrifice their children?
Who had boosted that the overthrow of the
Constitution of the State and the rights
and privileges guaranteed by it was subject
to discretionary opinion of necessity p
I Who has burdencd the producing interests
of the State with heavy and unprecedented
taxation through unnecessary and dishonest
Expenditures of money, built up corpora
tions and monopolies, and erected innumer-
able Offices to consume the hard earnings of
he nponln ~ Hr..rH ...N..l.
| There is but one answer to all these enor-
Ilnities Tod is guilty of them all. Scyco-
phantic in his intercourse with the National
authorities, subscryient to their slightest
wish, proud to exchange the dignity OF u
State for the privilege of gathering the
crums of partisan notoriety. Disrespected
while Governor to that extent that grand
l,iury of his State, under the solemmties of
an oath, haveindicted him for Pcnitentiary
ofcnsc, public conviction has been forced to
regard him stigma upon the STATE.
! His career as a public officer is notorious
I for neglect of duty, violations Of law, and
! bad faith.
official egotism, have made many Of his un-
/ fair promotions in the army. He has total
/ ly neglected to urge the exchange Of our
! prisoners, to provide for the com
/ Portable transportation of our soldiers :
to see that they were paid when the service
was performed, and to provide properly for
them in Ohio camps. And the cold -blooded
linhumanity which has met the .bercaved
parent seeking for his dead son, or the weep
ing mother humbly asking u passage to a
4 Southern hospital to rescue loved one
from cheerlcss vgils and almost certain
death, will ever abide in the heat IS of the
people. Crocadile tears, selfadulation or
official benediction, cannot change the stern,
: unrolenting truth which is to be heard
;. throughout the bounds of the State.
But even this neglect is aggravated by the
further gross want Of attention to the pub
lie interests. John H.. Morgan was worth
as prisoner a corps Of soldiers in the field.
His operations has been Of the greatest
damage to the Union cause. The authori-
ties thought fit for his safe-kecping TO con
fine him in the Penitentiary,. 1t was very
rare that prisoner escaped from that In.
= stitution. By Tod's orders the usual and
t safe arrangements Of the prison were dis.
= ,pensed with and Tod's arrangements sub.
stituted. The result was, Morgan escaped
= The executive authority failed to bring him
l back. And what seems !ln unusual prccau
: ton, the mode Of his escape was conceal led
e by Tod's orders, from persons who by law
We're entitled to examine it. Tod's mes
sage, however, pretendS to account for the
e escape in the conclusive remark that the
: negligence arose from misunderstanding!
= somewhere The truth Of the matter may
l never be known Tod's pretences to cxecu
{ tive distinction departed with the ''wily
l dangerous ch;eltain.' -
In civil affairs Tod $ acts of omission ant
e commi sion ale equally demonstrative of in
n capacity, neglect and dishonesty. The!
= consist, principally, III pardoning criminal
/, who had been convicted of violating law, anC
n in violating the law him self.
His pardon of criminals for 'doubtfulnes
= of guilt, ''on account of good conduct,
= because sentenced too severe" and s,lcl
o Ike reasons. cyince no executive discretion
5 whatever. 1t is not only violation Of dut!
but an assumption OF power which strike
I at the utility Of courts and the criminal law
n Of the State.
n By the 3Tth section of the law relating tC
c elections, it is made the duty of the Cover
= nor, in connection with the Secretary o
h State, and in presence of the Attorney Gen
: cral and Auditor of State, TO count out th'
$ vote for certain State otfi,eIs This Too
c wholly neglected so do, in last December -
: He was present, but he left before it wa
G done, and paid no attention to it.
d Not Il bond given by an officer, nor ;
!. contract OF the State has been presented n
: this office, by the Executive during the pas
d year for examination and approval as to it
y suifciency or form, nor in any manne
: brought to my notice.
It One of Tod Pay Agents under the allot
: ment law Of April IA. 1862, upon his re
J. turn from the Army with remittances of sol
o dicrs' monev for their families, was founC
e to be a dcfaulter to the amount Of Sl49,2 %
IS The deficiency passed the Auditors ottic
e but was detected in the Comptroller De
i partment. To make up the deficiency, Too
IS drew check on his contingent fund Tn
c transaction may be found on page l3 ofth
: Auditor report. as follows 1862, Apri
:. 9th G. l.. Young, deficit in allotment az
G count, $40, 30. Besides being breach G
b faith on the part of Tod's Agent, it was
l. violation of law on the part Of Tod and tn
n State was defiauded of the amount TIL
J. money is yet in the hands of Young or Tod
1t The sale of the States interest in tn
: Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal presents tn
most startling piece of corruption to b
e found in the history of the executive officer
J of any State. This sale was made by Tay
y Ter and Kennon, Auditor and Secretary o
II State, and in the absence of and withou
= consultation with the attorney General, VIII
If was also member Of the Board of Sinkin
c Fund Commissioners