Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-08-31
L. III. PATTERSON AND THE
GOLn QUESTION.

In commenting upon the "Demo- |
cratic" candidates for county Off
ces few weeks ago we took occa-
sion to say Of /. II. PATTERSON, the
candidate for County Treasurer, that,
Before he can be elected Treasurer OF
Belmont County again, it will be necessary
for him to account for the large sum of Gold
left in tho Treasury by his predecessor
John Twincm) )-and that was never paid
out on the orders of the Commissioners or
Auditor, but was sold lDhcR GOid U0s m
large premium, and no account rendered Of
the premium"
The editor of the Gazette, in his last
issue, in reply to this charge admits in
the following language that I. II. PAT
TERsoN did take and use M@ Goid, but
attempts to excuse him for doing so on
the ground that, there was only $7G2
Oft, but read the extract:
"We will inform the editor on good au-
thority, that the large sum that troubles his
brain amounts to $762 all told, and for the
truth of'this he can consult tho County
Commissioners. if he is in search of the
truth. l. II. Patterson is not the man to
be guilty of dishonest act; that he ever
sold dollar belonging to the County Treas.
ury is maliciously false. The party to which
the editor belongs claimed that gTeenbacIk,s
and legal tenders were better than gold,
and If Mr.. p. took tho gold for his salary
after his settlement with the knowledge
and consent of the Commissioners-leayi
that which your party professed to bo the
better currency, what rightful complaints
have you to make on the subject p
AS to the quantity of gold in the
Treasury at the thine this 0ery honest
man, l. II. PATTERSON, took charge Of
the office, we have little better evi-
dence than the word Of the editor of
the Gazette, and his weak effort to
cover up the fraud and, populations of
his candidate will avail him very little.
At tho last examination Of the
Treasury, by the investigating com
mittee appointed by the Probate Judge,
bafore /. Ii. PATTERSON took charge Of
the office, which occurred March 9th,
1862, and was made by /. III. PATTER-
SON himself, we find by the report, there
awas S19,l32 OF In specie, in the Treas
ury. Mr.. PATTERSON, in September
following, took charge of the Treas
ury, and OH the Cd day Of October no.
titled the ax-paycrs of the County that
he would require them to pay some.
fourth the tar ia specie" What amount
he collected we have no means of as
certaining, but we are well assured that
he never paid any of it out on the or
ders OF the County Commissioners or
Auditor. At the time PATTERSON took
charge OF the Treasury Gold was sell
ing ut a premium of II per cent
Thirty days thereafter it was worth 2S
per cent, and on the first OF March,
1853, the time when the County Com
missioners made their first settlement
with the Treasurer, when the Gazette
says "Mr. =. took the gold for his sal.
ary," the premium on gold was u PEI
cent Suppose there was but S762
and that the Treasurer did not collect
any taxes in specie, after notifying the
people he would require one fourth OF
their tax in specie, here We have the
Treasurer on the admission Of the Ga
zette taking out of the County Treasury
S548 64-the premium value of The
gold at the time of settlement with tn,
Commissioners-to which he had n,
more legal right than he had to talk
and use all the money in the Treasury
But who believes that Patterson di,
not receive more than sI62 In speci
from Mr.. TwiSEM, his predecessor
and who believes PATTERSON did nc
collect more than six times that amour
OF specie from the tax payers of tn
County after he took charge of I'll
Treasury
We know that on the 9th of Marcl
1862, there was $19,lSs OF in speci