The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-01-31
The Dominant Party in the
Legislature Afraid 10 Invcs-
ugate. m5.,ell.la 95 tH.t

| The Dominant Party In the
Legislature Afraid 10 Invcs'
ugate. a.5i..iaia 70 tE.
The following resolution was offered ia
the Ohio Senate, by Hon. L. R. Critch.
field, on the l1th of January:
Resolucd, That the standing commit
tee on Fees and Salaries be, and they ar,
hereby instructed 10 examine and repor
at IN early day, the amount of salaries
and fees received in the State Military
Department, by all persons whomsoever
whether any person receives double sal
ary by performance of the duties of two
Offices, or extra labor and whether any
person or persons are employed and paid
out Of military, or other contingent funds
and if SO, how much and what for. And
also, the number, character and duties Of
all clerks and officers in the State Mill.
tary Department, and tho number of the
Governors staff and whether such Offices
and positions may-not be reduced in mum.
Der and expense.
The honest tax payers Of Ohio regard
this resolution as both necessary and
proper; and the new members on the
Massachusetts, side of the Senate, who
had not yet been drilled by the Republi-
can-party managers in and about the Cap-
itol, were disposed to let it pass-bcliev.
ing doubtless, that the acts Of the officers
of their choice would bear investigation
But the older and more experienced Sen
ators of the dominant party promptly in.
terposed objections to the resolution,
knowing, undoubtedly, that the result Of
the examination contemplated by Mr..
Critchfeld, would be exceedingly DANA
ging to Republican Office holders and the
Republican party. The mover of the
resolution and Judge Willet ably sus.
tanned it, and showed by arguments and
Illustrations the importance and necessi-
ty of this investigation. But party STRAIT.
cgy prevailed, and bare majority was
obtained in favor Of consigning the reso.
olution to the capacious pocket Of the
Chairman Of the Committee on Public
Expenditures, after first amending it SO
as to cut of investigation, and allow the
Governor to send in such report as he
may deem proper .-.
After a weeks incubation, and after
holding 10 council of war;" at VIII ich the
Governor and other State officers to be
investigated were present, it was decided
that it would be very damaging indeed
to resist investigation altogether. 1t was
thereupon resolved, that a substitute
should be reported by the Chairman Of
the Committee on Public expenditures,
which should seem to provide for investi-
cation, but which should cut off tie in.
vestigation contemplated by the original
resolution. In accordance with this ar
rungement, the committees senseless and
ineffective substitute was reported last
Thursday. y
Mr.. Critch6eld promptly moved to re.
fer back, with Instructions to report up
on all the subjects OF inquiry embraced
in the original resolution /; and he sustain
ed his motion by referring to G. Voney
Dorsey's case; the apparent safe cOndi.
tion Of things as report' d by that head
of State Department, and the result Of
an examination Of the Treasury by an in.
dependent committee. He remarked that
the omission Of the committee as to an
inquiry into the contingent funds, aud the
substitution of an inquiry into the system
of book keeping in the departments, was
transparent aud iarcical subterfuge
and the further fact that one only on the
part of the Senate to make the examina-
ton was reported, was sufficient to stamp
the committe and tho supporters of the
report with the design to defeat tho OBJ.
ject and effect Of the original resolution.
As to the objection OF some Republi-
can Senators, that it was disrespectful to
the Departments to appoint a committee
to investigate, it was replied that this OBJ.
lection could be made in every case, and
that tho defalcation in the State Treasu-
ry might have been concealed in the same
way. Here Mr., Hollister interposed,
saying there was no defalcation to which
Mr.. Critch6old replied, that every depos.
it in bank is o defalcation to that
amount and violation Of the sub-treasu-
Try law,1 He futher said, that delicacy
on such subject was remarkable; that
he thought the Republicans had become
familiar with official delinquencies that
every breeze was laden with discovery of
fraud, and tho sun itself was greeted ev.
cry morning with new tale Of robbery /;
the forts and bastilcs and penitentiaries
were jammed with loyal and digni6ed
thieves (; and that whenever "loyalty" or
"copperhead" issued from the mouth, the
heart was rotten and the body ready for
incarceration. And, as an illustration, be
asked pardon for again referring to the
eminent Chairman Of the Loyal League
and of the Republican State Central Com.
mittee, who, during the two years the
speaker had the honor Of representing
the Democratic party in the Office Of At
torney General, made II sn evening exer-