Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-11
The Soldiers Relief Fund Rob
ybery-QuestiOns that will Never

bery-4uestfOns that Will Never
be Answered.
The journal has, second time, got its
courage to the sticking place in regard to
the taking from the soldiers the fund raised
for the relief of the INDECENT widows and
orphans, and the crippled.
Some weeks since that sheet claimed that
the filching of 100000 dollars of the Relief
fund was saving to the people, just as If
the taking of the same amount from the
Treasury by WIN. H. GIBSON was saving
of that amount to that individual.
Finding that such an apology would not
answer its purpose, on Saturday that sheet,
growing more reckless than usual, brands
the charge as ..1alsehood," ," and then, to add
greater force to its denial, as 'Hel"
Is it .Jdlsehood' Mr.. Journal, that the
Constitution OF Ohio, declares that when
money is raised for one purpose, to that
purpose only shall it be applied?
Is it a .lie" that by law of the Legisla-
ture, tax was levied for the relief of the
INDECENT soldiers and the widows and or
phans of those who fell in battle or died of
disease contracted in the army, who are in
ueCeSSlCOuS
Is it a ..falsehood' that Mr.. Auditor of
State GOODMAN, recommended In his annual
Report that large portion of this money,
So raised, to feed and to clothe the poor
soldiers, the widow and the orphan OF the
dead patriot, should be taken for other and
different purpose from that for which it
was raised, against the express letter and
spirit of the Constitution?
Il it a "lie," Mr.. Journal, that the Repub-
lican majority in the Ohio Legislature, at
the instigation of Attorney General West
and Auditor Of State GOODMAN, did pass a
law, in defiance of the prohibition of the
Constitution, to take, as q temporary
loan, $4,000 of this fund? tle
Is it a afaischood" that the same Repub-
lican majority, at its adjourned session,
utterly repudiated the promise that this
money be returned, and passed law that
it should not be?
Is it a "lie" that such was the hot haste
of these men, Negro Suffrage Legislators
and Negro Suffrage State officers, to get
hold of this money, that they attempted to
prevent its distribution to the counties by
joint resolution, as if such a resolution
would repeal or suspend law of the land !?
Is it "falsehood that this money was
withheld, by the unconstitutional law thus
passed, from the MANNED and crippled SOL
diers, and the poor and friendless widows
and orphans of soldiers who died in the
service of the country, and thus were these
INDECENT soldiers and soldiers families reft
of aid from the State, left to die of starva-
tion, to get their living by crime or to beg
their bread?
Is it a ''fdlsehood' that the Auditor of
State in his last annual report, while thus
aiding and abettiDg in the fraud by which
these untortunates were swindled out of
the money thus raised by taxation for their
support, gave over six hundred as the num-
ber of soldiers requiring relief and over
five thousand as the number of INDECENT
families requiring aid, while thus the means
of support was being taken from them?
Is it "he' that while thus the poor and
the unfortunate were swindled by Negro
Suffrage legistors, and the Negro Suffrage
Auditor of State and Attorney General, out
of their means of support, the State Con-
yention of the Negro Suffrage party, which
met in this city ON the 10Th of June, 1857,
and nominated for reelection this same
Auditor of State, GOODMAN, and Attorney
General WEST, passed the following reso-
luton, hypocritically pretending love tor
the Soldier, when the leaders of its party,
by an outrage upon the Constitution of th e
State, and on honesty and fair dealing, had
just swindled these INDECENT soldiers, wild
ows and orphans out of SS00000 of the
money justly their duea-
ID 9th. The American people owe lasting
debt of gratitude to the brave soldiers and
sailors who, in the late struggle for our
national existence, so nobly fought for our
liberties; and for the privations, sufferings
and sacrifices which they endured, the loyal
men of Ohio hereby pledge to them and to
the widows and orphans OF those who tell
in defense of the nation, our sympathies
and substantial support"
Is 1t "fatsehood" that the money thus
taken by the Negro Suffrageites, raised for
the support of the "brave soldiers and
sailors who in the late struggle for our ma
tional existence, so nobly fought for our lib
critics." and from the I" widows and orphans
of those who fell in defense of the nation"
under the pretense that it was needed to
pay off the public debt, has obliged the
county officers to suspend the payment of
money to those to whom it was due, for the
reason that the fund was exhausted, in con-
sequence of this very thieving operation !?
These, in brief, embrace the charges that
we have made. If the Journal, or any
person connected with it, or any respecta-
BILE man of the Negro Suffrage party, will
designate any portion of this statement de-
void of truth, we stand pledged to prove it
is testimony that no man can disprove- by
the Journals of the Legislature, by the
Reports of the Auditor of State, and by
other documents that no man of any party
dare doubt.
The facts show heartless disregard OF
constitutional rights-a total disregard of
the rights of persons, and as cold blooded
plunder of the poor and destitute as ever
disgraced humanity.
The editor of the State journal wore the
insignia of an officer during the war. and
he makes pretense to have been a soldier.
Yet he states that which he knows to be
untrue-lies, wilfully, deliberately and
with malice aforethought, when he at
tempts to deny the facts we have stated.
Instead of being the soldiers friend. as
every true soldier, be he General or Cor
poral, would be, and defending the wound
ed and the crippled, and the soldiers wife
aud the soldiers children, from base
wrong, he defends those who rob them of
their rights, and lies, like an accomplice,
| to cover his party friends from the just in
dignation of an outraged people.
The New Lesi.lature aud Gov