Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-04-17

lEE4 so 114CN slQEe EaDIbats 40A 0GE4Gu
for the purpose for which il was raised,
and doing nothing toalleYiate the bur
dens of the tax pagers Of the State
The last Legislature therefore wisely
determined to appropriate so much Of
] -tlIis fund as was necessary IN that be-
half to the relief of soldiers families,
and make the balance productive to
the State until such time as it might
be needed for its original purpose. A
large amount Of the bonds Of the
State bearing heavy rates OF interest
were overdue, and there being no
money in the treasury belonging to
the Sinking Fund there was no way
to pay these bonds except to raise
the money by taxation and thus
largely increase the already onerous
burden Of taxes. The alternative was
forced upon the Legislature of either
doing this or else Of appropriating for
the time being a portion Of he idle
capital before mentioned 60 the pay
ment Of the public debt. THIS last
it was wisely determined to do, and
800, 600 OF the 100000 dollars COM
prising the Volunteer Relief Fund
was temporarily transferred for this
purpose, with the provision that 1t
should be paid back BY taxation as
soon and as fast as needed for its orig
inal purpose. Thus a large amount Of
the publie debt was paid without iu-
crease oftazation, and interest amount
ing TO 10000 dollars a year was saved
to the taxpayers of the State The
balance of the fund, amounting to
100000 dollars, was distributed
among the counties of the State in the
proportion in which it had been raised
BY them, and with the express legisla-
tive provision that the commissioners
should at their next meeting set apart
so much Of the share of each county
as might be needed for the relief Of
soldiers families, while the balance
might be applied to county purposes.
Many of the present Democratic mem
bers voted for this distribution, and
voted against the transfer of the 800, 600
dollars to the payment Of the State
debt, because it was not distributed
in the same way.
Such in brief is the transaction
which the rerenehing Democracy de-
nounce as 'raseality. p robbery ofsoi-
diers, "a dodge to conceal treasury
defaloatious," etc. But now note the
hypocrisy Of these self-styled friends
of soldiers While they denounee
the temporary transfer of the Relief
Fund as great wrong, they utterly
refuse to transfer it back again, al
though over a hundred thousand
dollars of taxes has been saved to the
State by the operation. They call the
depletion of the treasury by the ehor-
nous drain of war a sdefalcation, and
howl like wolves because the Repub-
lican Legislature preferred to make it
up by temporary use of an idle fund
instead of by laying it on the backs Of
the x-payers, which The Democracy
themselves now utterly refuse tozedo.
despite their professed regard for sol
diers.
( Some time since Mr.. Scott, of War
ren county, offered a resolution, which
was adopted, insnuoting the military
committee TO inquire into the transfer
Eof the fund and report upon the pro
lpriety Of restoring it again to its orig.
inal purpose. The Democracy would
no doubt have permitted the matter tc
sleep until the end of the session ha6
not Mr.. Scott on Friday last called fol
( the report of the committee. The
transfer having been denounced by iti
party as a vilIainy, the Democratic
committee was of course bound to re.
port in favor Of the fund being PAID
back by the State, and this provoked
the discussion previously mentioned
4 Various subterfuges were resnrted tc
by the majority to evade the adoption
of the report, for they dare not tax
/ the people of the State to restore the
fund, despite their hypocritical whin.
Ting about soldiers orphans To gel
i rid Of the unpleasant predicament, 8
{ Democrat moved an adjournment al
/ hour before the usual time, under the
! pretense of giving the privilege Of tht
hall to O'Neil, the Feniaa leader, an
+ honor which was whilom denied tc
4 Generals Sherman and Sheridan. Isl
matters Of mere Importance once
more smothered the yearnings Of Dem.
ocratic love for the soldier, and it still
wastes its sweetness in pigeon -holt
forgetfulness.
Ancthel example of this disinterest
ed affection is the passage by the House
Of an act which virtually disFranchise:
the manned and health broken heroes
at the Dayton Soldiers Home. Thu
4 law requires them to go to their home.
to vote, a thing impossible with many
q by reason of wounds OF delicate health
and an Inconvenience to which moth
/ ing but the most Intense. partisan ma
( Lightly would have put them. Vallan,
/ digham S district may thus lose few
votes that would have been counted
against him for Congress, but any par.
ty that will thus meanly rob a crippled
! hero of his vote, will sometime ge
the retribution it deserves.
I Another lest Of this same hypocrisy
4 toward soldiers was presented in the
! House on Saturday. A resolution was
unexpectedly. called up which provides
for giving every soldier who served in
an Ohio regiment during the late war e
"Testimonal of Honor, " signed by ''thc
Speaker Of the House, President of tht
/ Senate and Governor of the State. ,
This proposed stestimonial" is an en-.
craving printed on paper and the cos
Of which, will be about twenty cents
4 per copy yet, will it be believed, a
I Democrat moved to qualify even this