Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-04-15

The Soldiers Relief Fand-The
Goodness of MIR. Scotfs PROPOSE
tion. N
Decidedly one of the coolest propositions
that has been made in the Legislature by
any member, has been made by Hon. Mr..
SCoTT, of Warren, as we learn from his
published speech in the Ohio State Journal
on the 18th. 1t appears that he made the
proposition on the 9th. 1t having been
proven that the Republican State officers
in 1866 took over nine hundred thousand dol
lars from the Soldiers Relief Fund fund
raised by taxation to contribute something
to the support of poor and INDECENT soldiers
and their families-and applied it to make
good deficiencies growing out of extrava-
gance and wastefulness, Mr.. SCOTT moved
to instruct the Finance committee to report
a bill on the following day s'reimbursing
the Soldiers Relief Fund" He alleged
that he wanted this done instantly, that
s'the majority in the House, If they are
in earnest in their professions of love tor
the soldier, shall have time before the close
of the session to show this love in more
substantial way than by wordy resolutions
aud delaying reports" He then told the
House that it was their duty to reimburse
the Soldiers Relief Fund that they had
promised to do SO if they secured the ma
jority. f-.ss rsrs, ,,r-reslss7ssEK
Now, all this upon the surface may seem
plausible and fair; but is nothing of the
sort in reality. Who are in possession OF
the State offices? Republicans. The same
men under whom and by whom the Sol
dier's Relief Fund was robbed, and who
plead as classification of the robbery, that
1.-THE Treasury of the State was bankrupt,
and that the installments on the public
debt were coming due. and that the state
would be unable to meet themn unless this
robbery were committed. By legislation,
provision had been made for the payment
of these s'installments on the public debit
but ADEQUATE provision had not been made
for protiigacy in the administration of the
State Government, by which the revenues
of the State had been Tapped up and the
Treasury reduced to the condition of bank
ruptcy. 1t was important that faith should
be kept with the creditors of the State
This could have been kept had becoming
economy and honesty been practiced in
the administration of the State Government
without breaking faith with the soldiers
with shattered constitutions and crippled
lin BIS, and with the widows and orphans of
soldiers. 1t Is into the hands of these men
that Mr.. SCOTT is excessively importunate
the General Assembly should Immediately
put Soldiers Relief Fund equal in amount
to the amount that was taken from it upon
the plea that the Treasury of the State was
bankrupt. Does the past furnish a guar
antee that if this fund were reimbursed it
would ever be used for the benefit of SOL
diers and of soldiers families? Is there one
particle of assurance, that they would not
make way with it as they did before, and
then ask immunity from censure on the
ground that the Treasury was bankrupt,
and they had to have money, and as this
lay in the way they appropriated it? The
past management of the Treasury and of
this fund shows plainly that they are not
the fit custodians of any fund designed to
benefit the soldiers or the widows and Or
phans of soldiers.