Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-05-06

THAT Is RfeHT.GWhenever Demo
cratic Treasury-Thief Is caught liz the
act of misusing the peoples money, the
party leaders are on hand to cover-up or
explain away the offenss. Two weeks
ago we charged Jesse Bishop, the town
ship treasurer Of Somerset Township
with improperly using the public money,
and suddenly leaving the township after
the misuse Of the funds had been ascer-
tanned. We used plain language, and
said ne had "absconded with about two
thousand dollars of the dear peoples
money" Last week the Gazette has .
communication deneuncing our article
as untrue, and defending Mr.. Bishop as
the equal in character OF any man in the
county. We have no objections to these
llow-Democrats defending men who
improperly and illegally use the public
money, for we think such acts are char
acteristic, and only prove the true Dem
ocracy of the men who commit Them
But We object to being classified as q
calumniator unless some evidence is ad-
duced to establish the charge. This
Democratic correspondent says:
The assertion that Bishop abscsnded
on Sabbath day of last week, or on the
Sabbath of any other week, is false. And
the assertion that he took about two
thousand dollars of the dear peoples |
money" with him, is also untrue.
1t appears that Mr.. Bishop didn't go
away on Sabbath but went on Monday
one day later--and all the JdlsehoOd
there is in our declaration has reference
to the time and not to the fact. This
correspondent, in the very next line,
says:
Mr.. Bishops books and vouchers show
q deficiency of 81 500, but he left 81 ,l6S
here in the hands of a friend to apply to
the payment of the delinquency.
We said Mr.. Bishop used or took about
1900, this correspondent says it is un-
true, he only took 81 $3.50. Well, we
think that isn't very far off the mark,
as careful examination may
show that he il wrong in his footings.
The attempt to justify Mr.. Bishop and /.
defend him as an honest man after using /
his money is very weak and q very
lilly movement. The law under which
ne had this money placed under his y
hands provides: u
"That if any officer or other person =
charged with the collection, receipt, safe a
transfer or disbursement of the Q
public msney, or any part thereof, be- 3
onging to the State, or to any county, i,
p fnW ahin MI 1sd nj fu vii llar n
n this State, shall convert to his own q
Use, or to the use Of any other person or d
persons, body corporate, association or g
,arty whatever, in any way whatever, n
n shall use by way ofinvestment in any g
lind of security, stock, loan, property, =
and or merchandise, or in any other h.
manner or form whatever, or shdU loan, p
With or without interest, to any COM 3
ANY, corpration, association or individ
lal, any portion of the public money =
eceived controller or held by him for
every such act shall be F
leemed and held in law to be an embez-
lement of SO much of said moneys or u u
ther property, as aforesaid, as shall be Il
hus converted, used, invested, loaned, if
deposited or paid out as aforesaid; which 8,
3 hereby declared to be a high crime and Il
and upon prosecution, b
rial by indictment and conviction =, IL
hereof before any Court of this State N
laving competent Jurisdiction, such Of "
icer or person or persons shall be sem 9
enced to the penitentiary, and kept at s.
lard labor for term of not less than
me year or more than twenty -One 3,
ears, according to the magnitude of the O
and, also to fine equal K
Q double the amount of money or other &
property SO embezzled." b
L
Now under this law the use or Ioaning o
# public money is declared to be embez- z
lement; and the excuse that Mr.. Bishop b
lid not use the money himself but loan
d it to his partner does not make tie r
ffense he has been guilty of any the
lighter. But as we have already re- it
marked the true policy of Democracy is =
o defend the men who are guilty of ii
hese offences, and for this reason they q
re all found in the party. =
a C0zrurrNrca TI0N in tho nat Gazafta |