Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-09-03

Democratic LegitIature, which levied
fifteen millions more than was levied in
that year3 Wbsn ths Democrats At
tempt to set up q standard OF fnaneiaI
virtue for the Republicans they ought
To follow It a little mOrs closely them
selves.
Mr. Pendleton acknowledges hat IN
1865 there were collected, in behalf of
the war expenses, over two millions for
the Soldiers Relief Fund alone. How
much have the Democrats collected for
| any such purpose2 Not a penny. No
such apology can be given for the in
crease they have made in the tax levy.
Mr.. Pendleton thinks it was a great
wrong that $500, 900 of the Relief Fund
was applied to the payment of "curreni
expenses" But it was not so applied.
Il was temporarily transferred to the
Sinking Fund, to be applied to the pay
ment OF the State debt, and with the
express provision hat it should be re-
imbursed to the Relief Fund in the
years '67 and '6s ''by adequate IeviPs
] provided by law for that purpose
Now if this transfer was wrong, it was
a wrong which the Democratic Legis-
lature might easily have righted by re-
storing to the Relief Fund the amount
temporarily taken from it. But they
repeatedly refused to do this, and so
placed themselves upon the record.
Mr.. Pendleton says the transfer from
the Relief Fund TO the Sinking Fund
was unconstitutional, but he commit
"a h-~oTF - ehE. srhSaaf haFora the
Democratic Legislature Of last winter,
in order to meet the expenses of its ex-
-travaRant sessions. authorized and
requiredD the Auditor of the State Ito
transfer during the year 1869, the sum
/ of two hundred thousand dollars from
the sinking fund to the general reven-
ne fund.- (See Ohio Laws, 1869. page
lO9.) Now there is no portion of the
State revenue which the constitution
sospecifcaIly guards agAinsta diversion
to any other purpose than that for
which it was levied, AS the Sinking
Fund. If, then, al Mr.. PendletOn al
Ieges, it was Sin direct violation of th-
constitution" to make a temporary use
of q portion Of the Relief Fund in dis
charging the States obligations to its
creditors, thereby reducing the bur-
dens Of Taxpayers, how much more
fIagrant and lawless a proceeding NUS
It to take the fund religiously set apart
for paying the principal and interest OF
the public debt and apply it toward
meeting the ''current expenses" OF a
reckless and extravagRnt Legislature,
Thereby perpetusting and increasing
the burdens ofthe people! Verify, Mr..
PendIstOn's words are the severesi
commentary on the Democratic Gen
eraI Assembly we have seen.
The purpose for which the Soldiers
Relief Fund was raised, viz, the sup
port OF the soldiers families while our
brave men were in the field, had for the
most part ceased to exist when the
transfer was made, but this cannot be
said of the purpose for which the Sink
ing Fund was established. 1t was Great
ed to rid us of a debt which still hangs
over Cs and on which thanks to Dem
ocraIic hnaneiering, we must continue
to pay a heavy interest instead ofliqui-
dating the principal. For the tempo
rary transfer from the Relief Fund,
which Mr.. Pendleton condemns, the
Democratic members mostly voted, but
for the transfer from the Sinking Fund
we believe no Republican member ID
responsible.
It waH unfortunate for Mr.. PendIetou
that at the time he delivered his Lims
speech he did not anticipate the reck-
iessness and extravaganza of his party
when it should come into power in The
State, else be would have been more
cautious about making declarations
which bear so heavily sgainst him now
that heisthe Democratic standard-bear-
o" In the Stale canvass. He will do
wellto remember in his future dsnun-
ciationsof Republican fnanciering that
"happy is h man who cOndemneth
not himself in the thing which he a.
Ioweth