The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-08-26
Robb,ng the State Treasury.

It is maintained by some that the stealing
by persons in official position, by contract
ors and others, during the war, almost
equalled the legitimate expenses. In all de-
paItmeuts of the government the most scan
dalous practices prevailed. Senators were
openly interested in contracts; members OF
the Cabinet touched the plumber through
the medium of relatives, friends and agents
Congressman negotiated for partnerships
with shoddy contractors, and thus the o1Il-
cial Ring was completed. Not an article
was sipplied which did not cost three times,
and in some cases, three hundred times, Its
value, while the disbursement of funds al
! forded an ample field for tue display OF that
| kind of official manipulation for which the
Radicals are so celebrated. Millions OF the
debt under which the people are now stag
! gering was contracted ia this rascally man
/ ner, ard the party perpetrating the outrage
will yet be called to account for their conduct
at the bar of public opinion.
| The same want of honesty which we have
! chronicled with reference to the monetary
| affairs of the nation, is to be observed IN
| this State Here the Radicals have had full
| control for the past eight years. The Cover
! nor has been of that political party, and in
/ both branches of the Legislature the Radical
maiorities have over-reached all opposition.
4 They could pass any bill they desired, inau-
! gurate any policy agreed upon in Caucus
/ They managed the revenues Of the State
! said how much should be collected, and who
/ should disbuTse the money. All apPropria-
! tions were passed by the ruling party. and
| the payroll Of the State was arranged by
them. The State Treasurer is leading
member of the Radical party, and hence
| they are fully and entirely responsible for
/ the management of State finances. The re-
sponsibility cannot be shifted. 1t lies at the
! door of John w. Geary. and the men by
whom he is surrounded. In connection
with this subject, print the following
from the Harrisburg Patriot. 1t is truly
startling:
The reports of the Auditor General for 1867
! and 1868, taken in connection with the state
me1ts contained in the last annual message OF
| Governor Geary, develope the astounding fact
I that during the last two years upwards OF ELEY-
| EN- MILLIONS OF DOLLARS have been taken from
the State Treasury, only FOUR MILLIONS of
which have been applied in payments on the
! State debt, leaving SEVEN millions to be ac-
! counted for in appIpriatiogs for the current ex
| penses of the Commonwealth, interest on the
! State debt, and OTHER EXPENDITURES.
! at the end of the fiscal year of
/ 1866, there remained in the
| During the fiscal year of 1867,
the receipts at the Treasury,
| exclusive of state loans,
amounted to 423 ,3JU.Ui
| During the fiscal year of 1868,
the receipts at the Treasury
were 5,2le,u4J %
Receipts in two years SI2, ,38O, ,4l2.37
| Balance in the Treasury at the
end of last fiscal year, Nov.
30, 1868 I.OI2, ,925 81
Taken out of Treasury in two
wears $II 1867 ,925 81
These figures are taken from the reports of
the Auditor General for 1867 and 1868, and
the reader is referred to those documents for
| veriication of them. From these statements
the fact appears that el even millions thres hun
dred and sixty seven dollars were taken from
the Treasury during the fiscal years of 1867 and
1868 In Governor Geary's last annual mes
sage, transmitted to the Legislature January g.,
1869, is found the following: "By the report
! of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund for
the year ending September 3, 1861, the loans
redeemed amounted to 81 ,794, $50 50, and by
their report from September 3, 1867, to Novem-
ber 30, 1868, 'the loans redeemed amounted
to 50 ,4I4 Sl5 81, making total reduction of
the State debt in two years and three months,
of 81 2O9, 1856 ID"
By the Auditor Generals re-
ports, we have learned that
the sum taken out of the
Treasury during the two yrs.
| of lS67 and 1863, was $l1 1851 ,467 .02
! BY Geary's message We ascer-
tain that the whole amount
of the State debt paid Off du-
| ring a period of two years
and three months anterior to
November 80, 1868, was. 1908 $50. 4
Leaving for curt expenses, etc. $7,Iao, l0o 81
1t now remains for the defenders of Govern
or G. eary's administration to show WI at became
of the SEWN MILLIONS and upwards remaining
in the Treasury after the payments made on
! the State debt How much of the sum was
! oY n
much of it was squandered in increased rates
of interest the State debtf How much of
it was given to Radical State officials and a
Radical Legislature, in the shape of Incl eased
salaries? How much of it was stolen by Rad
zeal pastors and folders, and other officials of
the Legislature who did not render days ser
vice TO the Commonwealth And let it also
be explained how it comes that upwards of one
million dollars are permitted to lie useless and
dead in the Treasury, when that sum might be
Applied to further reduction of the State debt
and the saving of large amount of interest to
the tax payers of the State. What has become
of the seven millions2 Who gets the interest
on the one million? Where does the money
go, and who are the thieVes2
From the above. it will be seen that up
wards of seven millions of dollars have been
distracted from the State Treasury in two
years, about which the tax payers have no
information. It has not been used for leoit-
innate purposes. II II haq, the vouchers
could be produced, and detailed statement
spread before the people, showing the manner
in which each dollar left the Treasury. Such
has been the practice under Democratic State
Treasurers. They would not suffer money
to be drawn from the office, unless all the
requirements of the law were fully complied
with. But under the Radicals far differ
ent system has prevailed. The State Treas
urer was sold to the highest bidder, all the
successful "Ring" bought both the man and
the control of the office. State funds we're
farmed out to parties making the highest
bids, used to procure the nomination and
election of members of the Legislature favor
able TO the choice of particular man fol-
custodian of the money of the Common.
mnnlth and thns dirortnd frnr,, Ahnir In ,,,f,,I