The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-08-13
Letter from Hon. Ralph Leete
TO GOvernOrH rHayes-The Gov
ernOr's speech Reviewed.
[Frnm the pori.month Times. /

tFrom the Portsmouth Times.l
SIR:--1he extraordinary speech
delivered by yourself before the Re.
publican State Convention, upon
your denomination for Governor,
seems TO demand something more
than n passing notice. Had tho
charges made BY yourself against
the transactions Of the Fifty.oighth
General Assembly of the State, been
made by some eager and aspiring
politician, in the excitement incl
dent 20 an impromptu speech before
a large convention, they might not
have deserved the treatment pro-
pose to bestow on them.
The respect entertained for your
private Characteristic reputation
you had earned in the late war as
brave soldier and skilltul command
er Of forccs,-indopendent Of your
exalted position as chief magistrate
Of n great State, all combine to give
force and credit 10 your statements
Of fact and declarations of opinion
upon.public affairs.
You have arrnIgned the Lesisla- |
tive branch of the State govern |
ment for reckless expenditure Of
public money. and for acting m BAD
faith generally towards the people
AS one Of tho members of the
Fifty eighth General Assembly, hav.
ing my share of responsibility for
it's acts, / feel called upon to repel
your attacks upon that body, and
to compare some of your principal
charges against the Legislature with
your own official recommendation
You state that they (tho Gener-
al Assembly, created between thir-
" and forty new officers, at q cost
to the people for salaries, fees and
expenses Of at least SIS 00C per an.
aum. They d,d not create any such
number Of offices as you state, nor at
any such cost. They did create five
additional judgeships, three orwhlch
were in Republican and two in Dem
ocratic districts. They also provide
r for an inspector Of steam boilers.
, whose salary should DO $4,000 IL
y car.
nycur last annual message find
the following recommendations -
. III submit to your consideration the
Q "importance of providing for thor
> cough and comprehensive geologic.
'al survey OF the State. Many years
ago, partial survey was prosecu-
e "ted, under many difficulties and
Q "emharrassments which WIS fruit
4. "iul of valuable results. f. is be,
'yond doubt that such u work IL
"now practicable 10 carry out, will
"by making known the mining
. manufacturing, and agricultural
n "resourccs of the State, lead to then
y development TO an extent which
"will in few years amply reim-
"burse tue State Tor it's cost.
4 Pursuant to this recommendation
). Mr.. Lee, OF Delaware, introduced ,
bull providing for the geological sur
u vey of the State. 1t authorizes Oh,
= appointment by the Governor ofun,
n principal geologist and three assIs
"a tants. The bill passed, and is IN
law Of the state, and you have mad
II the appointments under 1t. Th
annual cost of this survey will b
rs $500, unless the Legislature shaI
u. modify the law. ] know of no 9th
- er offices created by the Fifly-eightI
" General Assembly than those abov
'e mentioned; unless you intended t
III include the additional trustees 70
. the Miami University and the trus
NJ tees of the Reform School for girls
all of whom serve without pay.
Permit me further to Gull You
er attention to another reccommenda
al ton in your message, which is O
G follows:
r., "The interests CT common schoC
q. education, IN my opinion, will b
- promoted by the early adoption ofC,
:" superlntendency, as provided I
y IA bill on the subject now pending /
is one branch of the General Assem-
or bly,. ! therefore earnestly recon
n mond the consideration and passag
~ of tho bill"
>" Had this bill been passed in puI
IT. suance of your recommendation
OF would have created Pightycnine ne
he offices at yearly cost of not LEI
- than $4,000 for each superintenC
-. ent That bill was fully consider
Nv ed, but tho General Assembly di
ue not deem it expedient To pass il.
of When you state that "sixty {
en- "seventy different acts were passe
authorizing debts to be cont actC
amounting IN the aggregate
-. "more than s25, 100000, X 4 x
a. ' "and that they passed seventy
~ ~ "eighty acts by which addiuonal Ia;
~Si "es were authorized to the amoul
,od ,a 'of over $40, ,OOO. .O00," do'not kno
" what you mean, for no such numb
9, o: acts as you specify is To be four
~ in the statutes Of 1863. YC
"a seem TO bo as carelGss IN fixing Il
irD' amount of local lovies provided (,
=. as in tho number Of acts passc
"a neithUr OF which bears any specii
wv relation To the actual facts. N
less than hreo.iourths of all Il
special levies authorized were f
mt the large cities. fhe levies autho
en lied tor tho city of Cincinnati I
lal lone exceeds all other levies. Tn,
of city and Hamilton county were re
nd resented by eleven Republican mor
we bers. all OF whom united in the pa