Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-08-10
r. ]. Bright's Frauds Upon the
S state Treasury.
Out OF their own MOnths he
Stands Convicted.


more honest than most of the kind, gives
the following opinion of the Democratic
State Printer.
Two years ago the Democratic party
came into power in Indiana, mainly upon
the strength Of pledges to the people that
the strictest economy should be practiced
by both State and county officers. Re-
trenchmeut and reform was our battle
cry, and from every stump in the State
our speakers proclaimed that if the De-
mo crazy were again placed in control, hon
esty, efficiency, and watchful care for
public interests should characterize the
administration of State affairs. During
the ten years of Radical rule, corruption
had crept into every department Of the
State government, and the public treasury
had been preyed upon BY profiigate and
dishonest officials of every grade. The
people sighed for relief from the grievous
| burdens OF taxation and relying upon the
promises Of the Democracy TO restore the
State government 10 its pristine purity,
and to curtail public expenditures to the
utmost limit consistent with an efficient
administration of State affairs. thousands
of voters were induced to desert the Rad
ical ranks and support the Democratic
| ticket
The recent discovery of tremendous
frauds on the Treasury by Richard j
Bright, who the Democratic Legislature
last winter elected as State Printer, Is
sufficient TO overwhelm with shame and
modification the Democracy of Indiana,
and calls for the prompt, earnest and
unanimous condemnation Of Our party
friends throughout the State. Bright i
said to have already drawn from the
Treasury for printing and printing mate.
rials, the enormous sum. of ooer forty thou
sand dollars. twenty thousand dollars OF
which was upon false and fabricated ac-
counts for thirty cords Tor 3,193 reams) OF
blank paper. He is also charged with
having added perjury to theft by swear
ing to these fraudulent accounts. 1t is Il
notorious fact, known to every intelligent
person, not one sixth of this paper has
been legitimately used by Mr.. Bright as
State Printer. Thirty cords of blank pa
per would stock with books h0if tie t.bra
| rses IN indiana, and answer for printing
the laws and all public documents for al
least four years. And yet Bright has
been State Printer only little over six
months!
Bright treats these most grave and
serious charges in disgustingly flippcnt
| manner, and virtually contesses their
truth by making no denial Of them. In
response to demand for an investiga-
ton, he dcfiantly replies that he will con-
sent to no investigation except at the
proper time and by the proper uthority-
that is, the Legislature which will con
vene some months hence He even has
the shameless audacity TO publicly exult
over his success at robbery; and, in the
.Se7atind last week, as the only justification
he could offer for swearing to falsehood
and plunderins the Treasury, quoted this
| vulgar couplet:
when you get good thing. save il, save 1t;
When you catch black cat, skin him TO the tail.
His proposition TO divide his stealings
with the party, and give portion of his
ill-gotten profits" Tor electioneering pur-
poses--so as 10 continue his hands In the
money bags of the people-we repcl as an
insult 10 the Democracy of Indiana GcG
help the party when il comes TO that, We
have always been Democrat. and never
| failed to support the nominees OF ouI
| party for every office, from the highest n
| the lowest. Wea undoubtedly attached
! TO Democratic principles, and shall always
exert whatever Of ability or influence We
have for their success; but we say TO the
Democracy OF Indiana that unless they
promptly rebuke the self-confessed cor
ruption and rascality of this man Bright.
they are certain To be defeated in the eau
vass Of next year--and ,eould dsscTr. % ..
beaten
Another grand national political con-
test will take place in ", and the result
in Indiana may determine the choice OF
President. We are now making record
upon which to go before the people in
that contest, and now submit the question
TO our party friends throughout the State,
whether they Can afford 10 shoulder the
responsibility Of Bright's gigantic swind-
ling. Every Democratic editor in the
State should fearlessly and unhesitatingly
condemn this great wrong. We must
either destroy Bright, and render him
powerless for further evil, or Bright will
destroy the party.
From their earliest advent in public
affairs in Indiana the Bright family has
been the bane and curse of the Democratic
party. Impcrious ), tyrannical, selfish and
corrupt, they scruple at nothing, however
dishoncrab bile, in order to advance their
own individual interests. Rule or ruin
is the motto which has always guided
them, and for personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
there is not one of the tribe that would
hesitate TO disrupt and defeat the party
Jesse ID. Bright IL mainly responsible for
giving over this State TO the Radicals in
1860, anu ne and all the kiiih anu Kin, from
the earliest to the latest generation, have
been fomenters of trouble and source OF
evil 10 the party and country. The pres.
ent State Printer is chiefly distinguished
as 1.-The son OF his uncle" he has all the
characteristics of the elder Bright, barring
me brains. He nevertheless possesses
the ability TO make trouble enough for the
| party, rs he has demonstrated during the
| brief period he has been State officer
and, unless he is quickly manaeled ami
muzzled. he will be likely to do for the
party next year what his uncle did eleven
years ago.
If Richard j. Bright has a spark ofhon.
esty or manhood in his composition he
will either attempt TO clear himself of the
charges preferred against him by consent
ing To thorough investigation, or else
he will pay back into the treasury the
sum of his robberrics if he will do Meth
or Of these things, then the Democracy
from eveay part of the State should petit
ton him to resign, and the next State
Convention should adopt resolution de.
nouncing his conduct in the strongest
tcims. We have already heard several
leading Democrats in this part of the State
express the opinion that unless something
of this kind is done, the chances for our
carrying the State next year, and also
elt citing our Presidential ticket, will be
seriously jeorardized. And we have
heard no less than four of the most dis
tinguished Democratic speaker. in the
First district say that during the next
canvass, in which they expect to take an
active part on the stump, they will at
tempt no defence Of Bright's disgracefll
thieving. but, on the contrary, they will
condemn it, and hold him up for the lust
indignation of the party he has sought to
dishono and the treasury he has plum
dered. g
It's a well known fact at indianapolis
that the .SsatineI establishment, as late as
last September, was on the very verge of
bankruptcy; and. but for Bright's cleo
ton as State Printer in January, he
would undoubtedly have been forced to
M. Ji- rinfnrc fnox,