The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-01-15
Therela a feeling Of pympathy for CID.

THERE'S feeling Of sympathy for Glib.
son attempted to be gotten up by the
partisan friends and editors OF his ac
quaintance, but that cannot change the
matter. And worse than this, the effort
is based on falsehood They take Gibson's
word against Gibsons oath, again and
again rejected. The embezzement, he
says now, took place during the term of
his predecessor. Against this is the fact
that Mr.. Gibson, under oath, asserted
that there was an unexpended balance
in the State Treasury on March 14th,
1855, of $l,400,2-522, the precise sum
the books of the Auditor of State show.
ed ought to be there. This was two
months after Gibson took charge of the
Office. Subsequently he stated that his
predecessor had paid, during the two
months named above, the sum of 1886
l01.57, and in his first annual report as
State Treasurer, given under his oath of
Office he stated that the outgoing Treas,
nrer bad paid the entire amount, except
$6,999 92 which amount he (Gibson) had
taken upon himself. Before this report
was made out, Mr.. Alfred Kelly, as Chair.
main OF the Senate Finance Committee,
counted the funds in the Treasury; they
were found all right, every dollar of the
States money was there and was count.
ed.
Still doubling the honesty of the men,
the Legislature appointed a Joint Com
mittee to examine the books Of the
Treasurer and Auditor, and 80 again
count the funds in the Treasury. Mr..
Gibson, under oath, stated that his pre-
decessor had paid over the money due
the State to him, giving day and date of
amount paid, and all before the time
named in his statement of March ID
1856, and that every cent of the money
due the Treasury from the late Treasur.
or Was then in its vaults. The money
was exhibited and counted, and the
Committee reported the fact to the Leg.
islature, Mr.. Gibson subsequently
that all his sworn statements were false
that the former Treasurer had not paid
him-thst the receipts he exhibited
were false, and 1t subsequently appeared
that considerable portion Of the funds
shown in the vaults of the Treasury, and
counted by the Committee, on which,
under oath, Gibson swore belonged to
the State, was hired for the occasion from
bankers and others. Such are in briet
the facts, and how honest men can be
used to violate the Constitution, by al
lowing such man to hold an office, is
strange, very strange and pitiful.
AS matter not perhaps pertinent in
the discussion of the Constitutional
questions, but certainly interesting as a
matter of history, and as showing how
crime begets crime, it is worthy of note
that the $S00,00 lost to the Treasury by
Gibson's career as Treasurer of State,
crippled the finances of Ohio for years;
the sale of the gold in the Treasury to
aid in paying the interest on the State
debt-paying the bondholders in depre.
Ciated paper as interest on bonds bought
with gold, and to be paid principal and
interest in gold. 1t also caused the leg.
islative robbery-for robbery it was, be-.
cause taken in violation of the Constitu.
tion-of the 100000 raised by taxation
for the poor widows and their fatherless
children, and of the crippled heroes of
the war, leaving them to suffer hunger
and cold. This $780, 900 thus taken from
the Soldiers Relief Fund Just made up
the amount of the embezzlement for
which Gibson was indicted. F.
Gin. Eng. 7th inst.