Year: 1859

principle upon which YOU ca vindicate that


There is not, uRles it be that the public Inter-


ests are TO go for nothing, and that the interests


OF political parties are to be supreme.


DETERMINATIONS.


Look at another instance. This Democratic


Legislature appeared to be very chary of your


funds, and where there is claim presented, il


is to be presented to the Comptroller. then to


the Auditor, who is TO pass upon it and give his


warrant, and then it is to be paid. How is i:


with the Public Works? In that Department


the member in charge certiies the amount of


work done under any contract which he may


make with any body, upon the statement of his


engineer. to the Auditor, AMI the Auditor is
thereupon required TO draw his check upon the
Treasurer. and payment Is forthwith made


What responsibility or check is theref Observe,


there is no control now by the Board of Public


Works at all; no report to be made to them, but


each member in charge appoints his own engi-
| neer, makes his own contract, the engineer
| which heappoints certifes the amount Of work
done, the appointer draws his check to the Au-
diior and the Auditor certifes it to the Treasur-
| er, and the money is drawn without examina-
tion at all.


l say that the party which legislates in this
loose way, has not done its duty in legislation
| to the State.


| PARTISAN LEGISLATION.


| Let me call your attention to one other mat
Ter. showing the partisan character Of all this.
There was the Hooking canal,-that canal ruRs
through an important coal region. 1t is import
ant TO all persons ofthe State who use that coal;
it is important to the people of that part of the
State because it so happens that they have no
other canal or railroad. and cannot else get to


market, and because it has not any competition:
tue practical result is, that it pays alarger reve
nce, in proportion to its cost, than any other of
| these works. The floods of last spring came
near destroying that canal. What was to be
done? The member of the Board of Public
Works had so much appropriated to repair it,
| and that would fall short some sixteen thou
sand dollars. What was to be done in this case?
Why there were three COURSES that might be
taken. One was to call the Legislature togeth-
er and pay them four dollars per day and other
expenses. for saneiioning this expenditure of
sixteen thousand dollars. 1t would cost some
twenty or thirty Thousand dollars to get their
sanction. and although would like very much
to see your respected member down there again,
and although l would like to see your Senator
both good Republicans, as they ought TO be,
eomiag from this county-yet confess l was
not so anxious to see them that thought it
worth while to expend twenty or thirty thou
sand dollars for that purpose. 49,,


There was smother mode. To let the member
in charge go on and repair the canal, and give
certificates of the amount of work done, and let
the contractors get their money upon them as
they could. Of course. the next Legisla-
ture would provide for the payment of the GER
tiicates, but in the meantime, where were the
laborers to get money to live on. from day to
day. l did not think this creditable mode for
the State of Ohio.


Wh,f Whv 70 faE tho
money in the Treasury, Just as the Legislature
would sanction it, if they were there, and apply
it honestly. and in good faith to the repair of
this canal. Never doubling that the Legisla-
ture, if they found the thing all correct, would
appropriate the money. the Treasurer paid the
money upon the order of Mr.. Waddell. who
happened TO be Republican. and this money
was. as all agreed, honesty. faithfully, and
economically applied. Then when the Legis-
lature met this was reported to them. in the re-
port of the Board of Public Works, by the
Treasurer and by myself as Governor. Every
thing was laid before the Legislature. What
did they do? Payit? Not at all! They made
the excuse that there had been no appropriation
of this money. and that the State Treasurer. in
thus securing the interest of the State. had been
guilty of great direliction of duty. Why, but
two or three years before that, the Democratic
Legislature had adjourned, Inadvertently, as |
may suppose, without making any appropria-
tion for the payment of the interest on the pub
lie debt. You had TO pay it. Did Gov. Medill
send for the Legislature? Not at ALL But Mr..
Morgan drew his check upon the Treasurer, ,and
that money was applied. Now this Democrat
ic Legislature eavils about paying sixteen thou
sond dollars that have been honestly applied to
the public service.


By the course adopted. some twenty or thirty
thousand dollars were saved; and then. again,
there was saved the business of the canal, which
as appeared by the report made. was some thirty
or forty thousand dollars: between fifty and six
ty thousand dollars actually saved by this course,
and yet these gentlemen would not appropriate
the sum of sixteen thousand dollars.


ANOTHER PICTURE PAINTED.


How did they do with Mr.. Backus? Mr.
Backus had not enough to make the repairs on
his division, as he thought He made his re-
pairs by issuing certificates, in the mode have
pointed out. to contractors, In payment OF the
work done, and these certificates were actually, |
as have been credibly informed, sold at dis
count of from twenty to twenty-h five per cent,
ard thus the contractors and laborers were feced
and nobody enriched except those who bought
the certi6cates-some OF whom, have been in
formed and believe, we're actually collectors up
on the canal themselves.



ment about paving these things. There was |
no appropriation there you will observe, and
yet they did not hesitate one moment to appro-
pirate the money to pay these. by which the
laborer had been deprived of his earnings, but
they refused to pay the money expended. by |
the member in charge of the Hooking canal, in
the most beneficial as well as economical nan
ner possible. Of that leave you to Judge. 1t |
seems tome it is not proper care of the pubic
is not right


sUB-TnEAsURY.


Again: We are told, and pointed to the SUBJ
as it is called, as the great achieve
ment of the Democratic Legislature during the
last two years. Let us look at it for a moment.


/ start by saying that believe whatever plan
should be adopted. believe, that the Treasur
er ought to be held responsible, beyond all
for everything that he receives
If you add to that the simple provision of law
that all your revenue shall be collected, either
in specie or in the notes of the specie paying
banks Of your State, you have got the sub-treasu-
ry system of the U. s., with this simple differ
ence, that under the sub.treasury of the U. s..
nothing is ]oaned-every thing is kept until it
is wanted for the public use; at least that is the
theory of the sub-treasury system. Well, un-
der this theory the money remains in circula-
ton until it is wanted for public purposes. /
know there are differences of opinion as to these
two plans, as to which is the safer. Isay that
which is the safer ought to be adopted, which
ever it be. 1fthe first is the safe plan, if is the
most convenient, but the point of safety should
supersede every other consideration.


/ want to call your attention to this system,
put before the people. In the first place, the