Year: 1868

10 Transfer of the Soldiers Re


lief Furd.


Mr.. THORNHILL said:


Mr.. Speaker: l am somewhat surprised
to find the gentlemen from Warren (Mr.
Scott putting himself forward on this
occasion as the champion of the soldier
The party to which that gentleman be-
longs, was the party that in 1866 outraged
the rights OF the soldier and his family, by


taking from him the relief which had been


pledged, and applying that fund to


another purpose, in violation of the
express provisions OF the constitution of
the State. During the session of the Leg
islature of 1866, Mr.. Goldman, the Auditor
of State, requested conference with the
Senate and House committees ON Finance.
Those committees met in the Auditors
office, and the Auditor informed them that
it was useless to disguise the fact that the
Treasury of the State was bankrupt, and
that installments on the public debt
were coming due, and that the State
would be- unable to meet them,
unless some provision q was made


for. that purpose, and suggested that
there was about 100000 of the Soldiers
Relief Fund in the Treasury, which might
be applied to meet the eXigencies of the
Treasury. 1t was objected by the Demo-
Gratis on the Finance committee that this
might be a scheme to rob the soldiers of
the Relief Fund.-" The Auditor and the
Republican members of the committees de-
MED that such was their intention, and
pledged themselves if the money was per-
mitted to be thus transferred to the Ger
eral Revenue. it would be returned at
the next session of the Legislature. /
believed then, as l afterwards found,
that it was a scheme to rob the soldiers and
their families OF that fund, and hence OPP
posed the whole project in the committee
and on the floor OF the House. AS sus-
pected, during the session of 1867, the Re-
publican members on this floor, against the
united wishes of the Democrats, did legalize
that transfer !; aud thus wrongfully and
treacherously deprived the soldier of the
fund paid in good faith, by the people, for
his and his families support and relief
Why was this done? Because that party had
so oyertaxed the energies OF the people that
they did not dare to confess that the treas
ury was bankrupt, and thus increase their
burthens by farther taxation. So they
were compelled to misappropriate fund
expressly raised for the soldier, and let his
family suffer that few Republican specu-
lators and thieves might prosper, and that
a corruption fund might be had to carry
the State against the Democratic party !
And now the gentleman from Warren, at
ter his party has stolen and squandered
this fund, comes up and declares it to be the
duty of the Democratic party to re-tar the
people to indemnify the soldiers who have
been plundered by hypocritical party,
that assumed to be, par excellence. the SOL
dier's friend! If ever there was a dishon-
est and insincere transaction, this is one.
We hold the party that done this great
wrong responsible for it-and, by the grace
of God, SO far as / an concerned, they shall
not escape the responsibility of having
bankrupted the treasury, and of hav-
ing robbed the soldier. 1t would be a
cheap way to, escape the, .infamy that
attaches to this great crime, to saddle
the responsibility OF making up the deficit
upon the Democratic party. The Demo-
cratic members of this house opposed the
whole transaction from its inception to its
conclusion; and they do not intend to let
the gentleman from Warren shit the re-
sponsibility upon the Democratic party.
The gentleman suggests that as we are de-
sirous of doing the soldier justice in the
matter, it is our duty to raise a ne,o levy to
restore the fund. So far as am concerned,
am determined to hold the Republican
party, responsible for this illegal transfer.
fund. And 1 think the soldier will find
out in due time, that the blarny about 10y
atty and friendship, uttered by the Repub-
liean leaders, is destitute of sincerity and
truth. do not think it the duty of the
Democratic party to replace these steal
lngs OF the republican party for the
people once paid in this money in good
faith, and l am unwilling to tax them
again to restore the money filched from
the soldier and the Treasury. believe the
soldier and the people will, in due time,
inflict the proper penalty upon those who
have thus robbed the families of the SOL
dier while he was at the front fighting.
The gentleman's anxiety about pressing
this thin now, is idle and insincere. He
l.. Y. L 4.
mouth closed on the subject, and now when
We are about to adjourn he expects to
make @ little cheap capital by pretending
to be the especial friend of the outraged
soldier. l hope the report will beadopted.