Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-03-08
POL1tTI c AL.
TO THE PEOPLE OF OHIO!

The undersigned, the democratic, mem.
bers of the Senate and House Of Rep rssen-
tatives, desirous, ere We seperate, of rem.
dering to our constituents faithfuiaccoun1
of the manner in which we have discharged
our duty, submit the following statement
of facts to the consideration Of the ti'semen
Of Ohio,
On assembling at your state Capital al
the opening Of the present session of the
General Assembly, knowing ourselves in
minority Of two in the Senate, and six in
the House of Representatives, and that our
legislative influence would as matter of
course, be mostly ofashegative or conserv-
alive character, we determined to- aid our
political opponents inperfecting such leg.
islativs acts as they might introduce, which
we conscientiously believed would advance
the general welfare Of the people Of Ohio.
We attempted tointroduce but few meas.
ures ourselves, as We soon found that all
our legislative actstwere viewed with dis
trust by our opponents.
We sought, it is true, to permit the peo-
pie of Ohio to elect such of their public sor.
wants especially the Board Of Public
Works. as are not nrohibited 70 them by
The cofistn nLltion. u tiIis ntter of
course, our opponents unwil liissgte
trust power in the hands The people, we
failed ass 8sr5
We also attempted to SO change the tax
law, that the money and property of bank
ers might be taxed the same as individual
property. In this as might be expected,
we also failed.
We attempted to prevent banks and bro:
kers from circulating foreign bank paper,
but the influence Of the bankers triumphed
at the ex pense of the people.
Among other important considerations,
we proposed to refer to asyote of the people
of Ohio the great and important question
Of a new constitution. A movement that
would have given to the citizens of our
State an opportunity of throwing such ad-
ditional guards around their property and
rights, that they might rest in greater Sc
curity from the opposite acts Of legislators
who forget all interests but their own
But the majority dared hot trust the people
with their own affairs-dared not submit
to the sovereign will of n free people, a
question Of such vital importance, for by
their process Of Legislation they were sap
ping popular rights step by step, Destroy
ing the sanctity Of the constitution, and the
power of the people. s q
Finding ourselves, as before remarked,
powerless to originate wholesome legisla-
ton, we contented ourselves in aiding, as
far as consistent with duty our opponents
in, perlecting such measures Of theirs as
were demanded by the public interest, and
in opposing all such legislation as we be-
lieved would result in injury to the masses,
and only for the benefit Of a favored few.
We had sworn to support the constitut ion
and we determined in. all our legislative
action to make that sacred ins strument our
polar star to guide. US in the path Of duty.
'STAND BY THE CONSTITUTION became
our watch-word; and ssco8ne veal come
wo," we determined to guard this pailia-
dunn Of our liberties fromsthe sacrilegous
touch of time-serving andsexp p ediency poll
ticians
We had learned from the history Of q
few past years, that lhe tendency Of legis'
latiop had been TO give unnatural advanta
ges IS wealth, at the expense of labor. -
Our laws had been made to operate for the
protectiorhof corporattens, the creatures of
legislative breath, although against the in
terests of natural persons noble
men.
We had seen, by Legislative enactments
the wealth of the State coaxed oHdriv en- as
much as possible frenthe control of -indi
viduals, that it might, be, placed atthe dis
posal of soulless and irresponsibl corpora
tons. We had seen millions Of money
thus withdrawn from honest and equitable
taxation; and as natural consequenceswt
had seen increased Burdens imposed upor
the laboring and producing class.
These interpretations and this associa
ted wealth having been peculiarly favored
by great political party in their turn, pc
came powerful engines in the hands Of ttd'
same party. to still further Cypress and en-
slave the people. 9. 80 -sa.asff
The peopleeof Ohio have now over eigh
millions Of money invested in the bankin,
institutions .ofthis State. The influence
Of this incorporated wealth has now be
come 50 important that, in order to gaare