The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-06-10

seribers to your papers New York, PhiIadelphis,
end Cincinnati publishers send men this way and
obtain many subscribersb byit se .,.' 81 =,
We hope the friend who writes US the above
letter will take il upon himself 10 act as our agent
We will remunefate him for his trouble. We ex-
tend the same invitation to other Postmaster.
f .----------- r .i,.. "a.
@ei4Ti5 igas- For the Spirit of Dem ocracy.
70 the People Of Belmont 4 Monroe.
The plunder system was intro.
duced into the last General Assembly in various
modes. The debates were ardent and animated,
but it Is believed that the opponents of the system
lost ground. In the early part of the session a
bill passed the House of Representatives and came
to the Senate, to Incorporate the Toledo Plank
Road Company. This bill empowered the Com
pany to construct their road or roads from Toledo
10 any point or points in Lucas. or the adjoining
countless with power to levy and collect tolls ffun
persons using the improvements. So far it was
only local bill, and demanded no particular atten-
IOu VI CaIS HOtu yOuT 0cudtOIs Dul u Hdu dHOtIis
~ feature, which demanded an entirely different
consideration This was nothing more nor less
than provision that, after twenty-five years, the
State Government might foot all the bills, pay all
srresrages, and take the road to ITSELF The reason
urged for this provision was, that otherwise the
Company might prove burthensome to the people
along the line by exacting heavy toIs!! Fellow
Citizens. what think you Of this as charge upon
the State Treasury! What think you OF the rea.
sonableness of paying taxes for such purposes!--
Yet the bill had progressed to its third reading In
the Senate before this beautiful feature was dis
covered. BY the standing rules, bills are read the
first and second times by their titles only. They
are read In Committee OF the Whole by sections,
but where they appear to be merely local, they fre
quently receive very little attention.; so that very
Objectionable provisions sometimes get through by
inadsertence. When this bill was put upon iis
third reading. ono gentleman moved that it be
read by it's title only conceived that this was
introducing very bad precedent, and therefore
strenuously objected. Objection having been
made. the bill was read at length, and almost at
the end of its long and tedious provisions came
to the one 10 question. then gotitrecommitted
and finally returned II to the Senate, accompanied
by report against the plunder system. AZ that
system is in reality odious and unustriable it will
notbear examination; the Senate therefore struck
ont that section Of the bill which provided for pay
ing for the construction of this road out of the
State Treasury, and the House concurred, for tear
Of losing the bill altogether. After the usual num-
Der Of the above mentioned report had been print.
ed, the Senate ordered twenty-one hundred extra
copies, but the House, having large wbIg major.
ity, refused to concur This may be safely cited
as an instance Of laldable economy in the friends
ofplunder. "Picayune Frazier y come 10 town."
Computing interest it may be safely calculated
that this system has cost us one hundred millions
ofdollars 1t annually costs this Senatorial Ris-
trict more than twenty thousand dollars IN The
Of Representative, with an overwhelming whig
msjoriiy. could refuse the tridipg piuance neces-
ssry 10 print report showing up its abuses and its
enormities!!! But stop-let US forbear to COM
plain; the subscriber is credibly informed that
General Ford, the Hero Of Cheesedom. not more
than two or three years ago, made report to the
Senate. in which the advantages and benefits Of
the plundcr system are paraded in language the
most grandIoquent. Good, innocent. virtucus,
lovely concern; It had never committed any SINS
frauds or pilierings. and had been highly beneficial
TO those who got their pockets fulfil! Now as
their whig nominee was thus committed. il would
he sinful to let the world know the truth Of the
han rovna q ttn
polls neat faa think Of these things. Remember
ahss Seabury Ford has made report in which the
plunder system Is It length Indirectly Justified
Iusnpposed benefits are trumpeted to the world
and lis frsud and fouiness arc passed over in ST.
lenee and ieftin the background. Out upon such
acandidate; let him stay in Cheesedom and slsy
bis ten thousands. according TO Greiner's Song.
Soon after this transaction The, Senate resolved
to appoint Select Con,mittse to take into con-
alteration the whole subject of taxation and its
practical application. The performance of this
duty was assigned to the subscriber. As nearly
seven-eighhs of our public taxation arise from the
plumber system. that system was again examined
in this report. When il came in, The usual num-
Der vas Immediately ordered to be printed The
Senate was very willing to print extra numbers.
but tho subscriber wss unwilling 70 have second
application made to the comfy Of the House |
therefore ordered extra numbers myself and paid
Tor them out Of my own sub,reasury. ,yal
In these two reports The plunder system Is ex-
amined n All IL bearings. Thty make about
tventy.six octave pages Of closely printed mat
Asrs They will bs found a large in the Journals.