Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1850-08-31
Judge Johnston at Perrysburgh.

We had the pleasure of attending the SEN
atorial convention on the 22d., and Of hearing
the Whig candidate for Governor address the
convention. There was quite large num-
Der in attendance, but not as many as we
could have wished, both of wings and demo
Gratis; and all seemed to be highly pleased
with his remarks.
The leading questions at issue between the
two great parties, in the present canvass, Judge
Johnston discussed with the ability of one who
knows what he is going to say, and with an
earnestness that was convincing to every one
who heard him, that he believed the things he
taught
He showed, most couclusively, that it was
for the interest of the West and North west
ern portions of the state, to foster Public I'M
provements. The wealth of any people de-
pends upon their improvements, and without
such works in the shape of railroads, canals,
plankroads, &c, the prosperity of nation
is greatly retarded. Public Improvements
are beneficial to the people, or at least to the
producer by bringing the market for his pro-
duce near home, and thus, in great measure,
doing away with the cost of transportation,
which is a dead loss upon the seller, reducing
the price of his articles in proportion as the
cost of transportation is high or low.
The Individual Liability" principles advo-
Gated by the Democratic party, are hostile to
Public improvements. Individual effort is not
sufficient to build a railroad, plankroad, or ca.
nal, and consequently, they are to depend up
on the united efforts of men who have the
capital among them to prosecute the business
This idea in ITSELF viz: That each member Of
a joint stock company is liable not only for bis
own subscription, but also for all subscriptions
and debts of the other members of the COM
pany, is absurd in the highest degree; and
any man who would subscribe stock on such
terms would be a fit subject for the insane
asylum.
The truth Of this matter is,that if the "Indi-
vidual Liability" clause be inserted in the con
stitution, there viii be no more chartered COM
panies, or as the Reformers are pleased to call
them "monopolies; and if there be no more
united efforts to forward public works. they
will not be built, for the time has gone by
when the people will suffer themselves to be
taxed, or the faith of the state be pledged to
forward these national benefits. What then,
we ask is to be the result of the individual
liability" principles if it is not to utterly de-
stroy all future Improvements? The neces-
sity of improvement is admitted by the oppo-
sition, but the plan they have marked out il
persisted in will in the end, utterly destroy the
spirit of progress; and the selfstyled reform
ers will have to mount another hobby to ride
rough shod over the good sense of the people
The measures of the Wing party which the
progressives are eternally holding up as being
designed to make the rich richer, and the poor
poorer, was attended to in a forcible manner
The Improvements of the system of Common
Schools-the abolition of imprisonment for
Debt-the present Revenue System, are all
genuine Wing measures, passed by Whig Leg.
islatures, and opposed with all the hatred and
virulence which has ever marked the course
of our 'mighty reformers"
These measures, said Judge Johnston, the
people of the state of Ohio have had the priv
ilege of testing. And they have stood the
test. Who are the men who are opposed tc
taxing all the property in the state for the pur-
pose of raising a Common School fund. by
which the poor mans children may be edu,
Gated at the expense of the rich? The rich
nabob who would feel himself degraded if his
children were 10 be lowered so far as to 90 tc
a Common School. Who were the men who
so bitterly opposed the law abolishing Impris
onment for Debt? The rich man, who could
not then incarcerate some hapless victim who
happened to owe him a few dollars, in the
County Jail, until the same was paid And
who were the mouth-pieces of those Buckeye
Shylocks in the state Legislature The Dem
ocratic party. Who was it that fought so bit,
terly and madly in favor of this relic of Eng.
lish barbarism in the state Legislature? The
Democratic party. And these are the men
who take so much delight in telling the Wings
that they are endeavoring to make the erich
richer and the poor poorer"
The comparative merits of the old and the
new Revenue System were touched, upon as
also the Currency Question. Judge Johnston
expressed himself as strongly opposed to an
exclusive metallic currency, and showed con-
clusively. that the annihilation of paper cur.
rency would be in the highest degree, disas-
trous to the interests of the people at large
We have not time to extend this synopsis fur.
ther, but would say thatif the people, one and
all. could only hear Judge Johnston speak
they would then be able to decide which was
the greatest "boOby," Judge Johnston, OIL
the ex-Chairman of the Committee of Public