Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-04-28
Tue New NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Great
=. Contest at hard.

Il
Contest at hand.
\ re- Call ii Radicalism, Jacobinisn1, or wha,
4 you will, the fact nevertheless is, that in
this country, etery great political contest
conducted upon principle, has been and
ever will be war between the rich and
the poor, Oh the par! Of the rich a war oil
oggression-on the part Of the poor war
of defence: The arrogance of wealth is
almost universal; the possessor of riches
most naturally slides into the beIiefthat the
property which gives him advantage in the
procurement Of the luxuries Of life over his
poor neighbor, should confer on him add.
! tional personal importance and superior DO.
litical rights. Hence it is the Democratic
party is continually undergoing a process
of publication; those who have become
miseriy leaving tito find more congeniol
principles and associates in the ranks oflhe
| aristocracs, while their places under The
I Democratic banner are filled with enlist
ments from the young men of our country,
whose only pros, ects of success in life,
whether their aim be wealth or honor, de.
pends upon the preservation Of the free,
untrammeled, uncontrolled, and unprejudic-
ed rights Of each citizen. s
1t is this which has arrayed The poor and
laboring classes against the privileged or.
ders-tne moneyed aristocracy. The far
smera has been at work, planting his corn,
dropping three kernels for himself and two
for the banks. The mechanic has been at
work in his shop, striking three blows for
himself and two for the chartered monop-
olists; for it is aboutin this proportion that
the exclusive system robs the producer Of bis
hard earnings How strange that such
system should be allowed 10 exist among
people, free and jealous oftheir rights!-
But such is the fact; and with IT the Dem.
ocracy Of Ohio have on hand another
struggle. Let the contest be fair and
worthy Of the principles for which we con.
tend. Let Whiggery, Arisiocracy, and
Bankocracy, in opposition be combined,
and Victory will perch on the banners of
Democracy and Equal Rights.
The new Constitution, now about TO be
submitted 10 the people, calls upon the
voters Of Ohio to say, whether they as in
dividuals and prelessedIy political soyer-
eigns, shall in future rule the State, or al
low corporations and other selfish money ed
associations 10 do it. There are now in
Ohio over fifteen thousand INDEPENDENT
corporations, eocb having separate char
ter. and each enjoying privileges denied TO
the great mass of the people. Every
multiples these corporations
almost Indefinitely; in fact, legislation in
this Stale, under the present Constitution,
amounts to lille more than continuous
grant Of charters. One third Of the people, |
and nearly all the wealth, is in some shape
Power and privileges are
departing from the people, and
being locked ny in The hands Of The few
Another twenty years. if this system re- /
mains, will see the government entirely
wresred from its Legitimate hands, and
by those who are now the charter !
ed recipients of its favors. - a.ss-es s3as
asOur attention has been called to this sub
ject particularly ut this time, by the very
strange atlitude Of some ofthe leading whig
journals in theSiale in reference to the new
Al first, no opposition sap-
peared from any quarter. The papefs in
the bank and corporation interest, were
silent, neither approving or disappearing.
They had not then heard from their mas
le 8. AT length the Chic State Journal,
the great central Bank organ, leads off in
opposition, and The Cleveland Herald, Gin
cinnali Gazette, and oilers, zsse ~
/. 49,, Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart,
Little dogs and all, 2 ma
are yelping responses to their leader.-
These papers now are loud in their, praises
OF the old Constitution, deeply.in love with
the present order of things, and are perfect
iy satisfied with an organic law which was
put in operation helf a century ago, when
Ohio had but nine counties, and only some
so, 900 Inhabitants. Olher States with half
her age and population, are changing Con.
s,itutions oil around US Why not Ohio!
Simply because her charter naongers. her
present pririiegsd orders,desire no change.
The helm of government is now in their
hands, and they dare not trust the people
Plain Dealer : a''2' se'