The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-05-28
For the Sentinel and Farmer.
The New Constitution
no. iE

Mkeshs. EDitoRs.--A gfeat poraOh Vi the
people n any State. are more influenced by
of personal interest, than by
4 regard for the public welfare. For this
reason most Of the people about the city of
Columbus, nearly all the associate judges in
the State, and the strong whig partisans, Op-
pose the adoption of the New Constitution.
Under the present system, when the first
Monday in December comes around, the city
Of Columbus is crowded with host of stran-
gers, people from all parts Of the State, all
anxious to obtain Office from the Legislature;
and lowering around like flock of hungry
yultures, they are ever ready to seize upon
the yitals of the State, and fatten on the
public plunder. These are, for the most
part broken down politicians and hungry
Office seekers, who, as the people have never
discovered any merit in them deserving the
reward of Office, imagine that in the violent
turmoils OF faction, or from the easy creduli-
ty of the Legislature, they may obtain an
Office, which will enable them to live without
labor, aud get the favor of the public with
out taking the trouble to deserve it. These
men beset our Legislature continually, some
soliciting and pulling at the Free Soilers,
some at the Wings and some at the Demo-
Gratis, until like pack of hungry hunds that
have seized fox, they sometimes succeed
in tearing the poor beast in pieces, each one
running off with his own share; or if this is
not the result, the Legislature is constantly
agitated, and kept in tumult and uproar,
until in the strife of faction and scramble for
Office, the public business is neglected the
people forgotten and the State plundered
The money that this constant crowd of
people spend in Columbus every winter is
immense, and serves to enrich the city,
But as, under the new Constitution, there
will be no offices in the gift of the Legisla-
ture, and as it will meet but once in two
years, this extraordinary supply of money to
the city will be cut off; hence large por-
ton of the people of Columbus, not posses
sing sufficient patriotism to overcome their
regard for self interest, will oppose the adop-
ton of the new Constitution.
Again, most of the associate Judges in
the State oppose the adoption of the Consti-
tuition, because it will deprive them of their
Offices; and the strong Wing partizans and
bankrupt politicians oppose it, because they
find it much easier to obtain offices from the
; Legislature than from the people. THEY
fear that the people will discard them, and
make the offices within their gift the reward
of merit, rather than of partisan services.
BY the adoption of the new Constitution,
the people will at once remove the great
bone of contention that has kept the political
ours snarling at each other in Columbus,
throughout every winter, since the State
government was formed; and will effectual.
ly break up the whole system of fraud, bri
i berry and corruption, that has for some year.
: been practiced in our Legislature
our people at home, and disgracing our Stat,
abroad-where there are no carcases ther,
, will be no buzzards.
i A very great portion of the time of tn,
r Legislature is at present taken up in passing
! special acts of incorporation and local laws
but under the new Constitution all corpora
, tions will be formed under general laws, ant
E no special acts of incorporation win need t.
be passed, consequently the sessions of tn
/ Legislature will be shorter and less expen
. sive to the people.
An objection to the new Constitution i
very seriously urged by the Wing State Cen
tral Committee, in their late address to thei
party, which is, that under the new Constitu
. ton the State may, and probably will, tax tn
United States, and State stocks owned b
own citizens; and they say that to tax Un
ted States stocks owned by our own citizen
would be violation of the Constitution
the United States. This objection is unwo
: thy the respect and consideration of the mo-
i Ignorant tyro in political knowledge, an
made to the disgrace, and in contempt O
. the great whig party of the State. If it
:. unconstitutional to tax United States stock
" those who own the stock cannot be compel,
t. to pay the tax. But it is not so No Sta
~ % can tax the property of the United States, b
- - the stock of the United States, owned by o
v. citizens is the property Of our citizens al
r, not Of the United States. The Wing Ce
ir trail Committee in effect say that the VIII
. party are opposed to taxing the State al
n United State Stocks owned by our own CT
% zens. Now who is it that owns State stock
Is it the poor man? or the man in moderi
ms circumstances? Mol it is the Bankers, t
is Brokers and the wealthy men about Cine
!, natl, Columbus and Cleveland. Then acc
it ding to the Wing Central Committee,
though the poor man who has fifty doll
invested in COW and poor old horse, m
every year "step up to the Captains of
en- and SETTLE" the Broker who has fifty tn,
Y. u sand dollars invested in State stocks ouI
ms mot to pay any taxes nor bear any part of
ion public burthens! Shame on the politici'
fu- who could nut forth such sentiment as