The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-06-04
ADDRESS OF THE
STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEES,
TO THE
PEOPLE OF OHIO.

examination of the defects of the old consti
tuition, and the improvements made in the
new
| The new constitution was framed bv tht
united labors and mature deliberation of The
ablest men in the State. Itwas agreed upor
with unparalleled unanimity. OF the hun
dred and eight members who composed The
Convention, fourteen only voted against it.
final adoption. Men of all parties and o
every diversity of sentiment concurred in its
provisions. This very fact is no slight pre-
sumption in its favor.
But your decision should not be made
EupNn this ground. 1t should rest solely upon
the merits of the new frame of government
The question is: Does the new constitu-
ton reflect and embody the wishes and will
OF this people? Let us examine ~ d
/. The evils of the election of State officers
by the Legislature have long been apparent
to this State. The people have earnestly
desired that the election of all officeassshould
be committed to their hands They are the
source of all power in civil government.
They are the governed, to them alone should
be entrusted the selection of the officers by
whom that government is administered In
accordance with this clearly expressed wish
OF the peOple--in accordance with the fun
damental principles of liberty, the new con-
stitution provides that all offices, Executive,
Legislative and Judicial, shall be elected by
the people.
z. At various times, in both branches of
General Assembly of this State, there has
been difficulty in effecting an organization
For weeks the business of the State has been
delayed by unequal division of parties, and
the refusal of either to give way to the other
Time and money have been squandered-
the public interests sacrificed from the alb
sence of any provision in the old constitu-
ton, by which an organization could be eff
fected, and business dispatched in spite of
party prejudices and party pride. For this
evil the new constitution has provided COM
plete remedy. The election of a Lieutenant
Governor, who is by virtue of his office,
President of the Senate, will secure the or
ganization Of that body. All factious delay
is also prevented by giving him the casting
vote in case of tic.
The organization of the House of Repre-
sentatives, is secured by requiring the mode
of such organization to be prescribed by law.
3. Upon the subject of public debt the
new constitution contains the most salutary
provisions ExpefieneGhas shown that there
is an almost inevitable propensity in those
who manage public, affairs, to be lavish in
the expenditure Of the public money. ToI
protect the people against this lavish and un-
necessary waste--to secure them, in the fl-
ure, against an enormous public debt like |
hat which now impedes the growth and
prosperity of our State, the new constitution
makes ample provision. The General As
'embly is prohibited from contracting debt
'ver seven hundred and fifty thousand dol
ars, except to repel invasion, suppress insur-
ection, defend the State in war, or to redeem
he present outstanding Indebtedness of the
State. H.uJ..t .4s .~.t.ssl.s- ...,Ds,tr
q. Under the present constitution the Gen
rai Assembly has been in the habit of exer-
Using Judicial powers. At almost every
ession, much of the time of both Houses has
leen devoted to the discussion of questions
# divorce. The po6tic money and the pub
&c time have been spent upon a subject ex-
lusively private. The new constitution ab-
olutely prohibits the exercise Of this power
The General Assembly shall grant no di-
'orce, nor exercise any judicial power not
lerein expressly conferred"
s. The evils which have resulted from the
vant of circumspection in granting corporate
'owers have been sensibly felt by the people
# this State. ,l .,...'..,g,
There is no reason why corporations should
lotpay their debts. They should notb dis,
lnguished from individuals in this respect.
The creditors rights should be as inviolate
With corporations as with individuals. The
imple question is: Shall the poor iaborer,
Who has in good faith, with toll and sweat, I
onstructed some public improvement, OF the
ich corporators, be the losers? This is the {
imple question, divested Of all sophistry,
nd every hohest-hearted man in the State
an give but one answer toit. 1, yrra
The new constitution makes corporations
liable for their debts, and enforces the pay-1
aent Of them. ''Dues from corporations
hall be secured by such individual liability 7,
t the stockholders and otharmeans as may
e prescribed by law; lbut in all cases such
tooklholder shall be liable over and above
he stock by him or her owned, any amount
Inpaid thereon, to farther sum, at least
quail in amount to such stock" Is there I
nything wrong or unjust in this proviisions ,
The State Of Ohio has repeatedly pledged
ler faith for the payment Of her public debit
nd there is not man in the State who {
would not be insulted at the proposition to
epndiate. Shall the supreme power of the !
state confer upon its creature What it would
Purnto take to itself? Shall it pay its own
ebts with punctilious exactness, and net
1rce its creature to do the same? Shah 4
Ne state have one system Of morals for It. !
eli and for its people, and another for cor
oratonsY II may be said that corporations
annot exist under constitution which COM :
els them to pay their debts. Let us try
le system, and ietexperience test the truth y
falsehood of the objection. y
g. Fhe taxation .ofcOrporations Il another +
nportant reformation Introduced into the
ew constitution. Jtis well known that IN IA
lviduals and corporations have been taxed i
pom different principles The former have !, 4
cen compelled to pay taxes upon the whole |, 4
alle Of their property, the latter upon their 4
rofits only The new constitution provides q
lat the property Of corporations shall
fever be subject to taxation, the same asl
'e eproperty Of individuals" This is equal 3
nd exact justice, and nothing more. 10