The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-04-01
THE CROWDAR BIIL.

OF all the mobs which disgrace poor human
nature, none are SO perncious in their in.
fiuence upon the morals of the people, as
those which have the sanction of Law. The
last Legislature passed law which is gen.
orally known as the Crowbar bill, authorizing
County Treasurers to raise mob and force
! open the Banks. and collect the taxes which
the Legislature levied in violation of the
soemnly pledged faith of the State. Thu,
the Banks would be justified in resisting, by
force of arms, no one could dispute. They
bank by law-the provisions of the charter
settle the question of how much tax they shall
Pay-and that they have never hesitated a.
bout paying. If they stood up to their rights
blood-shed would be the invitable copse.
quence.
But suppose the banks had been legally
taxed, and refused to pay the tax, the Courts
are open for collection Of the taxes, the same
as with other citizens, and no good citizen
would ask one mode of collecting taxes for
one class, and another mode for another class.
The influence such legislation must have will
be to loosen the feeling of respect for the
law, and teach our citizens that they NAV
obtain their supposed rights, not by the usual
made, in our Courts, but by revolycrs and
bowie knves--in other words, to prepare our
citizens for mob rule. II the people of Ohio
are not disposed to come under this kind of
rule, they must raise in their might, and hurl
the loco!ocos from power. They have already
disgraced the State by Reputation, and their
acts are calculated to make blood and carnage
the order of the day.
So fur as banks and bankers are concern.
ed, we care no more for them than for other
branches of business, and other citizens. II
the people do not want banks in this State
lei them 60 out of the business, and invest
their funds in something else. The neighbor-
ing States, can furnish us with shnplasters
in sufficient quantities to do business with,
and probably not more than half of them
will blow up and leave their notes worthless
in the hands of our citizens. What we OBJ.
ject to is, the different rule for different citi.
zens.
The Ohio banks were chartered upon such
terms that it was almost impossible for out
citizens to lose by them. The locofocos had
Prophesied that that they would all below up
in less than three years from the time they
went into operation. But The banks went on
and no signs of the explosion appearing, the
locofocos found they were placed among the
false prophets, and that was humilating
position to be in. They then concluded that
they would tar them out of existence, al.
though any person of any sense al all mus
see that the result will be to food our State
with the notes Of foreign banks, over which
we have no control, and of the value of which
ouT lens ..can % gt-aw nothing. Many o
of them have already faied--aGd, no doubt
more will do so-but what do the loo rocos
care-their tom -foolery must be carried out
even should it be millions Of loss to the peo
pie. If the people can standsuc legislation.
tion, they are already prepared for mob
violence.