Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-09-28

Nailed to the Counter, by PROOF from
the Records.
The people of this county will remember that
during the campaign last fall little electioneer-
ing tract, entitled "The Legislature of last VIM
ter" was circulated throughout every school dis
trict in the county and State, misrepresenting
and belieing the first Democratic Legislature un-
| der the new constitution. No names were ap-
pended to the document, and no one was willing
to acknowledge the paternity ofthe lying bantling,
still it was scattered broadcast the State,
sent into every district and every hamlet. Last
winter that same tract was stuck in the teeth OF
the Wing members of the Legislature, and what
did they say oft. Why Senators Gushing and Cox'
both leading Wings, pronounced it a base slander
to charge the Wing party with getting up such a
contemplate thing, and they declared that they
had pronounced it q libel upon the Legislature to
their constituents, and Senator Cox said that
when it was presented to him he 'sdropped it as
quick as he would hot potato" This lying
tract had performed its work, and one of little ad
vantage to its getters up, and it was laid away to
sleep with Ogle's speech and the Wing song
books of 1910.
Just on the eve of another election, these stale
old falsehoods are again brought forward and re-
iterated with such additions may be necessary
to suit the times. The Wing and Star of last
week take up the subject of Legislative expen-
ses, relying upon the statements of the Otao State
Journal and Cincinnati Gazette for their hackers
rather than referring to the Documents to sustain
their position. Their statements are made with
daredevil recklessness and disregard for truth
which could not fail to bring the blush of shame
to the cheek Of man who makes any pretenson
to truthfuness.
| 1t is perfectly evident that these papers do not
desire that the people should know the whole
truth of this matter. as furnished by the Docu-
ments,, but intend to "wool' the voters of this
county by statements as false as the files of the
Ohio Star are inconsistent made false by publish
ing part only of the facts, such as purportng to
state the expenses of the Legislature for toar
years, when they state no such thing. To use
the language of the Star: "For example take the
legislative expenses four years, from 1s44-5 to
1859, while these Bank-mud Democrats were
out of power" Now, the editor of the Star
knows that such garbled sta tement as he gives
is lg, for the suppression of the truth is equ'va-
lent to falsehood. Why did he not, like an
honest man, tell the people that those session
did not hold many days as the first session un-
der the new Constitution-that under the old
Constitution we had but lOs members, while un-
der the new we have 1872! And why did he not
tell the people that he did not include in his
statement the amount of postage and printing of
members paid by the State! These things are
withheld by the Star and Wing that they may the
better deceive the people.
We have not time to follow up and expose all the
fa7sehoods of these sheets, but we ask the candid
attention ofevery one to few plain facts which
will serve to nail to the counter the whole batch
of Misrepresentation which have been put afoat
by these hungry cormorants who are bowling for
the spos.
II In the first place, let it be remembered that
present constitution requires the people to elect
1872 members to the LegislAture-24 more than
under the old constitution, over % per cent
more, and that it will cost % per cent. more,
whether extravagant or economical, to legislate
under the constitution than it did under the
old. But, let US see how the matter stands
The fairest comparison that can be made will be
to take the last session under the old constitution
and compare it with the first session under the
new one. Whether the Democrats have in
show. The Star and Wing assert that they have.
We assert that they have not. BY reference to
Legislative Documents 1872, part l, page 1854,
it will be by the Auditors Report that each
member of the Legislature of l550-5l, cost the
State $4,4l 6 per day, or Al cents mills per
day more than the members received the first
session under the new constitution. This amount
includes their per diem and postage the same
that is included in the four dollars per day under
the present law. Again, let us look at the aggre-
gate cost of the two sessions. Entire cost of
lOS members ll5 days, for session of 185O-'5I.
including pay Of members, sergeants-at-arms,
Clerks, Messenger bays, postage, and printing
$l08, 76422-For proof see Legislative Doc.
Part lst, ls5l-'52 page 81. The entire cost of
the Democratic Legislature the first session un-
der the new constitution, for 1872 members 12O
days, the same items included was BIB 1888 "A,
being only $5,ll9,22 more than the previous ses-
sion, when the latter had "a more members than
any former legislature and were in sessions S
days more than that of 1s5O-'5l. Now, we call
the attention of the editor of the Star to the fact.
that the pure party to which he has the honor to
belong, had the balance of power in this last
Legislature under the old constitution, still they
were more .extravagent than the "Bank-m
Democrats for to further illustrate the matter
IF the Legislature of l85O-'5l had been in ses-
sion the same number of days (l2O) and there
had been many members, as in that of lS5l-'52
| it would have cost the State $l32932 55 an ex.