The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-09-14
The Democratic Legislature for
Ohio-- Why Change ltl

Ohio Why Change 4t!
The late Democratic Legislature Of Ohio
has passed more excellent laws, and have
been more nseful to the people. than any which
hse assembled iu the Stats for many years
Here is the record of some ofits principal meas.
ures, and we point to them with pride as inau.
gurating real reforms, which ought to stand for
years as monuments oft sagacity.
l. It passed the Independent Treasury law
in order to secure the safety of the pnblc funds
in the State and County Treasurers' Offices
Previous to this law the public money was al
lowed to Re loaned out by the Treasurers to
their personal and political friends. They pu,
interest money in their pockets for the loan
and their friends speculated with 1t at great haz
ard. Frequently when the State wanted il
they could not get it. Hundreds and thousands
OF dollars were lost by this loaning depository
system, and the people had to be taxed 70 make
1t good 1t was corrupting in every sense, and
did much to scandalize the politics Of the State
The Democratic Legislature enacted that the
money should pc kept in the Treasury-that it
should be penal offence to risk its safety by
loaning 1t out, and it put other safeguards
around it to prevent its being lost.
2. For the purpose Of allowing the people tc
retain their taxes in their hands as long as pos
sible, and to tighten the burdens Of their pay
ment, il enacted a law by which the people
could pay them in two installnents, half.yearly
instead Of all at one time. This was meas.
urs which had been long demanded by the peo.
pie.
g. 1t repealed the Ten percent Interest
Law, by which usurers had lattened upon the
farmers, merchants and mechanics, and adopted
a more reasonable and equitable money stan.
dard of value.
4. 1t adopted careful and welI-dgested law
in regard to assignments" to secure the pub.
lie against frauds, while it protected the homes
debtor and creditor. This was most impor.
tant and healthful reform.
S. 1t passed an act to secure the purity of the
ballot boz and to prevent negroes from deciding
who should be the rulers of Ohio Heretofore
Judges of election ofthe Republican faith in the
northern part of the State had allowed negroes
to vote. In 1857 majority Of the white mer
Of the State had voted for Henry 3. Payne foI
Governor, and against Salmon P. Chase; bu
their voice had been nullifed by the admission
Of two or three thousand negroes, who, oVerru
ling the white men, had elected Salmon P
Chase Hereafter the law is that white men
aud white men alone, shall rule Ohio.
6, 1t repealed an act of discourtesy and hos
tilty to the Government of the United States
which declared that the latter should not b.
allowed to use the jails Of the State for the con
finement Of fugitives from service. This was
due to the relations of amity which should al
ways exist, between Ohio and the Federal Gov
ernnent.
7. ltrepealod an act falsely named the Ha
beaS Corpus Laa0 which was designed to nullify
and prevent the execution in Ohio Of the law!
of the United States.
| s. 1t made a most thorough examination in
to the Treasury defalcat,on, and elected valua
BILE information in regard to the way in which
it had been effected so that hereafter our Leg
islatures could put the proper safeguards d
round the public money.
| g. 1t passed law in relation to the canals
designed to secure more direct accountability,
| to the people for the management and calCula
ted to keep them ii! a better condition.
| These are some Of the laws of the late Dem
ocratic Legislature. Do the people desire thei
repeal? Do they want Mr.. Dennson elected
Governor with Legislature that will allow
the banks and bankers to handle the publ,
money as repositories; which will .iiow ne
gross to vote and overrue white men; which
will re enact the Jail, HGbeas Corpus and In
tereSt Laws, which the Democracy have re
pealed, by substituting better measures in thci
Places Gin. Eng.