The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-09-07
The Democratic Legislation for
OhiO-Why Change 1t

The late Democratic Legislature Of Ohio
has passed more excellent laws, and been
more useful TO the people, than any which
has assembled in this State for many years
Here is the record OF some OF its principal
measures, and we point to them with pride
as insugurating real reforms, which ought
to stand for years as monuments Of it's "a,
gacity: .-a. -. tE
i l.. 1t passed the Independent Treasury
law, in order to secure the safety of the
public funds 10 the State and County Treas.
urers Offices. Previous to this law the
public money was allowed to be loaned oul
by the Treasurers to their personal and po.
liticsl friends. They put interest money in
their pockets for the loan. and their friends
speculated with it at great hazard. Ere.
quently when the State wanted it, it could
not get il. Hundreds Of thousands of dol.
lars were lost by this loaning depositary
system, and the people had TO be tUxed to
make it good. 1t was corrupting in every
sense, and did much to scsndalze the pol.
itics of the State. The Democratic Leg
islature enacted that the money should be
kept in the Treasury-that it should be .
penal offence to risk it's ea!ety BY loaning
it to prevent its being lost.
2. For the purpose of allowing the peo.
pie to retain their taxes in their hands as
long ss possible, and 10 Tighten the burden
Of their payment, it enacted law by which
the people could pay them in two install.
ments. half.yearly, instead Of all at one
time. This was measure which had long
been demanded by the people.
3. 1t repealed the Ten percent. Inte-
rest Law, by which usurers had fattened
upon the farmers, mer chants and mechanics,
and adopted a more reasonable and equit-
able money standard ofvalue.
T. 1t adopted a careful and well digest
ed law in regard to assignments" to Sc
cure the public against frauds, while 1t pro-
tected the honest debtor and creditor. This
was most important and wholesome re-
form. ...,
5. 1t passed an act to secure the purity
Of the ballot box and to prevent negroes from
deciding who should be the rulers of Ohio,
Heretofore judges of election Of the Republi.
can faith in the northern part Of the State,
had allowed negroes to vote. In 1857 q
majority of the white men of the State, had
voted for Henry B. Payne for Governor,
and against Salmon P. Chase but their
voices were annulled by the admission Of
two or three thousand negroes, who, over.
ruling the white men, had elected Salmon
p. Chase. Hereafter, the law is thst white
men, and white men alone, shall rule Ohio.
6. II repealed an act Of dscourtesy ard
hostility to the Government of the United
States, which declared that the latter should
not be allowed to use the jails of the State
for the confinement of fugitjves, from ser.
vice. This was due to the relations of am.
ity which should always exist between Ohio
and the Federal Government.
7. 1t repealed an act falsely named the
Habeas Corpus Law, which was designed
to nullfy and present the execution in Ohio
OF the laws OF the United States.
8. 1t made most thorough examination
into the Treasury defacation, and ELECTED
valuable information in regard to the way
in which ii had been effected, so that here.
after our Legislatures could put the proper
safeguards around the public money.
9. lfpassed law in relation to the
canals, designed to secure a more direct ac-
to the people for their manage.
ment and calculated to keep them in bet.
ter condition.
These are some Of the laws OF the late
Democratic Legislature. Do the people
desire their repeal Do they want Mr.. /
Dennison elected Governor, with LegisIa.
ture which will allow the banks and bankers
to handle the public money as depositors;
which will allow negroes to vote and over.
rule white men, which will re.enact the Jail,
Hateas Corpus and Interest Laws, which
the Democracy have repealed, by substitu.
ting better measures in their places b Gin.
Enquirer.