The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-02-22
-si'sff17a For hs Portage obuMty Democrat
PLAIN TALK FOR THINKrNG PEOPLE.

PLAIN TALK FOR THTNKTEG PEOPLE.
While we should be careful not to contract
habit Of fault-6nding, We should ever hold
ourselves in readiness to express eur dissent'
disapprobation, or condemnation, of manifest,
palPable acts of Injustice or inconsistency. e
A recent act OF onr Legislature seems to us
to require passing comment, as being Of this
character 1t voted an invitation to the Gov
ernors aud legislatures of Kentucky and Ten
nessee, to mske it visit, which may all have
been well enough, if they were really ANXIOUS
to make each others acquaintance. But as
visiting on 50 large and grand scale as was
contemplated, required material aid il also
voted FIVE thousand dollars of the peoples
money, TO foot the bill Egg sat' ai.H 500
What do you think Of it, Republicans -
You who were in earnest. and meant what you
said, when you demanded retrencbment and
reform in legislative prodigaIity who tried to
seenre By your sufrages and fattered your
selves you had succeeded 10 electing men who
would represent your views. Are you disap.
pointed in them7 We confess We are and
apart from the demagouge aud blind parti.
san, but one Sentiment prevails 10 this matter.
Five thousand dollars, it may be said, is not
much for the State of Ohio-it is only five
Thousand. True it m only. The boy soon
spent his dollar bnt he spent only copper
at time. If the State debt were only five
thousand. we might have lifted the last bond
and with it we could pay the interest on eighty
three thousand, for one year. of the millions
we do owe. ~ G-ai rez I!t.---- Taa9
s. But then it is so creditable to Ohio to lead
of in such splendid movement in the visit
ing line. The working men of Ohio consider
it very credtable to pay their debts. Three
years in succession, of total or partial failures
in crops has put it out of their power to do
this. Men who have been preverbial for their
fpromptness, have been compelled to undergo
the modification Of facing creditor whose
claim it was out of their power by any means
| to meet. p 1E,iasE ias lpa s.tf pl aTses ~
{ In view of this state of affairs, it became
necessary to receive tax in installmen Is /; and
Representatives from the frosted region, must
be aware that many Of their constituents were
under the necessity of borrowing part or
all of the money to pay the half due last fall
trusting to chance to raise the other half when
due in nne next. Hundreds, throughout
Northern Ohio, who had small sums of money
4 to procure the comforts and occasional luxu-
ries of life. expended it for 6read-the staff
/ Of life. We speak advisedly when we say
that within the past year retrenehment aad
reform 10 private families. hasresched point
never before known. A fayorite magazine
literary journal-and not unfreq uently the
county paper, the famiiy's only means of hear
ling Except by chsncel what is transpiring in
the great world of which they constitute a
part must be discontinued on aecou Mt of ina.
bility to pay. They can line without them.
Contributions to benevolent object are les
sened-donation parties to the Pastor, are
meagre in proportion. and for the same cause.
All see all feel this and nearly ell are pre-.
pared to cry shame upon the men who mani
fest so utter disregard for their rights and
interests. ri sifara7.1a.E &aos5s SIT
I There were those in both branches who tes.
tilted against this outrage. We will say all
honor to them, when we say all honor to the
man who does not steal horse because we
pronounce him thief who does. We don't
liexpect men to steal horses. We did not ex-
| pect our Legislature to appropriate money for
any such purpose. a -el a'1E 7s79
RI But we are teldin Justification, it win spread
through the participating States more kind
and fraternal feeling than has hitherto prevail
} ed. Oh, no doubt of it Champaign begets
} a very fraternal feeling. So does forty rod
whisky. 1t was but few weeks since some
young men in an adjoining county, tried get
ting up the fraternal on forty rod Result
I County has them to board until the setting Of
court. Gentlemen with dodging ability suf
6cent to keep out of the way of corks, when
flying 'thick as hail. were no doubt able to
dodge responsibility Of this kind.
But do tell us, gentlemen of the Legisla-
Iture. at what stage of the proceedings you
felt most fraternal. After the speechifying for
, buncome was through with, what was said aud
done that would interest and edify your con
stituents. Tell US all about it; we foot the
, bill. and would like to know. Perhaps we
have right to ask. You might feel your.
/ selves justified in voting smsll sum to defray
/ the expense of printing the entire proceedings
, in pamphlet form. A small edition-say one
> for each School District. We can call q
!. meeting-appoint reader, thus making one
cepy serve fifteen or thirty families. Or we
could read and pass it round as they some.
times do with tracts. The plan is full Of
5 economy. Recolect you are, retrenehing
/ now, and We are rendering suggestive aid.
. The School Library suspended for two
years--saIaries of county officers cut down
, expense of publishing laws in County papers
. saved-we do think the pamphlet might be
afforded. And please inform us, even at the
Iexpense of an additional half leaf, how much
, you charged per day during the time occupied
! 10 spending the FIVE thousand. Four dollars
!. day seems small pay for the risk you ruu.-
+ Is there any constitutional provision in the
3 way of voting an increase of salary during q
session : If there is not do vote yourselves
, a satisfactory compensation.
r If, however, the expense Of Publishing the
[ pamphlet will run the Treasury too close to
( Justify an adjourned session, guess you had
, better not print it, after all. Next winter, ii
in session, yeu will be called upon to return