Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-04-15

ANTI PLUMBER,
THs CANAL LRAsE BnL.-When we "pitch-
ed into this bill two weeks ago, we had no
ideaoi raising such a storm around the Cap
itol, aud We were a little surprised, but not
in any way e~hagrined, when We found men
~irightfully savage and disposed to carry
their point by violence and threats. It only
went 10 prove the depth of the plan laid to
&c, hold Of the Public Works and the alarm
ing extent Of the combination.
Believing the Bill to be a stoiadie, we so
stated, and facts since demonstrate IL. To
say nothing Of the bill itself, which we do
not think is drawn so much 70 protect the
State as the ~lessees, yet the novel mode of
passing such a Bill with the bid in It as one
of its sections and that without any eompe-
tition whatever, was such an extraordinary
departure from all hitherto rules Of public
lettings that it carried a Sirindls upon It's very
face. But the means taken TO impose on
honest and confding members Of the Legis-
lature 10 pass it through, were as singular
and extraordinary as the character of the Bill
itself, viz that the canals acre I00Tth moth
ing : That they had found a select few Of
honest men, whose patriotism urged them TO
relieve the State of a very great burden and
put it on their own shouldersl
Here was what cost the State or the peO-
pie some SsesRtsea millions dollars, to be trans
ferred to q company Of private individuals
for ten years, bodily, waist-coat and breech-
! es-for the nominal sum Of ten thousand dot
lars. But the people were still left to pay
the salaries Of three members of the Board,
two Engineers, aSeeretary and the printing
Of their annual report ali of which would
swallow up the ten thousand dollars and some
four or FIVE thousand dollars more, still leav-
ing the State RsiaHs on the annual exppnsesI
Still, also, there would be left over $500, 600
Of annual interest to be collected by way of
t~sxatiOR on the people. A monstcous legacy,
and that without even an effort to make the
best bargain possible. The very suggestion
by US that the least that could be done hon
estlY would be to open the lease to the high
est bidder, and make the best bargain they
could; this was the crime we committed, and
it was all we had to do with it. That we
used severe terms TO characterize the Bill we
admit we did that on purpose, because we
are in the habit Of using fit terms to express
our meaning.
But what again, has come to light. Sim
ply that this bid is backed by some twenty
i've to forty shareholders who did not APP
pear on the surface. They were innocent pa.
tiotS-Bholly disintsrested, and merely be-
sieging members for the public good! No
Sucking lamb ever bleated around its moth
ers milk witn more pathetic innocence, and
We have no doubt many members believed
their story. But that was their misfortune,
not our fault.
Another story was, that the passage of this
lease bill would be worth ten or twenty thou
sand votes to the Democratic party. How a
Republican Legislature could all at once be-
come so considerable as to pass a law to ad-
minister 50 literally to Democratic success,
was also q mystery. How a Republican Ca
nal Board and a State House full Of wiry, N
bilious Republican State officers, had all at
once grounded arms, and had so fer lost
their political influence as to sit idly by and
suffer such a Democratic measure TO pass, was
one Of the strange mysteries that sometimes
occur in the affairs Of nations. The very
Observation-Disclosures organ of the irrepressibles,
the Ohio State Journal, was so charmed with
this Democratic measure that it and the States
man sucked at he same teat by turns, that
one might have started a profitable show of
the "happy family right on the State
House squarei
But sad to relate, when the curtain was
lifted, there stood behind the screen some thir-
tn gentlemen, selected from both paroles, each
one pulling at his own string, to ring the peo-
pies servants 20 duty and do their bidding
United States Scholarships, Governorships,
Congressional proceedings, Legislative seats,
and all sorts of high honOrs and rich profits
-o~ Z, -e--o Eo- LII orEo ,1I ~ al, .a,,
time, If they would only vote this burden of
the peoples shoulders and vote it on theirsl
Here was the Sscret-here was the mystery
here lay exposed the wonderful disinter-
ested patriotism of the Snowman. Both par
ties were preparing for active hackers at cleo
tions, while both would have been sold, and
the people, as IS usual in such cases. badly
cheated.
Columbus woul1, under such a process, in
a twelEemonth, have been what Albany and
Harrisburgh have been for years, in the hands
Of a combination Of patriots, so mixed up in
political professions that the people might
change parties as often as they pleased; the
same influences would always be on hand;
and the reforms cried for by an oppressed
constituency would result in gridiron Rail
roads, and additional burdens.
Some things have occurred in this affair
which are rather a~musing-and the most
solemn occurrences sometimes have then
funny incidents. It appears that Joseph
Cooper, or as he is generally called, 10 Coop
er, for brevity, well versed in canalling, was
at Connesville, Indiana, when the Crisis ar
rived there with our first article. On read
ing it, b left at once for Columbus, and on
80 - = III --aZ-all.-I
dollars, thus over bidding the combination
lOOper cent? Cooper was in the city twenty
four hours, and had put in his bid, before we
knew he was here, or any thing about him.
Yet thess honest patriots reported ct once
that we were one Of his partners, and con-
esrnsd q of course" Do not be hasH-we are
running the Crisis, and so far from being in
any of the bids, we only want the State to
get full value for that which has cost the
people 8 round sum, and by a vast deal Of
s%chulduggery much more than they ought to
have cost.
But on all grounds Of afree and equal"
justice We cannot see why we should not have
the same rights, in such clses, as any one
else, and we certainly shall not yield that
right in this or any other case, whether we
ch0oae to exercise it or not. We do not
think it. crime to bid, IS a Democrat, with
out any Republican combination in the case.
10 Cooper did not treat Us very well we reck-
on, for instead of coming to bug Us, he went
at once to try Mr.. Manypenny, as Mr.. NJ. con-
iesses. 10 is sharp and knev Dhere to 90, We
suppose. At least this is the conclusion
"about town.
The combination 0 fthirty" was too large
to dissolve, and one dare not secede from the
other, and Mr.. Cooper did the next best thing
to stand on his bid. We hope some n may
still bid higher yet, for this idea that the ca
mails are worth nothing IS one of the scandal
Gus eaRaris got up to answer purpose
Rerause the rsne1a have haau badly mauaUad