The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-03-31
TME CITY RLEcFIoN.
Az old adage saws thatawhen thiI

,nond.' Ifthis stage Of affairs in the
municipal government of this city has
not beeu reached, we dread to contem-
plato that condition to which we must !
arrive before the people will see their
9a'intercsts aud feel their responsibility.
Il the people of the city fail 10 improve
the Opportunity offered by the coming
X, city election to deliver themselves, we
hs, would set no limit TO the official in.
sIog jnstics and oppression to which they
y would not submit. Ht'1 u'7 81. =
.Ie What 10 demanded by the people is
d an impartial and even-handed admin
istradon Of the affairs of the city; and
this is just what they have not had for
tho past year, aud what they will not
have for year to como, if mon are
7.g not chosen u. office who have higher
IDEAS Of their duties than merely to
= eubserre party interests in their per.
formance. i
fae tlHA slight review ofthe manner in
% which Justice and law is administer.
cdin this city, and tho "ordcr" result
ing thercfrom, may set this matter in
f;s aproper light before our readers '9
What protection in their persons
9Hi- and property do our citizens onjoy at
the present time? They have, during
e4, tho past six months, been robbed on
os'i the streets, their property taken from
r5 them by larccnes and burgarics
they have been assaulted on the streets
~, aud tho quiet Of their homes has been
disturbed by all manner Of rowdyism
i and disorder. This has not been the
i'i result ofany pcnny wise fooIishnOss on
the part Of onr city authorities, for it
has been quito common thing of late
g5i to find somo one whom nobody sus.
hA' ipoctcd OF being an officer, acting as
sdcb, niingling in minor disturbances,
o and brandishing reyolvors and other
,.rlL weapons, which, lii carried by police
S,ti men at all, are only to be- exhibited
isFf and used in the most desperate oxtrcm-
~ ~ itlcs, The expense to the city is none
tbt less because these gontlcmcn have
~ such happy gift Of keeping out Of
tho way when they are needed, and Of
boing so oficious and cvon brutal when
there is no occasion for it, Ono OF
these officials, without any other pro.
vocation than offensive words, fcw
days since cruelly beat boy with q
billy. Another, d week later, drew u
p pistol upon citizen who had made
no demonstration which made such an
:. act necessary. The night after the
Eagle Office was mobbcd, thcrc were
dozen policemen on duty in this city
but this did not prevent tho breaking
in Of tho windows Of Mr.. Hunter
Drug Store, at one Of the most conspic
uous points on Main street, and WHOM
{. one Of the policemen proposed to in
form Mr.. Beck, tho agent Of the con.
corn Of the damage and exposure oI
... bis goods others declared Mr.. B. to bC
an abolitionist, and attempted to dis
suade tho policemen from doing so.--
With their attention attracted to thi'
spot by what had already occurred
the police seem to have got thcmselv
CS out oithc way just in time not t.
know any thing ofsimilar outrage, al
hour later, upon the windows of th'
f jcwelry store Of George II. Smith, jr
= lfthe fact that Messrs. Beck and Smitl
are Union men depriyes thom Of thu
protection which these men woro sworl
70 exercise over thcm while asleep, w
p. arc not aware oft.
.io.r An upoaonding citizen was attack
cl at late hour Of the night, in an al
10y, without any pretenso ofprovoca
ton, and when the drunken vagabon
Was shown to tho Marshal, and his ar
rest insisted on, the Marshal gave a
an excuse for failing TO do so, that th
man was drunk--as If ono otionc
could atone for another. II should b
here observed that where partialit.
ha boon shown, II has been to part
favOrites. When the editor of tn
Eagle engaged in street fight, tn
Union citizen with whom hc quarrc
led was promptly complained Of br
the Marshal refused 10 reduce his con
plant against the editor TO writing
and when othOrS complained in du
form, he neglected to make tho Al
rest.
Wo have o city ordinance COMPEL
s. ing the closing Of the drinking saloon
on the Sabbath day, but 1t has nc
been enforced during tho past yea
save when tho presence Of Holdicra
the ciH made our officials dread an
influence which might augment u