Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-04
lFrom the Cincinnati Commercial. April 81
The NHetrOpOIftan N Police Law.


political parties, is not absolutely a new
thing among us. Itis certainly not at all
good thing. Every party which, in turn
has held Temporary sway in State or nation
has been tempted more or less fIom the
straight line of exact justice, when dealing
with matters affecting, or which might be
made to affect, the continuance of its own
power. "A very common exhibition of this
frailty has been in what is called from its
inventor, gerrymandeIing- arrange.
ment of districts, in apportioning repre-
sentation in Congress or the State Legisla-
ture, SO as 70 neuefalizeSas far as possible
the strength of the opposition, 1t has been
found possible by this ingenious process, to
30 place small county as to gain Con
gresham; ane the conceivable case of a
State-under an apportionment carefully
calculated for emergencies of the kind
giving majority to one party on the pop
ular vote, and electing for the other ma
jority of the Legislature or the Congress
slonal delegation, is not, we believe, with
out utexamples in fact. -
Thoughtful men, even Of the parties tenn
porarily strengthened in this way, have
never enthusiastically approved the pro-
cess. while the mass OF the other side-th1
party curtailed of It's legitimate siren 9TH
have uniformly protestedsagains and de-
nOunced lt.With q Vehemence only eoualed
in degree by the vigor with which they
themselves have prosecuted the same un-
falr sort of partisan warfare whenever the
revolutions of the wheel have brought
them uppermost. It is, it must be con-
fessed. custom which would be more hon.
Ored In the breach than in the observance :
but, at this, late day. We can scarcely hope
for its abandOnment. Politicians have
come to regard it, in fact, rs but practical
application of the principles that the vic
tors own the spoils of the victory, and that
is now accepted as a legitimate article OF
the laws of war. ~. = =
It is not too late, however, to combat the
disposition, now generally prevailing, to
adopt certain other expedients for promot-
ing party interests-expedients equally in
defenslble IN morals. and much more vicious
in practice. Of these, the bill Just passed
by the Ohio Legislature, Familiarity known
as the Metropolitan Police bill. isa sample.
1t purpOrts to be a general law, but is
made, by limitations as To population, to
anect only Columbus, Dayton aud TOlt do,
their local police from the people of those
cities. No pretense is made-Or, if .e.ade,
lt is nothing more than a bald pfetense
that those people are less capa-
Die than others to regulate their own
AFFAIR.", or that their police manage
ment or men are worse then those OF
Cincinnati, Cleveland, or any other cOnsid- :
cradle town in tile State. But the voters OF
the places thus subjected to legislative
guardianship have sometimes, it appears.
elected Democratic officers. This may be
evidence that their politics are not in a
healthy condition, or that they do not prop
erlyi appreciate some gentlemen of or
thedox views, who are always ready to
sacrifice the serene joys of private life and
accept the cares of Office, for the public
good. But to sequester the political rights
and franchises of municipality, in order
TO make places for a small squad of. greedy
office -hunters, or because its people are not
VHyIt ftor
is piece of injustice at once tyrannical and
stupid, and Is altogether too dangerous to
be tolerated as precedent, twill, ifalloW-
ed to stand, unsettle the foundations of
municipal government throughout the
State, and leave the affairs not only OF cities
and villages, but of counties aud townships
at the mercy of the chance legislative ma
jority of the hour; for if the State is to ap-
point and control the police of city, there
Is no conceivable reason why all other
officers may not be similarly controlled.
Aud if city may be thus punished for
cOntumacy in politics, why not any and
every other species of local organization
No party can count with certainty upon
an enduring lease of power in the State.
1t is not very long since. the last Demo-
cratic Governor of Ohio was elected bY a
majority SO large as to astonish the Demo-
Gratis themselves. Only two years after
ward they were again astonished, and
4ulCe as mucn ulSgusCed, at Che election of
Mr.. Chase, the opposition candidate. So
lately as four years ago, through the apa-
thy or momentary discouragement of the
Union party, the Democrats again swept
the State; the same thing may occur, from
like causes, at any time in the future
Then-unless that party shall exhibit a
forbearance which we have no right to ex-
pect, or an indisposition to follow bad pre-
cedents wholly: Inconsistent with its ira
ditions or practice-we shall have, under
legislative enactment, swarm eff ravenous
Democratic scavengers, as hungry and
about as numerous as the locusts Of Egypt,
billeted upon Cincinnati and every other
Republican municipality in the State; and,
in this Metropolitan Police bill, we are
furnishing them, irlsadvance,sa "a ready and
conclusive answer to any protest against
the outrage which we mi ght feel inclined
to make. ss