Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-26
Taking Things Easy.

The Legislature of the State of Wisconsin
is ..taking it easy" That law making body
has now been in session nearly three
months. All that it has done, of any
value, might have been done in three
weeks. The actual time spent in legisla-
tive work has been probably less than three
weeks. The rest of the time has been con-
sumed in talking and in taking things"
easy. -.t.{ "a 4EyagF 4 Tg
Talk alone, it was found, would not con-
sumo the infinite leisure of body which
had so little to talk about. The Legislature
was compelled, by sheer necessity, to re-
sort to various other expedients in order to-
keep up the appearance of something to do
and of doing something. One of the most
favorite of these expedients seems to have
consisted in voting stationery, stamps, die
tionaries, and other useful information to
the members. Whenever business has
grown little dull in consequence of the
neglect of some one to introduce bill, or
the failure OF committee to report some
subject to talk about, an unfailing source
| of enlivenment has been to vote each mem
Der fifty dollars worth of foolscap, or
twenty-five dollars worth-of stamps, or a
copy of Webster's Unabridged:
/ So interesting has the process proved to
be that it has been repeated, in each item,
several times; at least, it has been repeat
| ed in the matter of dictionaries. One day,
| the House voted each member dictionary!
| the treasurer, for some unexplained reason,
| refused to foot the bill, whereupon the
House, on the following day, voted each
member another dictionary. With. two
dictionaries before him, member of the
Wisconsin Legislature can have no reason
able excuse for spelling African with two
g's
The amusement of voting dictionaries,
pocket cutlery, stamps, &c, to members
seems to be growing a little stale. On
ly varied by voting $l5 worth of stationery
to each newspaper reporter. The next
variation will perhaps be to vote a new
| jack-knife to the oldest boy'of each mem
Der. The Legislature does not yet begin
even to hint of adjournment, but seems
resolved to sit it out on this line, if it takes
all the dictionaries, stamps, lead pencils and
jack-knives in the State of Wisconsin. The
! Legislature of Wisconsin is obviously in
| the comfortable situation of a philosophic
rogue who believes in taking things''
easy.-Chicdgo Times.
The Ohio Legislature-the Republican
part-has been taking things pretty easy.
Although they have not voted themselves
dictionaries, stationery, pocket cutlery,
stamps, &e.a they voted increase of salaries
to sundry officials, and are now much af-
flicted with the idea that the men who
made and the men who adopted our State
Constitution should have restricted the
privilege of voting to White men. This
restriction the majority hold to be barbar-
Gus, and Notwithstanding the voters, after
fair canvass, by large majority, only a
few years ago, ratified the restriction, and
Notwithstanding they have not petitioned
for its abrogation, the majority seriously
contemplate abolishing the restriction.
This is even worse legislation than the
legislation of the Wisconsin Republican
legislature yinvoting themselves dietiona-
ries, stationery, pocket cutlery and stamps.