Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-03-25
Columbus Letter.

wear d comparatively deserted appear
ance. A few not favored with conve-
nient railroad facilities, and who dread
a trip over bottomless mud roads, re-
main here, the very pictures of discon'
tent and WEAKNESS. The wretchedness
j.. of despair that overshadowed the nat.
urally handsome c~ountenance of the
member from Coshocton county, be-
tween whom and home lay an impassa-
bic gulf of mud, was distressing to
behold. He could not have locked
worse had he learned that every distil-
lery had been peremptorily closed for
ever.
A few bills have become laws, since
1 last wrote. That prohibiting prize
fighting one which many regard as of
high moral excellence. 1t is good as
far as it goes, but so long as newspapers
are permitted to publish detailed and
circumstantial accounts of prize fights,
in all their disgusting particularly,
giving a wide spread ~notoriety to the
principals, as champions of the ring,
holding them up to the admiring gaze
of old and young, in glazing capitals,
there will be little use to enact legal
impediments in the way of professional
pugillists. From Cincinnati they can
cross the river into Kentucky, or go a
little further and cross the State line
into Indiana, enjoy their mill" ana
have the satisfaction of seeing their
battle reported as full in the Cincinnati
papers as though they had enacted
their disgraceful scene in the adjacent
county of Butler, where Chris. Hughes,
the Democratic representative, says,
the people drink whiskey and vote for
''free and easy" politicians. Hughes, it
is hardly necessary to add, with a num-
Der of other Democrats, voted against
the bill to prevent prize lighting"
They, perhaps, thought it was a refec-
ton against their Democratic brother
in Congress, the Hon. John Morrissey.
Several local laws were passed this
week, none of interest to the people at
large. The repeal of the Cleveland
metropolitan police law, and the pas
sage of q bill, in the Senate, to give the
police appointments into the hands of
the Democratic mayor, and to district
the city so that it will elect a majority
of Democratic councilmen, has excited
interest among the members generally.
The bill, it is hoped, will not pass the
House. 1t will not if those Democrats
who profess to dislike the bill on prin-
ciples of general hatred to popular
swindles, stand firm; but there Is a
heavy pressure being brought to bear
on them, by Democratic members gen.
orally, and a number of Cleveland
lobbyists in particular, to get them to
overcome their scruples and go for the
bill. This week will probably bring the
question to a vote in tie House.
A bill has been introduced to allow
Commissioners to build new jails in
counties wherein the old jail shall
hereafter be condemned, by reason Of
its insecure, impaired or unwholesome
condition, as unfit for prison purposes
and indicted as a nuisance, by three
consecutive grand Jurors, who are re-
quired t. inspect it as the law now pre-,
scribes. It is provided that the com
missioners shall first carefully ascertain
if the old jail AN be properly repaired
and remodeled, without an expenditure
out of proportion to the benefits to &C
u before they can proceed 10 thu
erection of a new building. The law
intended to be general for the State
The principle is believed by many t.
be eminently right and practicable.
The legislature will hold on for two
to four weeks longer. The appropria
ton bill has passed the Senate, but hai
not come before the House, where i
will require several days to ges
through.
The bill allowing county commission
err, in counties where they hold twelVr
sessions a year, mileage for that mum
Der of sessions, was for a lopg whilt
smothered in the committee on fee
and salaries, under amendments ofere'
by a member of the House, who seem
to regard county commissioner as littl
better than rogues. The committee
however, have agreed to report tn
original bill, which will no doubt be
come a law, as its reasonableness
manifest.
An adjourned session for next white
is inevitable. The model legislator
the Democrats were going to have
short session-actiTe in business, prat
teal, prompt and economical-has com
TO nought. The Democrats themselvei
admit their disappointment over tn
glaring failure to improve on precedin
legislatures.
As the weather improves, the street
of Columbus appear more animated an
business like. High Street, with /
two miles of Nicholson pavement, is
fine avenue, and q credit to the capiU
city. Broad Street is only second
Euclid Street, Cleveland. 1t contain
8 number of fine residences of han
some architecture, surrounded by sp
cious grounds attractively laid out ar
t~asteiully planted with shruober
which in the leafy, howery month
June, must look like Paradise
miniature.
Wendell Phillips delivered a secoI
lecture here. this winter, on Thursdi
evening last. His subject was "Tl