Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-02-12
Columbus Letter.

Bunkum has held 'high carnival in
the House, the past week, an oppor-
tunity for eferyescing having been
afforded q number of explosive prtriots,
by the introduction of Resolutions, by
Mr.. JeEett, Democrat, protesting
against the Reconstruction policy of
Congress, and requesting the Ohio
members to oppose the measures known
as the Reconstruction Acts. The JeWett
Resolutions had been duly caucussed
by the Democrats, and as the sequel
proved, were made the ground work of
q number of bunkum speeches, afford
ing several inflated Democrats an OPP
portunity to blow out. The greater
part Of one week was spent in discus
sion of national politics, and several
speeches that had been used last fall
on the stump, were remodeled and
slightly amendedto do service for their
ambitious authors on this very oppor-
tune occasion Tossy that the question
Wei thoroughly discussed would be
to indulge in ~extravagant irony and to
say that the discussion was proper to
the place, consistent with the obliga-
tons of members of State Legislature,
in no wise responsible for the Acts Of
Congress, might be an easier task than
to prove it. The State Legislature can
find other ways of killing time than by
clustering about Congress. It may be
well to inform the people that this one
item of Democratic patent thunder, in
troduced by their leading member in
the House, as q football for the amuse-
ment of political ~strutters, proved a
very expensive game to the State, and
actually cost the Treasury Of Ohio the
round srm of three thousand dollsrsl
That item affords an illustration of the
manner in which the Democrats intend
to curtal expenses, retrench and re-
form for the benefit of the "over-bur-
dened people," "Words are cheap"
and the Democracy are about as liberal
in their use as their familiarity with
the mother tongue enables them to be,
when it is necessary to humbug the
people with high-sounding promises,
but saying and doing, with them, sp-
pear to be wholly incompatible terms.
The Standing Cormittee on Roads
and Highways have reported anew road
Law, somewhat different from the one
published in the CHRONICLE two weeks
since. The law, as reported, is quite
lengthy, and, as we understand, COM
prehends all the various statutes, or
parts of them relating to roads and
highways.l The new law provides that
parties may pay their tax in labor or
money, as they may elect, and We be-
lieve in no very material respect viii
differ from the system in vogue prior
to last year.
Petitions, praying for the State to
provide for q Reform School for the
discipline and reformation of girls,
similar to the school now in operation
for the benefit of boys, come in fire.
orently, signed by the better classes of
citizens. who regard such institutions
as humane aad philanthropie, and in
fnitely preferable 10 iails and peniten
tiaries for juvenile offenders.
The several interest bills are still in
the hands of the Committee to which
they were referred. It is impossible to
say what shape their report wiz take
OF the question. Nothing has yet
come up to test the sense Of the Legs
lature on the usury question.
1t is apparently the VIII Of the House,
at least, that the law restraining cattle
from running at large, should not be
repealed. It has, however, quite a
number of very bitter opponents here.
It was a noticeable feature of the
discussion on the Jewett Resolutions
that the Democrats who were put for
ward to make speeches, were of that
variety denominated War Democrats
in contradistinction to the kind gho
shout for and swear-by Yallandighsm.
These "1ar democrats" labored to
create the impression that the Demo
cratic party had been the great patriot