Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-04-03
Doings and Undoings of the Legisla-
tUre,


The only relief the people seem likely
to get from the present Legislature is
that which will be afforded by its ad-
iournment. Though four-fiflhs Of the
usual session are now past, but little
has been accomplished in the way Of
useful legislation. Much to be sure has
been done with a view to the benefit Of
the political party which happens to
have a majority of the members, and
the session has been conducted as
though its sole mission and aim was to
furnish assistance to that party in the
next political canvas. Hopeless Of OBJ
tanning a triumph by the ordinary
means the majority have set themselves
to work to legislate success for their
party by the Acknowledgement of Re
publican voters.
To this end there has been endless
tinkering with the election laws, and
an extraordinary number of schemes
proposed for prohibiting Republican
votes and reducing Republican majori-
ties. Color has not been the only ex-
cuse for disfranchisement, but education
being an anti Democracy element, has
incurred a similar mark of dispIeasure.
Hereafter young men attending coll
lege are to join the category of idiots, ,
lunatics and negroes in exclusion from
the franchise. A bill has passed the
the Senate and will no doubt pass the
House which forbids all persons from
gaining residence for voting when
attending school at any place other than
the residence of Their. parents. This is
applying a differnent rule to students
! from that applied to others qualified
! voters, and the resuIs will be to place
such obsticles in this way of their voting
as will disfranehise a very large num-
Der Of this intelligent and worthy class
Of young men. Considering that many
of them have done noble service in the
| Union armies and in frequent in
stances have been MANNED in the good
work OF fighting a Democratic rebellion
/ the meaness of this Legislative outrage
becomes the more aggravating.
/ Among the most intensely partizan
measures are certain metropolitan Do
lice bills now pending, the object OF
/ which is to place the municipal gov
ernment of certain Republican cities in
Democratic control in defiance OF the
votes of a majority of the people. This
/ is to be done by placing the police in the
hands of a board of Commissioners tC
be elected by districts each one of which
is to be so arranged as to take in enough
of the sewerage to make it Democratic.
! Where a majority of the City Council
are Republicans the districting is to be
thrown into the hands of the Mayor
who in the city of Cleveland, which is
especially aimed at, happens for once
/ to be a Democrat. The Mayor ard Com.
missioners elected by this species of jer-
| rymandering are then to constitute the
| Board who viii have the appointment
and control of the police, and will O
course degrade it into a machine for Sc.
curing Democratic ascepdency. by the
/ votes of the slums. A more shameless;
piece Of special partisan Legislation
could scarcely be devised.
/ Another bill of a similar character has
been introduced with view to con,
vertng the Cincinnati Board of Health
into a Democratic institution. The
Board having been efficient in keeping
the city clean and driving of pestilencc
/ it is of course Democratic. Nj
Chris. Hughes, the Southside member
from Butler, has taken this matter il
hand and proposes to reconstruct the
Board on a copper basis.
A bill has just passed the House for
bidding any penalty upon judges Of
I election for refusing to re ceive the votes
of persons having a visible admixture
of African blood. 1t does not repeal
the present laws afixing penalties fol-
refusing the votes Of persons more thar
half white and ought therefore to be
entitled "an act to enable judges O.
elections to violate the laws and con,
tstitution of Ohio with impunIty, in the
interests ofthe Democratic party" Ar
amendment including persons whC
have borne arms against the United
States was voted down by the Democ
racy. Another making the penalties
i apply for refusing qualified votes O.
persons who pay taxes and are liable
90 military service was rejected il
like manner. The bill was put through
under the previous question preventing
all debate or further amendment, itl
friends rightly surmising that meas
ure so unconstitutional and unjust
would not bear discussion or analysis.
Some weeks since a bill was passed
! repeating the law requiring a 1egistra-
! s ton be kept of blTths and deaths. This
law was enacted last winter and has
not vet Of course had a fair trial. Con-
siderable expense has been incurred in
providing the necessary books, all OF
which VIII be na,le useless by the re-