Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-01-18
I,egislatiye,
CoLrMPrs. Jan. liz 1868.

Last week was quite busy week tor the Leg
isIaturr, pot, however because OF the great a.
mount of labor required, but because of the va
rious p,cIiminaries TO be arranged before the
great work of democratic law-making could be
begun. All the elected and appointed officers
of both branches OF the legislature, are Of
course inexperienced. and things moved to a
disadvantage With two sessions day, ana
one or two caucuses besides tie tine was prct-
ty well filled up.
On Thursday a bill was introduced into !he
house hy Mr.. Wallinc, dem to repeal the Me
tropoliian Police Law another by Mr.. fennls-
ton, dem. prescribing the duties OF Judges oil
elections and to preserve The puriyof the ballot
box. This bill makes it unlawful fora Judge of
election, ,gunder penalty of $500 ana mohthS
imprisonment to receive the vote OF any per-
son having a cisibhe Gtlnairtu1e of African
bIoob, and also inflics like penalty in money
and six months imprisonment, on any one adVis-
nc, or assisting such vote. The Senate bill in
ficts a still greater penalty.
On Friday the original peace democracy
showed themselves The committee from both
Houses reported a programme for the inaugur-
alton on Monday, including e military display
of the resident companies in Columbus.
Mr. Hughes, of Butler, moved TO strike out
all relating to military escort, and with Mr..
Hill, Of Defiance, warmly advocated the mo-
ton, On the ground that the people were sick
of everything military. They wanted to return
to civil times without any more Of these mill
tary di-plays,
Mr.. Wolf, of Cincinnati, replied: ''The gen
tleman on the democratic side of the house had
always a wholesome fear of gunpOwder during
the war. They need not, however, be afraid of
a few guns in the procession, they would not
shoot" [Laughter.l
The report was finally adopted by a small
majority, all but a few democrats voting nay
Vote stood aye 50-no 45-all dem.
On Saturday 9 very large negro was discov
cred in that wood pile by the democrats, and
they at orce ousted him by inserting the word
srhitc before the words military escort. Mr.
Ball, dem. declared that it was possible that
some colored troops might mix in with the white
companies and cause q mob, or some other dis
turbanee, and as the people of Ohio had Gecid-
ed at The last election that negroes shallEneyrr
be the equals Of whites either in civil or mill
tary life" (his precise words therefore they
must not come out.
IL the Senate, steps have been taken to con
test The seat OF Homer c. Jones, by Henry NJ
Onderdonk, of The Gallia County district In
this case il will be remembered that Mr.. Jones.
;cp, received a small majority and Was declared
elected, but his opponent claims that some of
Tie votes cast for him were not pure white, ard
on that ground the democratic majority of 0Rs,
will undoubtedly give his seat to the democratic
contestant. The Statesman in commenting on
the decision of the Supreme Court of Ohio,
permitting mul:ttces Of less than half blaCk
blood to vote says:
"They pronounced, with al the author
ity that Judicial eminence adds to an
opinion, that an animal with forty-nine
and ninety nine hundreJths of black blood
in its veins is a white animal Thus set
ting adrilt the plain mathematical axiom
that part is not equal to the whole :
But there is an abiding faith in the mass
es Of tho people, and especially in the
consistency ot' the democratic members,
that the Legislature of Chic, SIS at present
constituted, will cohstruc the comstiiu-
ton of the state independently Ct the
aids Of partisan judges
Such is Democracy!
Bills have been Introduced to make tie legal
rate Of interest 10 per ccnr, and to repeal The
act allowing criminals t., testify and resolutions
looking to the repeal Of the roGd law, ard re-
questing Congress to repeal the tax on cotton,
the latter passed the hou-e IN Tuesday. Allen
G, Thurman, Was also on that day elected, by
six majority in the house, and Gre in the sen
aa as U. S. Senator for six years from she 4th
Of March, 1869.
On Monday, the resolution resembling the vote
Of the last Legislature ratifyiug the I4th amend
meut to the L. S. constitution was passed by
both houses 4 resolut en- was also added re-
quesIing the President TO return all official pa
pers Oil that subject TO the Secretary of stare
of Ohio. The democrats all favored the resou-
tion and the republicans al opposcdis
The Inauguration ceremonies were attended
by very large crowd of people and all went
'ii o4tISis'NlO ic OOftTuOI elSCt utl.f ftEtu
his address in the lotunda of the Capitol, which
was iisteEed to with marked attention and sat
isfacIion By the large audience. Yours, E.
BUsIsEss.-The IFLuse predicts that
l863 will be better year for business
than 1861 was. Many who are now Sc
eretly bankrupt may become openly SO
before another New-Ycar; while thou
sands will incur losses by ignoring pal
Pable facts and attempting to carry sail
as though the winds were ahead but
let our business men comprehend that
prices have fallen and cannot be restored
let them graduate wages and prices to
the actnal condiiion-and they may 60
safely if not very prosperously. Our
wants are still! great, and they must be
mainly satisfied from Home sources. Let
every one resolve to work for the best
wages he can get; let our business men
be content with moderate prices and
small profits, and we shall soon be once
more on the high road to thrift and pros
Derity