Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-04-13

Remarks of MIR. Hill, of Defiance,
in Reply 10 NIr. Scott, of War.
rem, ON the Riil Requiring the
Officers, Employees and Inmates
of Ihe Soldiers Home TO Vote
According TO Law.
Mr.. HILL, of Defiance, said:
He claimed that the eight hundred thou
sand dollars of the Soldiers Relief Fund to
which the gentlemen referred, was trans
ferred to the Sinking Fund by an act of the
last Legislature. The bonds of the State
were due, and noprovision being made for
their payment, the Republican administra-
tion was forced by party necessity to take
from the State Treasury $S00,000 of money in
violation OF the 9th section of the 18th arti-
Gle of the Constitution, to meet emergencies
which should have been met by other
means 1t was amusing to see the gentle
man from Warren, and other Republican
members, demanding of this Legislature to
undo what their political friends had SO re-
Gently done. Why did not the gentleman
from Warren, at the very beginning of the
session, introduce a resolution here look
ing to reforms in the government of the
country, which he would never have
thought of in a Republican Legislature,
and which have always been promptly
voted down in the last Legislature and in
COngI6SS, WucIi Nv OtulOcTdLS. line
Soldiers Relief Fund was transferred by
party vote during the session of the last
Legislature.
He supposed it was to supply def
ciencies caused by the corruption of dis
honest men in the construction of Deaf and
Dumb Asy lums, and in the perpetration of
frauds which never came to light until af-
ter Democratic Legislature was elected,
and certain exposure was sure to follow
L., Il - oil san r. L
the greatest professions OF honesty. And
now he thought he could see politicians on
this floor who in the same spirit were max
ing loud professions of economy.
The men who had taken this money
from the soldiers for party purposes, now
demanded increased taxation to refund it.
because Democractic Legislature would
have the responsibility to bear. But this
question had nothing to do with this bill.
and he would not have referred to it, but
for the remarks OF the gentleman from
Warren Now word as to the bill. 1t
simply provides that soldiers, like citizens.
should be governed by the same laws when
they returned to civil pursuits. No good
soldier would object to that.
He need not remind members of the nu-
merous frauds practised on our soldiers on
election day in the army. The same would
be done at this National Soldiers Home, if
those in control were not reg ulated by
wholesome laws. The only paper our SOL
diers would be permitted to read would be
of the loyal kind. He was in favor of every
soldier voting his own sentiments, and of
the passage OF law to protect soldiers and
citizens Like in their rights. Party ma
chinery had transferred whole New Jersey
regiments into Indiana during the war to
vote for the Loyal Morton, and the same
party being now in power would commit
eip,ilar fraudS at DaVtOn if nor prava,,tad
1t was not the intention, by the passage OF
this act, to gain any party advantage, bat
simply to prevent the commission of those
frauds which had characterized the history
of the Republican party ever since its ad-
vent to power. The people OF Ohio had,
by their sovereign voice, at the last cleo
tion. placed in power here Democratic
Legislature, and theY6would be recreant to
their trust ifgthey did not use that power
toiprotect the country from the frauds and
CORFU ption. which. had been daily commit
ted during the past seven years. 80 9