Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-22


its columns on the subject of democratic
Retrenchment" which, like the boy with
a sweet morsel in his mouth, rolling it un-
der his tongue, that sheet has published in
every issue since it was written. To divert
the attention of its readers from its candi-
d ite for President, the editor intends the
charges made in the article alluded to, to
be the key note of the campaign.
1t charges that the late session of the
Legislature, majority in "both branches
being Democratic, was the longest session
ever held in Ohio, at the highest per diem
ever paid State Legislature"
When the Legislature assembled on the
first Monday in January last, there was an
intention to make it one of the shortest
sessions lately held in the State. But Con
gress was then enga2 ed in perfecting its
schemes OF Revolution, The President of
the United States was to be impeached on
charges frivolous and false. and to be hurl-
ed from the Office OF Chief Magistrate OF
the Republic, and his place given to Mr..
WADE, who, it is well known, would have
carried out the reasonable schemes of the
AtAAiSoios III dSai ouO ShoiiO PO"NA "
the Government seizing upon the Execu-
tive Department-crippling the Judiciary,
so as to prevent its interference and maxim g
the will of the majority of half-made up
Congress, composed of desperate adven-
turers and political gamblers, the sole pow
er and authority of the Government, set
ting aside the wholesome checks and bal
onoao xub;ob tho Fathorc of tho Ropuhlin
had placed rs safeguard of the rights OF
the people. The Ohio Legislature remain
ed i'm session until after impeachment be-
came failure-the knaves not having the
courage to carry out their nefarious
schemes, for fear that treason. in
their own persons, would be made
odious. impeachment failed by one vote.
The Radicals who voted against it, did so
because there was no proof to sustain it.
Others, if it had been necessary, would have
done so, for different reason. The men
who controlled the National Convention of
France, which made that land run red with
blood, when the reaction came, were the
veriest of towards, and the Chambers, the
Mortons, the Howards, Shermans, and
others of the United States Senate, like the
leaders of the French Reign of Terror,
were equally so. The fact that the Ohio
Legislature was in session and that it in
tended to remain in session, until the trea-
sonable projet was either abandonded or
the great act of impeachment and removal
accomplished, gave the conspirators to un-
derstand that the feeling of the country
had been aroused, and that it required but
that single act to make the danger immi-
nent. So much for the long session.
- For years past, the per diem of the MEM
bers of the Legislature has been three dol
lars-during the last term it was five dol
lars.
The Constitution provides that the MEM
bers elect to a Legislature cannot raise
their. own per diem. Feeling perfectly Sc
cure in the possession of their i'll gotten
power the Republican members of the Re-
publican Legislature, which provided for
Negro voting, raised the pay of the MEM
bers forty per cent-from three dollars per
day to five dollars, under the belle. that it
would inure to their benefit. 1t was great
mistake. The major part of the men who
vo ted for this increase, and for Negro suf-
frage, were left at home, and their places
supplied by Democrats. The Journal
charges upon the late Democratic Legisla-
ure, the crime, if crime it be, committed by
the men of its own party. 1t was the Ne
gro Suffrage Radicals, anticipating that it
would fall into their own pockets, that
awarded the "highest per diem ever paid
to q State Legislature in Ohio, to be paid
to the members of the Legislative body
elected last tall.
The Cincinnati Commercial, following in
the wake OF the Journal-feeding upon that
which the Journal drops, has the follow
ing:
ssThe expenses of the last Ohio Legisla-
ture (Democratic) footed up over one hun
dred thousand dollars; those of the preced-
ing Legislature (Republican) about sixty
thousand dollars. Hurrah for Democratic
retrenchment and reformr'
The Journal says that the entire expenses
of the Republican Legislature last year
were 1898, S43.n The Commercial puts that
of the Democratic Legislature, in round
numbers at Sl0O,O00-a difference of but a
trifle over six thousand dollars. But taking
the whole statement of the Commercial that
the Legislative expenses of the last Repub-
lican Legislature was but about $4,000
that of the Democratic Legislature 100000
the difference is precisely the difference
between the per diem of members, increased
by the last Republican Legislature. over
that which it was before that increase was
made by the Radical leaders.
The Journal omits to state, and of course
the Commercial also remembers to forget,
that the Democratic Legislature reduced
the appropriations one-half million dol
lars, as compared with the previous ses-
sion, and this amount will be saved to the
Fearing that this fact would
be made public, the Journal seeks to break
its force by charging that:
g the idiots, insane, and other unfor-
tunates [were] left with an insufficient ap-
preparation tor the purpose of making a
show of retrenchment." -2
Let us see how this charge will stand the
test.
The Republican Legislature appropri-
ated, for the support OF the benevolent in
stitutions of the State, five hundred and
fifty-three thousand one hundred and
twenty-five dollars (s553,125.) The Demo-
cratic Legislature appropriated for the sup
port of the same institutions, the sum of
six hundred and fifty thousand, three hun
dred and seventy-nine dollars and thirty
nine cents ($65O.379.39), being near one
hundred thousand dollars in excess of the
amount appropriated by the Negro Suf-
frage Legislature, that raised the per diem
of members from three dollars per day to
five dollars. Thus will it be seen that in