The Portland daily press., 1868-04-11
s.Vinible Adm,xture. >,

The "reaction" of 1867 gave the Demo
Gratis chance to try their hand at law
making. In New JERSEY and Ohio both
houses of the legislatures are Democratic, as
well as the New York Assembly. In all OF
these States there are however Republican
governors. There were great expectations.
The political world waited in wide-eyed,
open mouthed expectancy, for here were
these relormers, philanthropists, bond-taxers
and white-man' s-government people, with
fair chance at last to restore legislation to its
pristine purity and reform all the misiea-
sances and malteasances of corrupt and ig-
norant Radicalism. And so they went to
work, these patriots, each man a Solon in
legislative sagacity, a Lycurgus in legal
acumen, a Draco in gloomy severity and in
exorable hostility to wrong.
What they would do without the restraint
of Radical executives, heaven only knows.
As it is we have only an intimation of what
they wonld do if they were entirely free to
follow their own patriotic instincts. The
New York Assembly, having regard to the
and butter brigade, created offices especially
for them. The same body repealed the ex-
else law, which secures comparative quiet in
New York and Brooklyn and yields an i'm
mense revenue to those cities. But Radi-
cal Senate refused to cooperate in this re-
formatory movement and it failed. In New
Jersey, the Legislature has attempted to
withdraw the assent of the State to the 18th
constitutional amendment, which provides
| that the Southern planters shall not have
representation in Congress for four millions
of blacks, unless those blacks are authorized
to vote. 1t has also passed large number
of plundering railroad bills. Among the
minor beauties of New Jersey Democratic
legislation is the bill making it possible for
Daniel Drew to conduct the affairs of the
so escape the proper penalties for Lis SWIM
ding issue of S10,OO0,OOO worth of stock.
But in Ohio are seen more clearly than
elsewhere the bright consummate flowers OF
Democratic genius. The action of the Lesis
lature with respect to the amendment to the
| CONSTITUTION mas Deen ike tndL Oi new JeI-
sey. But this is not the act upon which the
pen OF the historian will delight to linger.-
That act is the "Visible AGmixture" BILL
Heretofore, under judicial construction o
the franchise clause of the Ohio constitution
persons having less than halt negro blood
have been permitted to vote. The proper
| tion of African blood has been determined b,
the Judges of elections by inspection. Tni
construction of the constitution has been i,
force for many years, and has admitted mu
laltoes to the poll almost universally. But
the legislative construction changes the rule
and DEGREES Imprisonment for the judge 0
elections who allows any persons having u
distinct and visible admixture OF AfricaI
blood" to vote. A person challenged unue'
this act must answer on oath as TO "he'ne'
he associates with white or piach Pei'on
and whether his children are perni',eu " az
tend the schools for the whites. A Judge 0
elections who is prosecuted for refusing th'
vote Of a person on account OF visible ad
mixture, may, if he think proper, change th'
venue to any county in the State, thus en-
ab.ins him to proceed in the most oppressive
manner with perfect certainty OF impunitv-