Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-08-21

more and worse laws, than any body of
the sort that ever before existedP
"Satan finds some mischief still, for
idle hands to do" 1t was not to be cx-
pected that our Democratic Legislature
of unhappy memory would avoid doing
a great deal of devilment during the ex-
cessive leisure of two hundred and sixty
days at the State Capitol, on the com
Portable salary of FIVE dollars a day
True, they might have finished up their
work and adjourned promptly, but no
Democratic Legislature ever had an OPP
pcrtunity before, in the history of the
State, to draw five dollars day; and
the opportunity was one to be improved
to the utmost. 1t was probably the last
chance of most of the members of the
party, accidentally in the majority as it
was for that one term. There was a
large number of old political hacks to be
fed whose noses had been inside the pub
lie crib for long time before. They
looked gaunt and hollow-eyed. Their
bones asserted themselves unpleasantlv,
and they gobbled the public plunder
voraciously, taking rather more than full
rations.
A few facts in detail, as to what may
be called
EXPENSES PERSONAL TO THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
1858. Sessions of 1874 days, cost of
per diem and mileage. -. 1926, ,455.17
1869. Sessions of 1875 days, cost of
per diem and mileage. ..... 1885, 1888
$50 $95Oe241O
g. B. Flood, editor Of the Ohio States
man, the State organ of the Democratic
party, was made Chief Clerk of the SEN
ate. He continued his labors as editor
Of the Ohio Statesman during the whole
two years of his term, and received full
pay therefor lie drew from the State
of Ohio, at the rate of five dollars a day,
for the year 1868 four hundred and sixty
two days, and for the year 1859 three
hundred and eighty-three days; or eight
hundred and forty-fve days pay for the
two years from the State of Ohio. As
there were only seven hundred and
thirty-ono days in the two years accord
ing to calendar, it occurs to us rs a curious
problem how Mr.. Flood manages to do
eight hundred and forty-fve days labor
for the State in addition to full employ
ment as editor of party organ. Mr..
Flood has been urged to explain this
process, but he does not seem to be COM
municative on the subject.
Amos Layman, late editor of the Ohio
Statesman, now correspondent of the
Cincinnati Eaquirer, another organ of the
party, was made Chief Clerk of the
House. Mr.. Layman seems to have car
ried the method of his colleague into the
utmost perfection. He draws from the
State of Ohio for the year 1868, five
hundred and sixty days. pay, and for the
year 1869, estimating it at the same rate
rs for 1868 for labor not yet charged up,
five hundred and forty-six days pay, or
eleven hundred and six days pay from
the State for two years service.
These two Democratic politicians GER
tainly have no reason to complain of the
neglect of the party. 1t is as little as
they can do to defend the Democratic
Legislature with their utmost vigor from
assaults from whatever quarter.
Mr.. Layman processes to draw his pay
under the authority of law, which is in
exact words as follows (Ohio Laws for
"Socton 3. That clerks of the Senate
and House of Representatives shall re-
cesve five dollars per day, each for the
time actually employed after adjournment
of the General Assembly, for making out
indexes to the recorded and printed jour
nails, and for reading the proof sheets of
the printed journals" [The section
then provides how the money shall be
drawn, and proceeds "5m they shall not
receiue any other ayoa0ance or compensa-
tion tor seroices after the adjournment of
the General assembly, except as may be
provided by law or resolution"
No assistant clerk is authorized to
a!.aw pay after adjournment. The chief
clerks only, are Is receive pay for the
time "dctualy employed after @%omm-
n'enr only. No other extra pay is
legally drawn for the service performed
by these gentlemen, as must appear to
any reader capable of understanding
English who will examine the above law.
The responsibility is attempted to be
thrown upon the disbursng officers, but
they must pay out money as directed by
the Legislature.
But the Legislature did not exhaust
it's benefaotions upon these two favorite
servants of the party. There were
Others to be cared for at the expense of
the State.
The last day of the session the follow
ing extraordinary allowances were made
to officers of the General Assembly who
had already received for their services
full pay for every day of the session at
the highest rate ever paid in Ohio:
ADDITIONAL ExTRAs-HoUsE.
CLERKs-Cockerili .................S 70
Gould OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. rs
Canning g.................. 80
Trouvelle .............. 80