Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-07-01
courts having jurisdiction of the ques-

courts having jurisdiction of the qnes
ton.
They repealed the law allowing. afte
the usual residence the disabled vel
Grams of the Union army to vote in th
townshipin which the National So
diers' Home is situated, and enacted
law designed to deprive of the right G
suffrage large number of young Diel
engaged in acquiring an education q
"any school, seminary, academy, col
| lege, university, or other Institution G
learning" To prevent citizens VIII
were deprived of their constitutions
rights by these acts from obtaining
prompt relief in the Supreme Court
they passed law prohibiting that Cour
| from taking up causes on its dockets &C
cording to its own judgment of wha
was demanded by the public justice il
any case, except where the persei
seeking relief had been convicted o
the punishment of which was confine
ment in the Penitentiary." sr s..,- sad
believe it is the general Judgment o
the people of Ohio, that the passage o
these measures, unconstitutional as som,
was mainly due to the fact that tn,
classes of citizens disfranchised by then
do not commonly vote with the Demo
cratic party. The Republican part,
condemns all such legislation. and de
mands its repeal. -o,E 80 49, "a, Z
On the important subject of suffrage
Gen. Grant, in his Inaugural Message
expresses the convictions of the Repub
lican party. He says: ,'sThe question
of suffrage is one which is likely ,tf
agitafe the public so long as portion O
the citizens of the nation are excluded
from its privileges in any State 4tseem;
to me very desirable that this question
should be settled now, and ]. entertain
the hope and express the desire that il
may be by the ratification IF the Fff
teenth Amendmenttoth to the Constitution
During he canvass which resulted in
the election OF, the late Democratic Leg.
isla ture, the Republicans were charged
with having used $500, 900, raised for the
relief of soldiers fansfiiess to pay the
State debt, and this charge was insisted
upon, notwithstanding a majority OF
the Democratic members had supported
the measure The idea was every where
held out that if thesDemocratic party
were successful, the money would be
restored to the Islief fund and expended
for the benefit of the soldiers. The fail
ure to redeemIthis pledge is aggravted by
the fact that the Legislature. by astrict-
ly party vste in the Senate, refused to
provide for the support, of soldiers des-
titute orphans at homes to be establish
ed, without expense to the State, by the
voluntary 'contributiaHsof patriotic and
charitable people, ;1alasls.tiy i4s3iSaiz
,eBpt of all the pledges upon which the
Democratic party obtained power in the
last Legislature, the most important,
and those in regard to which the just
of the people have been
most signally, disappointed, are, their
pledges in relation to financial affairs
to expenditure, to debt and to taxatien.
Upon this subject the people are COM
PEELED TO feel a. very deep interest. The
flush times of war have, been followed
by q financial reaction, and for the last
three or four years the country has been
on the verge of a financial crisis. The
burdens o. taxation bear heavilyu upon
labor. not upon capital. The Democrat
ic party, pr0fuse alike, of accusations
against their adyersaries and of promises
of retrenchment and reform, were cloth
ed with power to deal with the heaviest
part of these burdenss viz: with the
debts, assessments and
taxes which are authorized by State leg
The results of their two years
of power are now before the people,
They are contained in the 65th and 66th
volumes of the Laws of Ohio. Let any
diligently study these vol
umes. and he will fully comprehend the
of Jobwhen esaid, "Oh, that
mine adversary had written a book
No intelligent man can carefully read
these volumes and not note the number.
and character of the laws increasing the
expenditures AMI liabilities of the State
and authorizing additional debts and ad-
1itional taxation for city and village,
'or county and township purposes, with
out having the conviction forced upon
him that the gentlemen who enacted
,hese laws hold to the opinion that the
way 10 increase wealth is to increase
'axation. and that public debts are pub
lie blessings. ~ ita -f-4
When the late Democratic Legislature
they found the revenue raised
yearly in Ohio by taxation to pay the
interest on the State and local debts, and
or State and local expenditures, was
80, ,253. .615 81. This is at the rate of al |
most $40 for every vote cast in the State |
It the last election, and exceeds seven |
lOllars for each inhabitant of the State, |
)f this large sum collected annually by |
lirect taxation, less than one-fifth, or |
g, ,9S1, ,099 79 was for State purposes. and |
more than four-fifths, or Sic, ,272. Sis. "a,
vas for local purposes. The increase of I
axation for State purposes during the |
asst few years has been small but many |
TENS of taxation for local purposes are
Increasing rapidly. The taxation, for
in the ethirty-three cities of the /
'tate has increased until, according to I
he report of the Auditor OF State, 'sin
everal the rates of levy exceed three I
er cent. and the average rate in all is
ut little short of three per cent" In
his condition OF the financial affairs of
he State, and in the embarrassed and
oppressed condition of the business of
he country, the duty of the Legislature
1as plain. They were to see that no
necessary additional burdens were
imposed upon the people; that all I.
'holesome restraints and Limitations
pom the power of local authorities to
lcur debts and levy taxes should be
and enforced, and especially
1at no increase of liabilities should be
nthorized except in cases of pressing
ecessity. 4. --,g f-.-t.f ....ff Ill I
Now consider the facts. These gentle
len professed to be scrupulously strict
J their observance of the requirements
the Constitution Yet under provis-
ms which contemplate one legislative
'ssion in two years they held two ses-
ons in the same year and three sessions
! their term Of two years. They were
session two hundred and sixty days /
niger than was ever before known in 4
hio, and at an expense of $50. 624 To-
ore than double that of their Republic I
IN predecessors, sgIes.-- .--i's,. ID /,
They created between thirty aud for
Z new offices, at a cost to the people for
Ilaries. fees and expenses of at least
., 900 per anum. They added to the
tate liabilities for various purposes
bout ST 100000. In order to avoid an
lcrease of tA xes levied for ST = 70 r,,,rpr,. |