davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21
Proposed Reform in the Manner of
Payinu Pensions.

Hon. j. P. Benjamin, few days
ago, tried to rush a Pension Bill
through the House, which proposes
to increase the commission of Pen
sion Agents out of the pockets of
the poor pensioners, but was very
fortunately and successfully opposed
by men of better judgment and more
patriotism. The Soldiers Friend
earnestly and ably advocates that
the present mode of paying pensions
be abolished, and that the same ser
vice be performed by Postmasters at
each county seat, and Hon. John NJ.
Crebs, of Illinois, has introduced a
bill in the House with that object in
view.
Hon. VIM. Lawrence, a true friend
of the Soldiers, ably opposed the
scheme Of Mr.. Benjamin, and said:
Will the gentleman from Missouri
r. Mr.. Benjamin allow me to make q
suggestion? If the motion for tn e
previous question be not pressed,
will move that this bill be recommit-
ted, with instructions that the com
mittee so amend it as to provide for
! the payment of pensions in every
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21

just such matters as this that hang
like a milestone around the neck Of
the Democracy. But l go for the
amendment, because it is right. Jus
tice demands it. Our national rep
utation demands it. Peace and safe
ty demands it, an 1 believe God de-
mands it. / was Radical when 1t
cost something to be one but l had
a living and abiding faith that right
would triumph. John Quincy
Adams once said to me. Ell will
not see it, but you may, when the
accursed institution of slavery will
be blotted out" And it has come
to pass. For centuries the negro
race sent up its prayers to God from
the midst of an oppression whose
direfulness we can not even con
ceive. God seemed to have stayed
his hand
But the Deliverance came at last.
During the war our success was just
commensurate with our justice to
ward the colored race. We called
the negro to arms. And it is a
truth that we. sent from the North
into the army Of the Union a larger
proportion of the colored than of
the white race. They bid high for
their rights, and poured cut for
them torrent of good, rich blood.
Thus they have made themselves
citizens, and God affiict me if ever
deny them what they so bravely
purchased Applause
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21

Yesterday morning she went to
the wardrobe in her uncle s room,
and took from it Colts revolver.
Thus armed, she went to McNash's
boarding house and called for him.
He was eating his dinner. She was
in the back yard, and when he came
out she demanded an explanation of
his conduct. He replied tauntinaly,
when she drew the revolver and fired,
the ball passing into his stomach
about two inches to the right of the
navel. He at once grasped the pis-
tol and attempted to turn it on her,
but she successfully resisted him,
and the boarders rushing out took
the weapon from them. SO soon as
she got away from the scene of the
encounter, she went to Squire Clo-
hans office and surrendered herself.
A thorough investigation of the
facts led the justice to hold her in
200.
Miss Batham is an orphan, and is
rather good looking, about nineteen
years of age, and was laboring under
great mental excitement at the time
of the examination. She told US
that she had been acquainted with
her seducer since childhood, and that
ever since he had told her he was
engaged to be married to another,
she had made up her mind that he
must keep his word with her or take
the consequences. When the justice
determined to hold her to bail, so
great was the feeling in her behalf
that she could have given security
in the sum Of a million dollars, had
it been necessary.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21
THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE.

A general knowledge OF the enor
nous abuse of the above privilege
has produced such unanimous SEN
timent throughout the entire nation
in favor of the total and eternal
abolition of the existing law, which
allows members of Congress and
other high officials to load down the
mails without paying a solitary cent
of postage, that we have no doubt
Congress will respond to the imper-
ative demand and ere the approach
Of March next kick the obnoxious
statute out of existence. We have
repeatedly received business letters
from business men in New York
City and elsewhere, under the frank
of some member of Congress, and
we have also seen matter in the mails
bearing the frank of member of Con-
gress whose official term has long
since expired! No special privi
leges should be tolerated in this Re-
public by law, except such as mems
own eminent merit may origin
ate.
Many gratifying results will follow
the abolition of the franking law.
The revenue Of the Post Office De-
partment will be greatly increasd,
and there is another source of great
expenditure to the Government
which would be vastly decreased I'VE
mean the diminution of the amount
of public documents which are an
nually printed at terrific cost, and
sent out, broadcast, under the frank
of members Of Congress and other
officers to the people. These doc
uments are the most dry and unin-
teresting to the masses of the people
that is printed. Not one of hund
red of them is read at all. It is
money thrown away and the people
call aloud upon Congress and also
State officials to put speedy stop
to this outrageous extravaganza.
We venture the prediction that when
prepayment in postage will be re
quired to send such national docu-
ments they will not be so numerously
scattered. There are three things
that the people demand and will
have, viz:
The abolition of the franking law
a reduction of taxes and very ma
terial decrease in the high rates OF
interest now paid on the national
debt. The interest should and must
be reduced to four or four and 6
half per cent
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21
IMPOR TANT PROPOSED RE
FORM.

Now that our Legislature propo
ses to enter upon the noble work of
reform and thus, we fervently> hope,
abolish some long standing abuses,
we desire TO call the attention of
that honorable body to few items,
the reform of which would save the
taxpayers of each county in the
State hundreds of dollars.
We refer to public printing. This
matter, under the existing laws, is
entirely under the control of the
partisan officials in power in each
county, and the work is given al
most exclusively to the favorite Or
gan of said officials, without regard
to cost and with an eye solely to the
enrichment of said organ, out of the
pockets of taxpayers.
We contend, and every unpreju-
diced, bipartisan man will agree
with us, that all county advertising,
which the public and general good
require to be published, should be
inserted in the papers of both polit-
ical parties, that all taxpayers may
be benefited alike by such publica-
tion, and we would have the price to
be paid for such advertising govern
ed by law that is so much per word,
, for each insertion.
We hold that if the public good
requires the publication Of such no.
tees, they should be inserted in the
| papers of each party and thus bring
t it before the eyes of all readers, but
; if the public good does not require
the publication of said notices, ther
' don't publish them at all.
The printing of blanks, we rec
J ommend that they be given to tn.
e lowest responsible bidder. We trus
the above subject will receive du'
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21
18th Amendment Adopted in the
Ohio Senate.

The Ohio Senate finally came to
a vote on the great national ques-
ton, the adoption Of the Fifteenth
Amendment, on last Friday with
the following glorious result:
Ayes-Bartram, Bell, Corey, Dun
bar, Everett, Catch, Cooper, How
ard, Jones, Mckinney, Odlin, Potts,
Root, Stimson, Streator, Wade,
Welsh, Woodwork, eatman-19.
Noes-Amos, Boesel, Burt, Camp
bell, Cowan, Daugherty, Emmitt,
Hibbs, Holden, Hubbell, Hunt,
Jamison, Jenner, Leeds, Lord,
Prophet, Winner, Woodbridge-1s.
Senator Root, Republican, thus
closed the debate:
He said he would offer a few re-
marks from conviction Of duty
He was pleased that the debate had
been conducted in a spirit of cour-
tesy. He doubted not the good
faith with which every Senator
would give his vote.
I will first notice, said he, the
gentleman from Delaware (Mr.
Hubbell). He spoke bitter words
of the Republican party, and said it
was guilty of swindling. Well, if
had been treated by that party as the
gentleman from Delaware has
shouldn't think much Of it either
Laughter. But it was the Repub
licans of the gentleman's own dis
trict who refused to send him back
to Congress, and he ought not to
make the whole party responsible
for it.
l come now to the Senator from
Butler Mr.. Campbell). He sale
he had never been charged with ex
cessive modesty. But charge hin
with it here. He didn't do himsel
justice. I remember with pride hi
noble services in behalf of the caus,
of freedom. I choose rather tt
think Of him as an American Rep
resentative in the halls of Congress
eloquent, liberty loving and bold
rather than the Dem ocratic Senate
from Butler county.
Now, the amendment itself
right. AS matter of political ad
vantage, [ would rather the amend
!, ment were rejected than not. 1t
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21

But says one, "Our Legislature
has provided Soldiers Home
where those who are disabled may
CO." TO ask a man to abandon his
family, and take up his abode in
such place, because he has been
disabledin the service of his coun-
try is unreasonable, cruel and un-
worthy of a Christian people. We
want to see the heart Of every sol
dier. who was disabled while de-
Tending our glorious country from
the assaults of rebels, made glad
while he lives. We want him to be
surrounded with substantial evi-
dences that a greatful people ap-
preciates his services. This the
Legislature can do by passing a
State pension Law. Shall we have
it? We shall see.
And on the 21st Of the same
month, we thus again referred to the
subject:
Both the National and State legis-
latures have passed laws increasing
the compensation of zen who have
been serving the country in cmbroi
dered slippers and broad cloth, but
the humble soldier who exposed his
life to the bullets and bayonets of
traitors, receives but very little at
1ention. There seems to be gen.
eral loathing in approaching this
subject, and yet in our mind, there
is nothing which is entitled to more
attention and regard, than the in
terest of those who have been dis
abled in the defense Of our beloved
Government and country.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21


Another install ment OF Congress
sional Documents, under the Frank
of Hon. WIN. Mungen, came to the
Upper Sandusky Post Ctiice yester-
day. The amount addressed to one
gentleman alone weighed fifty
pounds, upon which any person not
entitled to the Franking Privilege,
would have to pay Eight Dollars in
postage. The Documents were prin-
ted by the Government at a cost to
the people, we doubt not, of about
Fifty Dollars. Here then, we have
small item of Fifty Eight Dollars
absolutely squandered.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21

comfy in each State and Territory
without expense to the pensioner.
If I may be allowed to say few
words, 1 think 1 can satisfy the
House.
1 move that the bill be recommitted
with instructions to SO amend it as
to provide for the payment of pen
-sions in every county in each State
and Territory free of expense to the
pensioners. The fifty nine pension
agents receive commissions on the
amount paid by them for their SER
vices, and in addition they receive
fees for preparing vouchers for pen
sioners in each and every case.
These fees added to the commiss-
ions received make the pay of these
pension agents amount to an aver
age of about seven thousand dollars
a year, and in addition to that al
most every pensioner is under the
necessity of employing an attorney
or claim agent, who receives con-
siderable sum. The chairman of
the Committee on Pensions has sta
ted the amount paid out for fees of
claim agents to be nearly a million
dollars at each semi annual payment
of pensions. l think that is rather
large estimate; but certainly for
some years past these fees have
reached more than million Of dol
lars annually.
know that my proposition in
wolves the necessity of abolishing
the fifty nine pension agencies; but
it will be matter of economy to
abolish them and substitute for these
pension agents the officers propose.
We can devolve upon the assessors
and collectors and postmasters the
duty ofpaying pensions without any
additional compensation. will be
nc great burden to them; for in
each county there will not be the
payment Of more than an average
of one hundred pensioners. The
duty, therefore, will be compare
lively light, but if a small compen-
sation were allowed-say Of 800 to
the officer paying pensions IN each
county would be a reduction by
more than one half of the expens e
now incurred in the payment OF
pensions.
Besides this, the proposed system
would be much more for the con-
venience Of pensioners. 1t would
also furnish the best means of de-
tecting frauds, because the officers
clothed with the duty of paying per-
sions in each county would have q
local knowledge of the pensioners
would know the business of theil
claims, and would be in the best
possible condition to detect frauds
when any were attempted.
1 think we ought not to exact fl ON
these crippled soldiers, from sol
dfers' widows and orphans and de
pendent relatives, any fee whatever
to enable them to receive their pen
sions. 1t is very little short of rob
berry from class of persons from
whom there ought to be no exactiol
whatever.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21
SENATOR COLE vs. COMMlS
SlONER DELANO.

The real cause, says the Cleveland
Herald, Of the late attack Ex-senator
Cole upon the Commissioners of In
ternal Revenue, consists in something
more than the whisky seizures last
autumn. There has been a muddle
among the California Senators and
Representatives, of long duration,
respecting the appointments. Sena-
tor Cole would recommend candi-
date for appointment, and insist up
on it's being Immediately made,
while upon the other hand the Rep
sesentative of the District would
strenously oppose the appointment,
insisting that the person SO favored
by Senatorial interference was unfit
for the service.
Thus matters continued land fraud
fattened upon the continued obsti-
macy of the California members.
Combinations were made to system
atically defraud the revenues. and
resist the enforcement of the law.
The ring assumed proportions that
were never dreamed of in New York
or Philadelphia, extending from one
end of the State to the other, and if
Senator Cole knows anything about
the subject, he need not be told that
the ring had in their control the
wealthiest Bank in the State, the
vaults of which were filed with the
illgotten gains Of this wicked COM
bination.
At this juncture Commissioner
Delano sent out Supervisor Fulton,
of Baltimore, and General B. r.
Cowan, Of Ohio, to investigate mat
ters and bring the offenders to JUS
tice, and had the honorable Senator
but referred to the records Of the
United States Courts in his own
State, he would doubtless have been
spared the humiliating process of
stullifying himself, as he assuredly
did on the 14th inst.
Senators Hamlin, Sherman, and
Morrill,, made very prompt and eff
fectual defence of Mr.. Delano which
wrung an apology from the disting-
uished gentleman, and caused him
to enter disclaimer of any intention
to reflect upon the integrity of Com
missioner Delano.
The course Of the Commissioner
of Internal Revenue in this Califor-
MIA imbroglio has been wise and
discreet, whilst the selection. of a
man having the abilities of General
Cowan to perform the difficult and
perplexing duties of Supervisor is
an additional proof of the peculiar
fitness of Mr.. Delano for the posit-
ion. The integrity of the Commits
sioner is too we'll known, and his
character too well established to ad-
nit Of its being made toy of,in the
hands of reckless declaimers.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21

The valet Dick Radford. who
turned into Dord Ainslcy, and mar
ried belle of Staten Island, Miss
Martin, and gave breakfasts in New
York, has taken another "turn" and
"cut his STICK" leaving young wife
and creditors to mourn their cred
ulity. The pair had lately taken
rooms in a boarding house, and one
morning the wife going into her
husbands room found his bed un-
touched, his wardrobe gone, and a
letter stating she would not again
see Lord Ainsley. Lady Ainsley
tainted and fell, and has returned an
invalid to her mother.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21
The Taxes Must be Reduced.

Could the sentiment of the coun-
try have voice, says the Clevelan d
Herald and we concur, its utterance
to Congress would be condensed
into just five weighty words-the
taxes must be reduced. On this
matter there is entire unanimity, and
that wish must be needed 1t mat
ters not how anxious the present
Administration may be to make a
great showing of reduction of the
national debt. 1t matters not how
far in the future resumption of spe-
Gle payments may be postponed. 1t
matters not that the tax payers can
stand even a more grievous pressure
,--if the need for snch pressure ex-
isted,--than is now upon them
The taxes must be reduced, else
Congress will prove recreant to its
trust.
This Administration must be con-
tent with the present showing, that
under its economy of expenditure,
under its rigid collection Of taxes,
the debt is controllable and can be
reduced over one hundred millions
year. That is glory enough for
the Administration. Now the aim
of Congress should be, not how
great a reduction can be made an
nually of the principal of the debt,
but how great can be the reduction
of the taxes each year, so as to
keep down the interest and to pay
off a reasonable amount of the prin-
cipal.
If it has been demonstrated that
at the present reduction our debt
can be cancelled in fifteen or twenty
years, let the taxes be so lessened
that such a sinking fund shall be re-
allied as will pay the debt in seven
ty-five years
We would not say that a public
debt Of any size is a blessing, but
the history of this country hgs prov
ed that a public debt, entirely with
in control, is not curse. The great
boast of the Jackson administration n
was that it paid off our debt, and
yet, from the day the nation was out
of debt, we plunged into all sorts of
extravaganza and expenditure.
But leave the blessing or curse OF
a national debt out of light, there
are so many reasons why the present
generation should not be made to
pay our debt, that the stupidest man
will not argue the affirmative of tha at
issue.
The South in the next decade will
be convinced that the death of sla-
very was the richest of boons. Give
the South time to recuperate, and let
its increased prosperity bear por
ton Of the burden. The great West
IS advancing with such strides that
in the next fifty years it alone could
handle the present debt and not feel
| it.
The country demands that poster
ity shall help pay off the debt, and
we tell Congress that the people de-
mand Of it that the tariff be taken
off from as many articles Of necesi-
ty as possible, that the revenue tax
be lifted from the business interests
of the country, and that the injustice
of the income tax be corrected. Eve
ry dollar Of principal paid over say
twenty millions annually will be ar
outrage uron the taxpayers, and
such an outrage as will not be toler-
ated.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21

consideration from our Legislature.
Let the long standing abuses, which
have been prolific of so much cor
ruption and injury to the taxpayers
be wiped out of the statute books of
our great State.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21

flied the Fifteenth Amendment on
Thursday last.
Gold closed in New York, yester-
day, at 1919. Clearance $36,000,-
900.
The Kansas State Senate has rat
fled the 18th Amendm ent.
Both Houses of the Minnesota
Legislature have ratified the 18th
Amendment. The vote in the
House was % to Is, and in the SEN
ate 16 to 13.
Bingham's bill declaring Virginia
entitled to immediate representation
in Congress, passed the House yes
terday after long discussion, by a
vote of 142 to 40.
The Stanton fund, in New York
city amounts to $4,000 Twenty
three gave 1000 each. In Boston
$16,O have been raised, and 500
600 in Philadelphia. 1t is expected
$14, 900 can be secured in the West.
Excellent authority says the Pull
man Palace Car Company have pur-
chased the interest of the Central
Transportation Company, represent
ing the Silver Palace sleeping cars
running between Chicago and New
York cia the Fittsburg & Fort
Wayne road and connecting roads.
Plymouth Church voted, last
night, to increase the salary of it's
pastor, the Rev. Henry Ward Beech
er, to $4,000. In the course of the
discussion among the leading mem
bers, the idea was thrown out that
this increase is made in considera-
ton of Beecher's advancing years
and the circumstance that it is his
intention ere long, to retire from
public service. One member hoped
that next year the salary would be
fixed at $4,000.
MONDAY
A National Woman Suffrage Con
vention will assemble in Washington
next week.
The Stanton Fund has rea ched
one hundred thousand dollars, and
promises to grow much larger.
Jerry Black will soon publish a
history Of the last four months of
Buchanan's Administration.
The Fifteenth. Amendment was
ratified by the Mississippi Legisla-
ture, on Saturday, with but one dis
senting vote.
Gold closed in New York, yester-
day, at 1919. s,e g
A bill was introduced in the Ohio
House of Representatives yesterday,
by Mr.. Ward, to prohibit religious
services Or the reading Of the Bible
in the common schools.
Rev. Benz. Powell, Baptist
clergyman, committed. suicide on
the l Ith inst, by drowning himself,
at Grasshopper Falls, Kansas. He
leaves wife, who is ON a visit to
Ohio.
WEDNESDAY.
Gold closed in New York, yester.
day, at 1919.
Governor Geary was re-inaugura
ted at Harrisburg, yesterday.
Hon. Lot M. Morrill, was yesterday
re elected United States Senator
from Maine.
The thermometer at Oshkosh
Wisconsin, yesterday stood at Is
degrees below zero at St. Paul a
25 degrees below.
i Governor Alcorn was yesterday
elected Senator for Mississippi fol
the full term, and General Ames fol
the five years term.
| THURSDAY.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21

'Headqr's, Austin, Texas,(
Janaury s 1870.
"Adjutant General United States
Army, Washington. D. G.
"The law of April 10, and procla-
nation of July 10, 1869, have been
complied with in the State of Texas.
The Constitution is adopted almost
unanimously, and the following per
sons elected State officers: E. j.
Davis, by a plurality of 7S3 for
Governor; Flanagan. Lieutenant
Governor; Blaisdell. Controller ];
Hovey, Treasurer, and Kinckler,
Chief OF Police.
The above-named persons have
been appointed officers of the Pro
visional Government.
81. J. REYNOLDS, Brevet Major
&c neral"
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21
THURSDAY.

Gold closed yesterday at 1919.
The Iowa Senate yesterday rati-
fed the 18th Amendment by vote
of A to 6. The House will vote to
day.
The Iowa Legislature in joint ses-
sion yesterday ratified the election
of G. G. Wright and j. B. Howell
as United States Senators from that
State.
A bill for the abolition Of the
Franking Privilege has been intro
duced in Cong ress and the commit
tee, to whom the matter has been
referred, yesterday recommend the
passage Of the same.
Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-21
Pittsburgh, Fl. Wayne & Chicago
Railway.

On and after Nov. 18th, 1863. trains will leave
stations daily, Sundays eXceptedl as follows:
Train leaving Chicago at 5.35 p M. leaves
daily.] [Train leaving Pittsburgh at Is Pm.
leaves daily.l