Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-02-05
THE CHRONICLE.
THE COMING STATE CONSTITU-
TI0NAL CONVENTION-LETTER
FROM STATE SENATOR JONES.
COLUMBUS, Jan. 25, 1873.

fhUM SIAIE SENAIUh JONEO-
COLUMBUS, Jan. 25, 1873.
ED. WESTERN RESERVE CHRoNI-
cLE:-The following article cut from
the Cincinnati Commercial, with the
letter of Mr.. Medill on the bject of
the State Constitution of Illinois, con-
tains suggestions of great interest at
this time to the people of Ohio. Mr..
MediIl was, if mistake not, the Pres
ident of the Convention that formed
the Constitution of Illinois, and bore
no small share of the labor in framing
it. Among the more important top
les which should and will engage the
attention of the coming Constitution
al Convention of our State, it seems
to me the following stand out pre- en-
inent in Importance itr 81
First-The protection of the people
from the rapidly increasing power Of
railroad corporations, and restraining
them by proper safeguards from tram
pling down the rights of shippers and
passengers.
The capital invested in railroads in
Ohio is more than two hundred mil
lions of dollars, and has enlisted in
its management many of the ablest
men in the State, as well as some Of
the most unscrupulous. The immense
power which this enormous capital
can WELD in favor or against legisla-
ton upon which these corporations
have common interest, IS sufficient
to control, to q great extent, the legis-
lation of our State, and the General
Assembly is in danger of becoming
what the legislative bodies Of Penn
sylvania and New Jersey have long
been-a mere tool to record the edicts
of the railroad kings. This subject
has been most carefully guarded in
the new Constitution of Illinois, and
our people should study its provi-
sions.
Second-There should be no reced-
ing from the high ground now occu-
pied on the subject of traffic in intox-
icating liquors, and the new Constitu
ton should deny in most explicit
terms all right of the General Assem-
bly, to license this nefarious traffic.
The people are not perhaps aware
that already the Liquor Dealers As
sociation of Ohio has raised fund of
one hundred Thousand dollars to be
used in efforts 10 secure the election
of members of the Convention who
favor a return to the old license sys-
tenn; and yet such is the fact. These
men will be active and secret, and
must be watched.
Third-The limitation of the power
of local taxation. This species of tax
alton has increased enormously with
in few years, and is increasing; and
under the law allowing counties,
towns and cities to build railroads,
threatens, unless limited by the fund
amental law, to engulf the people in
hopeless bankruptcy. The total State
tax of 1866 was s., ,S67, 1923, which
has only been increased up to 1872 to
81 s414, ,557.25, not more in proportion
than the proper demands of the State,
while the LOCAL taxation has increased
from S12, $40, ,699. 80 in 1866, to SIS, ,S34,-
422. 4s in 1872. 1t is safe TO say that
not less than fifteen millions of dol
lars of bonds under the Boesel law
will be issued in 1873, the interest and
fund for which must be pro-
vided for by local taxation.
This unlimited power of local taxa
ton should be restrained by constitu-
tional Limitation. The schemers and
speeulators have already commenced
their manipulatiOns to break down in
the new Constitution the safeguards
existing in the present one against al
lowing counties, cities and towns to
lend their credit to and take stock in
direct and the lobby now here !
in the interest of various railroads: |
exist as yet only on paper, but which
they hope to build by taxation, are
loud in their boastings that they will
OF course, there are many other
matters of great importance to be con-
but the three mentioned seem
to me to be of paramount importance.
Respectfully, &C.,
L. C. JONES.