The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-12-15
Written for The Spirit of Democracy.j
LETTER FROM COLUMBUS.
CoLUNBUs. o Dec s. 1874

CoLUMBUs, 0 Dec S, 1874.
ED. SPIRIT: Happy is the man who
has q home and plenty to eat, and in
this broad land of ours one would SUD.
pose that all could find abundance. But
here ut the present time it is a matter
of daily occ lrrcnco to meet men who
have neither home nor means of subsis
tencc
The number of sleepcFs who nightly
seek lodging at Police Headquarters.
and other places in the city, is estima-
ted at an average of one hundred
Many of them are young men and are
comfortably dressed Their report is
that they are out Of means and can get
no work That they had been engaged
at manufacturing establishment, at
some point, that has stopped running
and they have started out to hunt work
They pick mp ennugh to eat by hegging
during tie day and sleep wherever they
fad the opportunity at night. Some OF
them no doubt are thieves, tramps and
impos9ors, but the story of majority
is undoubtedly true The same is the
condition Of all the other cities of this
country In fact l see it stated that in
the vicinity of some of the cities, these
men have became SO numerous and in
solent as to cndanger the homes Of
the residents. ...-
A weeks labor of the General AS
sembly has gone, and members have re-
newel old atquaintances, secured homes
for the Winter. found the places where
the bsst drinks are kept and got to
work in earnest.
From the number of bills that have
been introduced, conclude that a com
mcndable 'al is at least exhibited to
serve the people. One bill introduced
proposes to make very great changes
in the Ohio school system. An aged
Senator (conscript .father) has discov-
cred that we have to much education,
and that our children go to school too
long. To remedy this he proposes that
the school age shall be between seven
and sixteen years, and that spelling,
reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar,
geography, composition, conversation
and elocutien shall be the only branches
taught. ,....-
He lives in city; he has, therefore,
made the further discovery that the
school fund shonld not be distributed
according to population, but to average
attendance. He has studied the cir
cumstances and situation and knows
that larger average attendance always
occurs in the cities than in the country
He, therefore, says to You, little bare
footed boys who have to stay at home
from school some DAYS and help plant
tobacco, or go hunt the strayed calves
or some other essential duty, because
you can't 60 to school every day like
my boy can, you shall not have so much
money as my boy shall have to pay for
your education. He knows that in con-
81 quence of these duties you have to
| perform you have more brain and more
muscle than his boy, and with fair
chance You can beat him in the race of
life. He, therefore, seeks 10 rob you
in the beginning Should this bill be-
come law il would take from Monroe
county about $4,000 of the school
fund that she now receives.
The crusade OF last spring, or the
vote on the ad Constitution, or some
other spontaneous efusion, has caused
large number of bills to he introduced
regulating the liquor traffic. Most OF
these are intended to modify the pres.
ent law
One introduced by Senator Worth
ington proposes to reach substantially
the same object as would be accom-
plished by license system 1t pro.
vides that the treasurer of the county
vtraI keep register of the owners o
the premises where liquors are sold
and also of the party selling, which
register shall always be open TO inspec
ton. 1t classifes the places, and kind:
of liquors sold, and provides that the
several places shall pay tax annually
Of from $500 to SIO-according to 10
cation and kinds of liquors sold. Il
prohibits the sale Of liquors at any
place not registered, by imposing fines
1t prohibits the credit sy stem in thu
sale of liquors, and makes the vende1
responsible for injuries sustained BY
reason of the intoxication. 1t give:
Probate Courts jurisdiction to heal
complaints under its provisions ant
power to revoke the registration.