The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-07-09
The New Constitution.
SOME OF THE OBJ or1oNs Aa1Nsr

SOME OF THE OBJ GTIoNs AGINsT IT
The Cincinnati 1saq1irer urges the
! following objections to the new Com
stitution:
l. We object that the rule of repre-
sentation in the General Assembly is
not 1tnif form in its character. A part
of it applies to Hamilton and Cuya-
hoga counties, but does not include
the rest of the State. This discrimina-
ton was unjust. There are two
things which should be alike uniform
and equal, and they are taxation an !.
representation. In fact, they go hand
in hand together. No law is right
| which would tax a portion of the peo-
pie of Ohio different from the rest
and the crime is equally as great when
the principle Of representation in the
| General Assem- bly, is changed TO meet
| the supposed varying interests of the
country.
2. 1ne tendency of the new consti-
tuition is anti-democratie in this:
State elections are not half as frequent
as before, being biennial instead of
annual, and at the same time the terms
of public officers are heightened.
| Thus, in two ways there is diminu-
ton of the powers of the people and
an extension of the prerogatiYes of
their agents.
3. 1t is improper and against public
interest to have the State and Nation
al elections at the. same time, because
the issues governing the one would
unduly affect the other.
f. There is a multiplication OF Off
GERS under the new constitution, and
it would prove mere costly and ex-
travagant in its application.
5. The meaning of the present con-
stitution has been well settled by the
experience and decisions of twenty
years. On the contrary, the new one
would besabieet to the same trial, and
thus it would be provocative of itiga-
ton and would be against the best i'm
| terests of the people.
6. 1t is too broad in its scope, and
embraces a great many things which
should be feft in the discretion of the
General Assembly Fer 81 instance,
there is authority given the General
Assembly to prevent dogs from run
ming at large Nothing else is MEM
TONED, and it may be question
whether any other. animals, such as
cattle, swine, NC, who raVage farmers
fields. can be restrained as they are at
present. 80 5a - 50 's9
L Inc judiciary clause provides for
an additional number of Judges, there
by creating additional expense, while
the administration of justice is not
materially facilitated.
8. The constitution authorizes the
Legislature to exempt church proper
ty from taxation, and in that respect
is no Improvement upon the old.
Il
vision of the present constitution by
which the General Assembly is to
submit at the end of twenty years the
question whether they will have q
Convention to revise and amend it,
thus giving the people less power
oyer their fundamental law than they
now have.
10. We object to the reaffirmation
under the changed condition of the
times of that section of the constitu-
ton which forbids the General As
sembly to authorize State Bank mon
ey to be issued if Congress should re-
move the tax upon such circulation,
which it is quite likely to do. In that
event we would be flooded with
money from the adjoining States, the
profits of which would be taken from
our own citizens. We consider this
section entirely in the interest of the
Eastern capitalists, who desire to sup
ply US with their own money.
IL. We object to the ratification of
the new constitution as whole unless
it is by majority of the votes cast at
the last State election. Single amend
ments have to be adopted in that way
when proposed by the General assem-
bly,, and why should not the work of
the convention undergo the same or
deal ? As if is, we may have fun
damental law put upon us for which
not one-tenth of the electors have
voted. a
II. Whatever changes may be nec-
essary in the present constitution can
De submitted by the General Assem-
1ly, and there are no reforms in the
proposed one to justify us in accept
ng it as whole. 9.gA
l3. Nor are " . without objections
IF a party character. important in
heir scope. Under the rule of rep
which would first embrace
Hamilton and Cuyahoga counties, in
i've or six years there would be But
er, Franklin, Montgomery, Stark,
and Lucas counties, all of
which would elect entire Democratic
delegations if they had the same priv
leges given as the rest of the State.
But under the new system the oppo-
lents of Democracy would elect about
lalf of these, making a change of
rom fifteen to twenty members
lgainst the Democratic party. This
would ordinarily be fatal to our as
,endency in the General assembly,
md would deprive us of legislative
power, including the choice of United
States Senators, the arrangement, of
Districts, sc. Italso,
~ dividing the counties in which lib
raj majurities prevail. gives an un-
lue advantage to what is known as
he Puritan sentiment where the r1i-
lorities are carefully excluded from
he advantages given them in tho an
i-Puritan counties.
CHANGES OF A CENTURY.