Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-08-05

| gether 1t adopted q sounding resolH
tion against the Congressional back
pay business. But in December,
1874, they adjourned from the 23d to
the 29th of the month, and then ac-
tually endeavored to draw pay for
the interval when they were not in
session at all. This atrocious grab
was only prevented by the fir nness of
the Auditor of State, who refused to
issue the warrants, and thus saved
the State from steal OF $4,715.
Thus these Democratic CORNERS
were checked in an unlawful raid
upon the Treasury by an honest Re
publican official, and that this Demo
cratic Legislature. which began by
terribly denouncing Congress for vo-
ting themselves increased compensa-
tion Cor the time they had already
seryeds ended by attempting to filch
from the treasury full pay for time in
which they never served at all.
SURRENDER TO THE RoMIsa PRIEST
The record made by this Demo-
cratic Assembly in its surrender to
the combined efforts of Romish
priests in the lobby of both houses,
and to the alternate promises and
threats of the Romish press, ending
in the passage of the shameful Ge-
CHAN bill, is so we'll known that |
will not recur to it here, except to
say that before the passage of this
bill no rights of any Catholic clergy
man had been Disseminated against,
and no rights of any citizen denied;
and the bill was simply an insolent
instrumentality by which the Romish
clergy determined to assert their
ownership of the Democratic party,
and test the patience of the people.
The Geghan bill was not the first,
but the second step in their accursed
programme of breaking down the
public schools and sitting religious
liberty. The first was taken when
they proclaimed war upon the Bible,
and actually expelled it from the
schools of Cincinnati and elsewhere.
THE TOLEDO INlQUITY.
If the late Legislature will rem ain
dishenored tor all time by what it ac-
tually did, it will be held in detesta-
tion by every American for a piece
of villainy that it attempted and fail
ed in.
Last winter, the city of Toledo,
the third isl>size and Importance of
Ohio cities, had It good municipal
government, and one with which
nine.tenths of her people were salts.
fed. Her Council was Republican,
Board of Aldermen Democratic, and |
each. constituted fair and proper
check upon the other, so as.sto pre-
ventextravagance and detect corrup-
tion. The Mayor was a Democrat,
and saalso was the City Solicitor,
Frank C. Hurd. A ring of real cs-
tate jobbers and spectators desired |
to enrich themselves at the expense !
of the city. They found the Board
of Aldermen, consisting of eight per-
sons, disposed to lend listening ear
to their schemes; but the Council,
more numerous body, and more di
rectly representing the people, was in
flexibly opposed. The City Solicitor
and Mayor were both favorable to,
and one of them at least deeply in
terested in the projects Of the ring.
The April election was coming on.
If they could not get an endorsement
of their speculation previous to that,
they knew it was all up with them,
for they had a W wholesome fear of the
people, as ringsters nearly always do.
So they prepared for raid on the
Legislature.
Down they came to Col umbus,
with all the appliances at command
for the carrying of measure that
had money in it. Senator Potter,
of Lucas, was the instrument they
selected for introducing = hill which
should PROSTATE the rights of the pea
pie of Toledo, and place at the mer-
cy of the ring the property of that
city. Potter agreed to
serve them, and introduced into the
Upper House the famous, or rather
Infamous, Senate bill No. 229.
PARTY MEASURE.
By the terms of this bill, the Coun-
Gil, the most numerous branch of the
city government, was abolished; the
entire Legislative power was lodged
in the hands of the eight Aldermen,
and the terms of Mayor and City
Solicitor which legally expired in
April, were continued, without any
election until November, 1875. 1t is
unnecessary to characterize the bill.
A single statement of the provisions
is sufficient to stampit as the most
wantan piece of tyranny and usurpa-
tion, and the most insQlent and bare
faced product of rascality and cor
ruption, ever brought into the Gen
eral Assembly of Ohio. 1t was Who'll
Iy unnecessary for the Democrats
in the Legislature to adopt the hant-
ling. 1t had no feature in it which
any sane man in America would call
Democratic, unless Democracy and
rascality were openly acknowledged
to be synonymous terms. 1t was a
plain, square, unblushing usurpation,
outrage, and fraud, as every Demo-
crat in the Assembly know, and
many of them In private converse
ton acknowledged. The two Repre-
sentatives from Toledo on the floor
of the House, being Republicans and
honorable gentlemen, earnestly op-
posed the bill The people OF the
city, without distinction of party,