The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-09-10
Eao,c-.Nofhing Increment IN ohio.

The Republican leaders who started the
canrpaiqp in Ohio with a professed abal>
donnlent of their own financial policy du.
ring the last twelve years, and a pretended
conversion to specie ayments, have all ot
sudden dropped the new issue and SUB
stitutcd for ir another even more hypocrit-
ical than tile first, because its Whole aim Is
danCerots.tn The peace of society, and IN
inlic;,l TO the pea ce of society and inimical
to the genius of our free institutions.
Judge Taft, to his iShonor be it said, fa-
better things were expected from him,
Ifayes, Moves, and others of inferior de>
gree, have been and are now traVersing the
State striving to excite sectaIian preju-
dice by appeals to faDatical passion, and
to spread alan m upon the most unfouuded
pIetexts. Secret circulars, lodges, and all
the accessories of the old Kuow-Nohing
organization have been revived, under the
auspices Of some of the chiefs who were
conspicuous in that movement twenty
years ago, when it was stamped out and
buried under general exeCration by the
American people Now, it is directed
against a particular religious sect; but that
is only the corner stnne of crusade of
bigotry against all adopted citizcns of
whatever CLINE or country. AS the Re
publican Convention of other States have
adopted the same cry, it is evident this
Knuw-Nothing revival was prcconcertcd.
1t is the last desperate eXpedient of a
doomed party.
Since this partisan scheme has taken
such proportions, the country should know
how uttsriy false is the prctencc upon
which it rcstsiin Ohio, as that is the key
TO the whole conspiracy. The exposure of
one part of the plot applies with equal
force To all parts, since they cohere togeth-
er, and are entiIely destitute of foundation
in auth or sincerity. With impending de-
feat in the State BOW, and the prospect of
overthrow in the Cni)n next year, the Re
publicanS ek TO divert attention from
their corruption and fiauds, by shouting
at the top OF their lungs, 1.-The common
schools are in danger, and the Democrats
are going to destroy them"
Now, this cry is not only false in itself,
but in the Stat! Of Ohio neither party can
touch the school system without a change in
the Constitution. Here are the exact words:
Article 6. section 2. The General Assembly
shall make SIch prov vIsIon, by taxation or 9th
J school trust fund, will secure - thorough and
efficient sy ystcu of common schools throughout
me STATE hht 'h' 'ciGl Us ~ "thcr sect m Secis
shall ever have any rN ciIf>iVc rights TO, con-
trol OF, diD pdit of The school fund OF this
Tie convention which framed this Con-
stitution Democratic i'll it's political
majority. and was presided over by Will
liam Mcdiil, afterward Governor of tho
State. It'sras ratified by all overw helming
vote, ard the only opposition made to- it ON
. account OF this and other liberal provisions
came from the very men who to-day are
: clamOring about common Schools" which
then sought to defeat by rejecting the Con
= stitution
, Thi. Fundamental law of the State can
, only be changed by amendmen. proposed
i'll the General Assembly, which requires
thrce-fifths of the members elected to each
House, or by calling Constitutional Con-
ventio1, which requires vote of two
thirds OF the members elected to- each
! House of the Assembly. Without these
? conditions the onstitution stands as it is
until 1891.
1t is thus seen that the Constitution
prescribes, and that to alter it would be a
political impossibility in the existing state
of parties, if any serious opposition should
, be made by either Side. OF course no la W
IN conflict with this instrument could stand.
: no matter how passed, or by whichever
: party that happened to be temporarily in
2 the ascendant.
, At the Democrat Convention Of last
> June the following plank was made a part
! of the platform
THirtcenth.-We favor the complete separa-
tiOn OF Church and State, religious indcpen-
dence and absolute freedom of opinion, equal
anr exact Justice to all religious societies, and
taxpayers, without division among or control
10y any sect, directly ar indirectly, OF any por
Language could not be more explicit,
I. positive or authoritative than this is. Still
the clamor continued which had been got
ten up ioI pan tIsan uses, by trading polIti-
' clans who have betrayed every trust and
: corruptly employed every opportunity TO
fill tleIrpuckets with stolen money. They
denOuuce the so-calle1 Geghan bill as an
invention to destroy the schools and tn
uproot Christianity. Let what his
monster of uiuuity is
), At the last session of the Legislature of
Ohio the following act was passed, which
had been introduced by Mr.. Goghan:
An act to secure liberty OF conscience in mat
tcfs oi reliRl}n t. pei sons imprisoned, or de-
''SEcrIoN !. Re II enacted by the General As
conscience isnpt fnslcited by, reason at convic-
tiOn Of crime or by reason of detention in any
tion. or any house Of refuge. work house, jnil
or public asylum in this State, person in
tcnF religions worshi or instruction of a form
which is against the dictates of his her CON
: science ana ii shall be the dnty of every di-
rector, trustee, superintendent or other person
e having ff charge any such institution. TO fur
nish ample and equal facilities all such per-
/. sons Tor receiving the ministrations at the au-
| thorized clerCymen of their own religious de-
, nominations or pcrSllaSiCnS. under such reaS-
cnahie rules and regulations as the trustees iii
5 rcci"rs, managers or superinteadcnts snail
make, bat no snch les shall he construed
zion f,,n fuilv ol,i,iistnrn the S riies f hi;
: denomination 10 such inmates /: prof fded such
4 miniStra1ion entail expense on the public
! treasury
This is the whole of it. and there is not
a syllable in the act to which exception
l can be taken. 1t conforms to tie first ar
5 ticle of tho Constitution, which declares
5 mo person shall be compelled to attend,
erect, or support any place Of worship against
: his consent and no preference shall be given
f by law to any religious society sha II any
intertyrence with the rights of conscience be
permitted ~.
e The law puts all persons on an equal
{ footing whether Jew or Gentle and treats
: Christ ian, denominations with exact JUS
tice, giving to- each the same privilege and
: the same. opportunity of ministration
: among he unfortunate. There is nothing
4 concealed, and not one word which relates
f to schools in the remotest manner by any