The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-09-17

Ramsey, Ray, Richards. Stone Thonp
T son OF Lucas, Try"u. Narl-y. Vincen
and Wales.
On the 29ti u iinrch this bill passed
the Senate and became. law, hy vot,
of - yeas to IS nays.
Those who voted ia the affirmative
were
MrsSrs. Andrews, Buell., Corwin. Fer
rail, Fisher, Hudson, Lauglliu. Miller
Morris, Newman, Potter, Paul, Reese,
Reid, Seitz, Sheridan, fres-ler and Wal
lace.
Those who voted in the negative were
Messrs. Bingham, Butterworth, Bur-
ton, Goodhue, hathaway, Jones, Knox,
Phiison, Rukenbrod, Waddle, Worthing-
ton and Yeoman.
HOW ITS PASSAGE WAS SECURED.
This bill was introduced into the Gen
era,l Assembly by a Catholic, and advo-
Gated by him and the Catholic press. as
a measure of justice to their Church, and
secured, upon its passage, the support of
tlie Democratic member, of the General
Assembly, and was passed by them alone.
While this bill was pending, Mr.. Ge-
CHAN, under date of March ,, wrote to
Mr.. James w. Murphy, of Cincinnati,
as follows;
''We have II prior claim upon the
Democratic party. The elements com
posing the Democratic party in Ohio to-
day are made up of Irish and German
| Catholics, and they have always been
loyal and faithful to the interests of the
| party. Hence the party is under obli-
| CATIONS to us, and We haYe Il perfect
right to demand of them, as a party, in
asmuch as they are in control of the State
| Legislature and State Government, and
we, by both our means and our votes,
| placed them where they are to day, that
| they should, as party, redress our
| grievances. | would counsel the same
mode OF action to the citizens Of the
southern portion of this State to those
living i'll the northern. viz, that every
Catholic Society, and every Roman
Catholic citizen, immediately proceed
to get up petitions signed 10y all the
Catholics and as many liberal citizens rs
they can find la their districts. and for
ward said petitions to their representa-
tives in the General Assembly, calling
upon them to support my bill. Let the
fire commence along the whole line.
Reconstruction is death. Everything
depends upon immediate action. The
members of the Assembly claim that
such IL measure is not needed. Let them
hear from their constituents through
petitions, and | assure yOu It will bring
them 10 n sense of their duty. The
Democratic party has pandered to the
Interest of the whisky dealers by repeal
ing the Adair Law, thereby gaining 20
900 votes. Let us see if they will pay
attention to IA demand Gust and equit-
able) coming from 80. 600 citizens belong
ing to their party. If the plan is carried
out, feel sine1Iine of success"
On the 1lth of March tue CatLolic
Telegraph, after publishing the above
letter of Mr.. Geghan, uttered the fol
lowing menace to the Democratic mem-
bers of the General Assembly:
''The political party with which nine
tentlis of the Catholie voters afiiliate on
account Of past services that they will
never forget, now controls the State.
Withdraw tile support wiiich Catholics
have given to il and it will fail IN this
city, county aud State ~ speedily as it
has risen to its long losr potion aud
power. That party is now ou t,ial. Mr.
Geshan's ball will test IT, 4ncrrity of |
its professions.
After t.io passage. Of this bill, the |
CtsttO!ia Ieieyyaph was - well pleased |
with the action of the Democratic mem |
bers of the General Assembly shat It
said:
Tho ,,uSrokea, solid vote Of the |
Catholic citizens of the State will be Civ
en to the Democracy at the fall el-c
ton"
WHAT THE PEOPLE THOUGHT or 1T.
Upon the passage Of this bill, an i'll
tense feeling was aroused among the
people of tin. State. The cause of alarm
was not at what WAS contained in the
bill itself, but because the great nemO-
cratic party in Ohio, by its chosen rep
representatives., had, at the demand of |
the Catholic Chmch and under threat
of withdrawal of its political influence,
placed law upon our statute books.
The Cincinnati Commrr,i,sf, in au ar
ticIe published g. .sra 5th OF April, ia 1
speakiag OF this bill, we'll expressed the
feelings of the people;
"The bill was shorn OF some Of its |
more Objectionable features on its way to
final passage, and does not. therefore,
cover all that was designed by its author
ana hackers, hut il contains all that was
found prudent 10 insist upon 1T present
At all events, ii was "a satisfactory that
Immediately anon It's passage the CGth-
Ollie Telegraph gave notice that tile ALI
anee between the Church and the party /
would remain intact, aud 1--WE quote its
own wordS) the unbroken, solid vote of
the Catholic citizens of the State will be
given to the Democracy at the fall elec-
ton That j. 10 say, tu all Democratic
candidates for r. election who voted af-
firnaiiyclT "a ~ F.;,SSige Of the bill but
not tt, ot:u-T- E"r -! another place the
IeiegTu;i iicrccly :Issi,Ils a Democratic
member from Hamilton county, who did
not vote for IT, and Mr. Haven must be
dull of under tanding If lis does not per-
cpive that in the event of his candidat-
ure lac will not receive II single Catholic
vote. If the influence that inspires the
utterances Of ;IIo ItlegraIh is potent TO
control the Catholic vote, and make
those who are the keepers Of the Catho-
lie conscience in matter Of faith 'he Gus
todians also of their political rights.
While there is nothing in the Geghan
Bill to which particular objection can
be made. there il reasonable cause for
npprehension when AN alliance is openly
avowed between II powerful political
and n hardly less powerful sectarIan or
eanization, especially when We reflect
that the latter, in all countries where 1t
has dominated, has not been unagsres-
siye in political policy, but has, We may
say. invariably sought to subordinate
the civil to the ecclesiastical power, and
pIant the banner OF the Church above
that of the State.
Mr.. Geghan had hardly introduced his
bill to the notice Of the Legislature be-
fore he proceeded. in an open letter
to notify the Democratic members Of
that body Of the prior claim which the
Catholic Church had upon the party;
and as il this were not sufficient, the
organ of the Church in the Ohio Valley |
aimonishes them that, should they talI
to recognize that claim, the support OF
tie Church might be Ssithdfawn- and
the party fall in city. county and State
as rapidly Is it had risen. What lnIiu-
ence these admonitions had upon the |
Democratic members must be inferred /
from the result The bill was passed, /