The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-11-12
TIE OHIO LFGISLNTTRE.

The Republican majority at the late
election in Ohio was not large one. y
very slight change would wipe it out.
The way to retain and increase the ma
iority is to deserve it. This is 1t propO-
sition that the Republican members elect
of the Legislature should bear in mind.
The Democrats had the Legislature for
two years, and they made a record that
damaged them seriously. Political pow
er brings with it grave responsibilities.
This the Democrats did not recognize.
They went in under the banner of re-
form, and acted upon the principle that
to the victors belong the spoils. They,
with old Democratic instinct, sought the
spoils of Office rather than the good of
the people. Consequently they lost the
confidence of the latter, and enabled the
Republicans to put them severely on the
defensive. They created new and use
less offices, and retained others that
ought to have been abolished, while, at
the same time, for party purposes, they
denoraliZed the benevolent, reformatory
and penal institutions of the State.
Under the pressure of party necessity,
they turned good men ont and put in
ferior men in, and i'll some cases at
tached salaries 20 positions that had, up
to that time, been filled without com
pensation. They also passed the Ge-
CHAN bill under a clerical whip, and
adopted pure sectar anism as a section
of their party creed, They plainly de-
clared that it would be the policy of
their party to legislate in the interest of
that sectarian body that promised the
party its support. The Roman Catholic
Church was thus made part of the Dem
ocratfe party. The price of Democratic
votes was so established in the Wood
County ease. Altogether. the Demo
cratic Legislature made a record sufii-
GENTLY bad to crush any party.
The Republican party returns to pow
er in Ohio with the Democratic example
before it, and the Repu ublican majority
in the Legislature must be careful to
make record that will be n strength,
not a weakness, in 1876.
TO this end, the Legislature should
abolish every Office that is a sinecure,
and OF this GLASS there are several.
There will be Republican applicants for
all those offices, but they should not
protect the si9scures. In the next place
every good man removed from Office by
Gov. Allen should be reinstated. and the
various institutions of the State shOnld
be re establisht d upon tie basis OF econ
omy and efficiency from which they We're
transferred by the Democrats. The Gle
gIan law should be repealed, or, at
least, modified so as TO place all sects
upon an equal footing, provided the
Legislature shall be satisfied there was
discrimination in pre- existing statutes.
Upon this point we claim that there was
no discrimination. but we are willing
that this matter shall Oe made plain, If it
is not already clear. But there is no
valid excuse for the existence of the Ge-
CHAN law as it stands, and it ought to be
repealed.
The Legislature should also give its
best AZ earliest attention 10 the work
of honesty and economy in every depart
ment Of the State government, and also
To such legislation as may be necessary
to check the growth of local taxation.
While the character of the times requires
citizens to econOmize, the practice of
municipal authorities is to increase ex-
penditures and taxes, and to this end
tue aid of the Legislature will be asked
in the future, as it has been in the past.
Against pressure of this kind the Legis-
iature should brace itself deterininedly.
If the Legislature shall enter upon its
work in The spirit of honesty and econO-
my, and do its work promptly and
sharply, its record will greatly strengthen
the party in the approaching National
contest CinriHagti Gazette.