The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-02-18
EARLYAO.IOERYNENT.

~. S." the reliable and well informed
correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette,
i'll speaking Of the anxiety on the part of
the tax payers of the State for an early
adjournment of the Legislature, makes
the following truthful remarks:
Ny own experience leads me TO believe
that nothing is more harmful to the
cause Of good and wise legislation than
the constant badgering about adjourn
mant to which every General Assembly
in Ohio is subjected from the first week
of its session to its close. 1t is this which
prevents that care, and attention, and
deliberation, so essential TO the framing
and elaboration of wise enactments: it
j. this which leads members TO vote Tor
unnecessary measures in order TO get
them out OF the way, or to obtain the
credit of doing something;" it is this
which loads the statute books with has
ty, i'll considered, and supertiuous laws
& deliberative body meets, il Is sup
posed to represent the people, its MEM
bers wish sincerely and conscientiousiy
to reflect theii wishes. thousand Pc
titions for a hundred different objects
are flung into the chambers, thousand
complaints OF various kinds are laid be-
fore them; hundreds of bills are placed
upon the calendars; what is to be done
with theml Almost every third citizen
you meet regards one or other OF these
propositions as his own peculiar pet, and
each is ready to say OF his favorite meas
ure, all the Legislature has got to 60 Is
to pass that bill and adjourn. Each
looks at the reports of the proceedings,
and, as day by day he finds that his own
pet scheme is not yet embodied into law,
is ready to exclaim, ''The Legislature is
doing nothing; why don't it adjourn!"
After enumerating a few of the most
important measures before the Legisla-
ture, he says:
But why further enumerate. Suffice
it to say that there is not single inter
est in the State, agricultural, mechanical,
commercial, mercantile, mining, or educa-
tional, that has not placed before this
Assembly measures which it deems of
vital Importance to itself, and which it
has sent its representatives here to ad-
vocate and discuss. Then, too, the
Assembly must make appropriations for
the year, and these, which amount to
millions of dollars, can not be disposed
of in day. Add to all this, there is an
active, shrewd and energetic minority i'll
each House demanding to be heard at
great length upon every measure touch
ing the policy of the State-a minority
which cannot, and ought not, to be ig-
nored, and which, knowing the outside
clamor about ''short session, and that
the majority will be held responsible for
everything, thinks it profitable to secure
delay.
The truth is, the Assembly is working
well under the accumulated weight. The
members (even those of the Democratic
minority are above the average in intel
ligence, ability, and zeal for the public
interests, and it deserves the sympathy,
announcement, and commendation. of
all wise and patriotic citizens, rather than
the unmeaning and unreasonable CEN
sure which, in some quarters, is already
beginning to be heard.
While we have been very anxious for
a short session, believing that it would
subserve the best interests of the people,
we diselaim any thought of sacrificing
important and necessary legislation for
the purpose of securing economy. The
present Legislature is undoubtedly much
above several Of its predecessors, in both
ability and integrity, and it has large
amount of work before it, the legacy left
by its immediate predecessor. They may
now be considered as having got fairly
down to labor, and six weeks ought to
accomplish considerable work, and the
first of April is certainly as soon as an
adjournment can reasonably be ex-
pected.