The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-02-17
Q II I o.
COLUMBIA. Letter.

Columbus Letter.
One cannot help thinking, in looking over
the proceedings of the Legislature, that
there are great many needless bills intro
ducsd, and a great many laws passed through
both Houses, consuming time, expense, wind
and gas, that are dead-letter laws, unobserved
and uncared-for by the people, and annulled
as soon as possible by the good sense and ex-
perience of future General Assemblies.
Gibben informs us, says contemporary,
that Locrian who proposed any new law
was compelled to stand forth in the Assem-
bly, of the people with cord around his
neck, and if the law was rejected, the inno-
vator was instantly strangIed. Those SEN
sible old sayages had good notion of the
evils Of excessive legislation; and if the
custom were adopted by our civilized Buck.
eye statesmen, it would either do away with
an enormous amount of unnecessary draw
ing up of "new bills" and supererogatory
eloqusnce, or condemn to merited oblivion
a number of superexalted politicians.
Amid the manifold rubbish of legislation,
permitted by the free constituency of this
free country, of course there are bills intro
duced and passed that are demanded by
public necessity; otherwise General Assem-
blies and Congresses would be worse than a
sham and humbug. The following bill
presented by Mr.. Eylar viii be read by many
of your readers with interest. 1t is for the
protection of the banks of the Ohio river
and other nayigable streams within the State
of Ohio;
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assem-
bly, of the State Of Ohio That all male persons sub
ject to perform labor public highways, by act
passed March g. 1883, entitled an act relating to
roads and highways" whose lands are on or are
bounded by the Ohio river, or other navigable
streams within the State, hereby required to
perform one days labor each year, between the
months of March and June, in planting willows in
such manner as to afford protection to the banks
Of said streams during floods, high waters, and
other times.
SEC. 2. The supervisor of the district in which
such labor may be performed shall inspect the same,
and if he deem it sufficient in extent and performed
in such manner as to fulfill the requirements and
i-sers snan give the proper receipt
for the same as though said labor had been per-
formed upon the public roads and highways, and
the persons performing such labor shall be exempted
from performing of the two days labor required
upon the roads and highways, in accordance with
the provisions of the act above mentioned.
SEc. 8. All persons required to perform labor un-
der this act shall be subject to all fnesand penal
ties for failure to perform labor upon the roads and
highways by the act Of March Q, 1868, above mem
toned.
SEC. A. This act shall take effect and be in force
from and after its passage
The General Assembly has made the ad-
vocates of the Southern railroad from Gin
cinnati happy by passing the six-miilion-
dollar bill, and giving them an opportunity
to finish the road; and, if SO, there can be
no doubt that the Southern Commerce Of
Cincinnati will rise rapidly, and be the max
ing of our State metropolis.
A meeting of leading educators, compris-
ing the Educational Centennial Committee
of Ohio, was held at Commissioner Smart's
Office the other day, which, after consulta-
tion, agreed to devote $1,000 of the $1,000
appropriated for the educational exhibition
of Ohio at Philadelphia, to the erection of
model school buildings there, under such
conditions as will insure proportionate con-
tributions for their work from other States.
The meeting also unanimously sanctioned
Commissioner Smart's plan for recognizing
the school system of Ohio by abolishing
sub-districts, providing for county super
vision, etc., etc. 1t is understood that ex-
Commissioners Harvey and White both
sanction the plan, and, indeed, but little
objection is made against it by school men
from any quarter.
The Columbus City Council has adopted a
resolution directing the appointment of a
Committee to memorialize the General As
sembly for such legislation as will enable
the Council to levy tax sufficient to raise
means with which to remodel the Capital
University, which Fred Michel offers TO
donate to the Government for mint The
amount desired to be- raised is ffty-two
thousand dollars, fifteen thousand of which
is to be devoted to the partial reimburse
ment of Michel. Reports made in the City
Council show the city's funded debt to be
about 81, $4,000, and floating indebtedness
$4,000.
John Skates, of this city, reports himself
as one hundred and four years old. The
venerable gentleman claims to have good
memory, and says he does not remember a
winter when he was of less account than he
is this.
Returns of votes recently cast for officers
of the Great Council of Improved Order soi
Red Men of Ohio have been canvassed in
this city, and the election was found to have
resulted as follows: Great Sachem, ". r,
Haziett, of GAINESVILLE; Senior Sycamore, ],
W. Underhill, of Van Vert; Junior Saga
more, T. E. Peckinpaugh, of Wooster
Chief of Records, Louis s. Larose, Of
Dayton; Keeper of Wampum, George A
Peters, of Cincinnati; Representative, Jo
seph Dowdall, of Columbus. These officers
will be installed at Steubenville, May Is.
Hon. John Little, Attorney-General o.
Ohio has given an official opinion that dog
may be subjected to taxation in this State
without change in the Constitution thereof
FENIMoRE.