The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-09-19
States troops, or by or through any

officer, civil or military, acting under
or by authority of the United States,
or from any other cause whatever, dur
ing the suppression of the late rebellion
against the Government of the United
States, or for any property taken, used
injured or destroyed outside of the said
States SO in rebellion, and which be-
longed to persons residing in such re-
hellious States, unless the person or
persons owning the property so taken,
used, injured or destroyed were, during
the time OF such rebellion, loyal to the
Government of the United States, and
gave neither aid no encouragement to
The enemy"
This proposed amendment left it
open for Congress 10 provide for the
payment of all such claims to persons
who We're loyal. In fact, it is substan-
TALLY Il pledge SO TO do. 1t even
permits payment Ia he made to diSlOy-
al owners, who may have purchased
snch claims, provided the property ta-
ken, or destroyed, or injured belonged
/" person who was loyal. There are
| hundreds of millions of such claims yet
| Ill existence, many of them in the
hands OF spectators and persons en-
gagged in rebellion, who have purchas-
ed then, for Il irifie.
Every Republican member of Con-
gress present voted for this amendment,
inirllediystands pledged 10 the pay
ment of them. When the Government
shall have paid the widows and Or
phans of those who fell i'm its defense
the full value of the life of the husband
and father, it will be time enough to
commence paying the Southern loyal
| lists the class of claims contemplated i'll
this amendment.
| ann utterly opposed to the payment
of such claims, whether to loyal or dis
loyal persons.
| THE REDISrRICTING OF THE STATE.
If there is one act for which the
Legislature, more than another, de-
serves the gratitude and admiration of
its supporters, it is the redistricting OF
the State. For years the Republican
| party has maintained its numerical as
tendency in both branches of Congress
by an unfair, unjust and fraudulent
use of its power in districting States,
| both for the purposes of State legisla-
| lures and for congressional purposes.
| They have so districted the State OfIn-
diana, hat while the Democrats might
carry the State on the State ticket by
from 5000 to 10, COO majority, the leg
islature in both branches would still be
| Republican, and thus secure the elec-
ton of Republican United States
Senator and for congressional pur-
poses in such a way as to secure ma
Jority in the delegation of the lower
House of Congress.
In Ohio the law distIicting the State
| for congressional purposes was passed
by Republican Legislature, at the
session next ensuing after the election
| Of 1871, and of course was made on the
basis of that election. AT that election
the Republicans cast 233, ,27S, and the
| Democrats 2lS, ,I05 votes. The State as
districted on the basis of that election
would have given 10 Republican rep
resentatives, and Democratic repre-
sentatives. While on that basis it
would have required Is, ,62l Democratic
| votes to have secured one representa-
tive, ii would have required but 15, ,SS5
| Republican votes to have elected rec-
| resentative. It is true, the sesuits Of
Subsequent elections did not prove
| uuite SO disastrous To the Democratic
| party as it was intended to do. And
yet the Republican press affect to Ee
| indignant that Il Democratic Legisla-
| ture should have the courage to redress
! such u wrong. Their candidate for
| Congress in his opening speech at Mas
Siiinn, in sounding the Keynote of the
| cam npaign, as their press is pleased to
term it, devoted nearly half his, time to
a denunciation OF this measure. have
! carefully examined his argument
against it. Divested ofa surpiusage,
| it seems to anoIHt tu this He assigns
| three reasons why this act should not
have been passed. The first is that
| however Unfair and unjust the distric-
ting act of 1872 may have been at the
| time of its ,oasSage.it was not so piO-
ductiue of fraudulent results as its at
| shorS intended 1t should Ue, aud there
:ore il should have been allowed TO re-
| main. Second, that the first Demo-
| cratic Legislature elected after its pas
| sage had omitted to repeal it, and this
amounted practically TO Il conformation
Of the wrong. Third, that it has re-
| manned now in force SO long that we
are sort OF barred by statute of limita-
tioDs or some analogous principle from
| all relief. And this is the key note of
| the campaign. 1t strikes me, gentle
| men, their tunes are written i'll Il mi
nor key, 4 very minor key. What pa
thetic and piaintive music must be in
store for us. I am asked. do | defend
| i!lis meas;ire2 / answer no. 1t needs
| no defense. l advocated and urged its
adoption because it was right. 1t is
Justified by legal aud constitutional
warrant, and with the history OF the
| Presidential election OF 1876 fresh in
| our minds, it is of the utmost and vi
| tai Importance that lower House of
| Representatives should be henceforth,
and in 1880 actually representative of
| of their constituency. / can admire the
| fortitude that patiently endures the
wrongs against which it is impossible
| to contend, but ,iespise the spirit that
| Wouid acuuIeSce in the wrong when il
had the means of successful resistance.
| o'CoNNOR.
! 1t is sought to divert attention from
| the acts and policy OF the Republican
party in the Legislation and administta-
| ton OF the Federal government, by a
denunciatiou of the last Democratic
Legislature OF Ohio. The acts of that
| Legislature are i'll no way in issue in
| this canvass. None of the members of
that Legislature are candidates for re-
| election at this time, nor could the re-
sult of this election in any sense be con-
| strued as an approval or disapprOvai of
their action. 1t is termed an O'COnnor
Legislature because a man named o.
| Connor was a member of it. Whata
withering term of reproach. I have eX-
| amined somewhat carefully into the
history of that O'ConnOr. There are
| few mems lives, even though the most
| commonplace, that do not. if carefully
studied, contain some lesson of instruc-
tion, and OConnor's surely rises above
the commonplace. a few days ago he
was an hOnOred representative in the
Legislature of the State of one of the
| weaithtest counties in the State. Tt.
day he is Vagabond on the face of the
earth. with none 50 poor as to do HIM
reverence. l have, after the most care
! fu1 scrutiny, come to the conclusion
that O'Connor made two grand mis-
! takes iii his life, and that to them he
owes h:s present wletcl,edness. The
! first was in getting into the Michigan
| penitentialy. The sec md in having
joined the Democratic party after hill-
| ing been III the p@,litentiary. If i'll
stead he had gone to Louisiana or Flor
ida, he might have been appoint ted reg
ist"tiiig officer for q county or parish.
for inen of his kind were in demand
for such positi0ils; might have aided i'm
the election or counting iii of = Repuh-
lean President, and might to-day be