Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-09-05

| OF the hands OF the Democratic party. That party
had been so faithleSs to the trust conhded TO 1t
by the people, recreant TO its public duty, in
efficient in the details of its administration that the
carried the state in 1856 had wrested the manage
ment of the lunatic asylums from the hands Of the
Democratic party. They had done il as an absolute
necessity and the men who supported the meas
ures that produced the result not Republicans
and thousands of them have never been Republic
ans since that time The management OF the
Northern and Southern asylums for the insane had
been so grossly corrupt well in the construction
OF the buildings as in their subsequent management
| in the hands of the dominant party, that
| on the accession TO power in 1855 of the Know
Nothing and Ant-Nebraska parties in this State,
| their management was changed. The gentleman
| from Wayne (Mr. Eshelman) the other day charged
| that it was the Republican party that made this
change but history shows that the necessity for this
change grew OF the fact that the public verdict
was that the Democratic party had grossly outrage
ously, and persistently mismanaged these institu-
| tons.
Mr.. EsheIman-will the gentleman from Athens
| allow me a word?
| ''Mr Grosvenor-Certainly.
| 'Mr Eshleman-I did not say the Republicans
succeeded i'll 1855 said that the Free SOilers and
Know Nothings succeeded in 1855, and the General
Assembly elected by that combination, on the Sth
OF April 1885, passed laws recognizing those insti
tuuOns, and sweeping out of Office every Democratic
| incumbent
| ..Mr. Grosvenor-T The gentleman from Wayne
withdrsws the charge that the Republican party in
augurated this system of party bunder in the pub
| lie benevolent institutions An examination OF the
records of that General Assembly will show that
majority of the members who voted for those bills
/ were not. and those who are living are not now,
members of the Republican party. The party in op-
position 10 the Democratic party in this State at that
tme-the Know Nothing party-numbered among
\ its members such distinguished Democrats of
a later day as Van Trump, Trimble Campbell, Chase,
Hubbel and score of Others. the leading, promi-
nent, active men of modern Democracy: men who
| rose into political power under the auspices of
| secret political organization; men who swore
eternal hostility to the rights of foreigners upon the
| soil of this country; men who marched under the
banner inscribed with the legend, Put none but
Americans guard tonight and these men who
| thus destroyed the Democratic party in 1855 have
since been rebaptized into the fullest communion of
the Democratic organization, and to-day stand forth
| their acknowledged leaders.
"Mr. Haag-Will the gentleman inform me what
party it was that organized in opposition to, and did
fight the Know Nothing party as aparty, not as in
| dividuals?
'Mr. Grosvenor-Mr. Speaker, no political party
fought it. Political organizations swept away,
as the wind drives the chaf before it, The organiZa-
ZION of the Democratic party powerless to with
stand the desertions from its ranks. Thousands of
It's members, private soldiers and officers,
its enemy In the Democratic district where l
lived at the time, with majority of nearly three
thousand, district organized for the express pur-
pose of sending to Congress a citizen OF this town,
Know Nothing elected by almost three thousand,
revolution of six thousand votes from one election
to another The Democratic party bowed its head be-
fore the Juggernaut of religious and national pro-
scription, and the result its own destruction
and its rejection from these hospitals for the insane
1t not the act of the Republican party for The
Republican party had no organized existence until
after the passage of the law of April s. 1856. As time
/
ascendant in the State, it naturally took possession
OF these institutions by operation OF law-law then
in forces but II never in any instance reyolutonized
and changed the organic law of of these insitu
| tins for the purpose of getting possession of the
spoils thereof. Now let this Democratic party in
power in Ohio by accident when it takes possession
of these institutions do it upon of two grounds:
Either. first, that the preamble to this bill is
true and if this be So then there is necessity for
| this act, and demand on the Democratic party is
made by the voice of the people of the State and
need not hesitate it should go straight forward, exc
people for support but If this preamble be not true
if in essential particular it is false, then let the
Democratic party put its action upon the other and
and in my judgment the better ground, because the
more truthful that it wants the proceeds of these
ofces-the money that is to come from the salaries
that there is political necessity to wrest these in
sttutions from the hands of the present occupants
for the sordid purpose of transferring the sala
ries into the pockets of clamorous Democrats; and
in order to satisfy this Unsuitable oucry for plunder
it is willing to hazard the prosperity of these instu
tions; and Mr.. Speaker, am justified in saying that
this is the true ground in view of the fact that this
bill increases the salaries of the officers of these i'll
situtions nearly 1000 per year. what say you, my
Democratic friends to this feature OF the bill under
consideration? You came into power in this State
under platform which demanded retrenchment
and economy in the public expenditure of the money
of the people and this is one OF your first public acts
Let US see now how your acts compare with your
public professions"
This bill, slightly amended did pass; and the Re
publicsns in 1876, smarting under the shameful
libel of their party management and party history
did retake the asylums; but in so doing they pro-
should not go out, thus carefully guarding the in
mates from the curse of political changes.
Thus it was shown that it was the Democratic
party which brought the present bad system of re-
organization upon We recognized the peniten-
| tary. and no fair man will say we had reasons
| to do so other than political ones.
But the sixty-third General Assembly
| not only reorganized the Soldiers and
Soyed it orphans 5 today H1%g Pgned Snd on defaeed
monument of the patriotism of the Republican
party. and of the deep seated meanness and hatred
| toward dead soldiers by the Democratic party. No
explanation can be given for the act.
Iapproach this subject with pain and sorrow-
dead comrades are suffering under the iron hand of
/ Democratic hatred of the that cost them so
much, and sorrow that the possibility OF groveling
| malice and wanton cruelty has been shown to exist
in American hearts, and finds its outgrowth in Ohio
enactments. This law provides:
First-That none but the children of men who
died while in the service who have since died of
wounds of disease contracted while in the line of
cuy of such service shall be admitted to said Home;
while the old law provides that the children of all
deceased. iIdqent and permanently disabled soldiers
and sailors should be received.
Second-Tbat no child can be received, while the
mother alive under the OF twelve years;
other words, after the mother has struggled along
and supported her child until it is capable Of assist
ing her in providing living for herself, this law
| kindly proposes to take it off of her hands.
Third-If a man is so unfortunate as not to be
on the pension rolls of the government, his chill
dren, no matter how poor and destitute they may
be. are excluded from the Home by this cruel and
| Fourth-No child will be admitted unless the
guardian mother agrees to pay to the Trustees the
money received as pension on account of the death
of its father That is, the State of Ohio will meanly
rob the poor widow of the little mite she so much
needs to buy bread for herself under the pretense
of charity to her child after that child is old enough
| to earn its own living.
That no mistake may be made in this matter. 1
give below the important sections of the old and new
/ laws:
| THE OLD LAw-REPUBLIcAN LEGISLATURE.
"SEC. IS. That there shall be received into said
Home the children residing in Ohio of deceased. in
| digent. and permanently disabled soldiers and
sailors who served in the land and naval services of
the United States during the late rebellion that
/ by said board ascertained to be destitute of the
means of support and education; and they shall be
| furnished support and education at said Home
til they arrive at the of sixteen years. unless for
good reasons sooner discharged Provided, how
ever, that said board may permit such of said chill
dren and youth as they deem proper to remain as
| inmates of said Home and receive all the benefits
| thereof, until they eighteen years of age.
''SEC. IA. That the Trustees of the Ohio Soldiers
and Sailors Orphans Home shall afford to all the
pupils under their charge such agricultural, horti
cultural, technical, industrial and art education
can be made accessible TO them.
'SEC. Is. That they shall establish in the grounds
1 .se-kl-