Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-08-28

those institutions wherein Democratic
reorganization was fully accomplished.
THE HOME FOR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
ORPHANS.
The most infamous measure of all the
partisan legislation of the first session
was reserved as one of its last acts. 1t
bore the name of John O'Connor as its
author. 1t is fit and proper that desert
er, a bounty jumper and a convicted
felOn should be the author of this vile
scheme, but it is an everlasting disgrace
upon the fair name of Ohio, that a major
ity of her General Assembly should give
force and effect to so fatal a stab at the
orphan children of her soldiers and sail
ors.
This law provided:
First-That none but the children of
men who died while in the service, or
who have since died of wounds or of dis
ease contracted while in the line of duty
of sJch service, shall be admitted to the
Home, while the old law nroVided that
the children of all deceased, INDECENT and
permanently disabled soldiers and sailors
should be received.
Second-That no child can be received,
while the mother is alive, under the age
of II years. Or, in other words, after the
mother has struggled along and supported
her in providing living for herself, this
law kindly proposes to take it off her
hands.
Third-If man is so unfortunate as
not to be on the pension rolls of the Gov
ernment, his children, no matter how
poor and destitute they may be,a exclud-
ed from the Home by this cruel and out
rageous law.
Feurth-No child will be admitted un-
less the guardian or mother agrees to pay
to the Trustees the money received as a
pension on account of the death of its
father. That is, the State of Ohio will
huulanely 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.
This law became so odious and aroused
such a storm of indignation throughout
the State, that at its last session the Gen
eral Assembly relieved it of some of its
obnoxious features.
THE STATE RE-DIsTRICTED FOR CONGRESS-
MEN:
The State, at the session of 1873, upon
the command of the Democratic caucus at
bers of Congress, in the interest of the
Democratic party. So unfairly was this
done that twas expected that the result
of the fall election would be fourteen
Democratic to six Republican Congress
men.
It is the duty of the General Assembly,
after each decennial census, to redistrict
the State for Congressional purposes,
which law should remain undisturbed for
thelnext ten years. But once before has
this rule been departed from in the his
tory of Ohio, viz: 1845 and before the ex-
istence of the Republican party. This
departure was so unpopular that no party
or General Assembly has had the hardi-
hood to repeat the experiment until the
winter of 1873. That the apportionment
law just repealed was fair one, is shown
/ by the facts following: In 1874, when
the Democrats elected their candidate for
~Seeretary of State, by a majority of II,
202, they also elected thirteen out OF
twenty of Ohio's Representatives in Con
| gress. In 1876 the Republicans carried
the State by majority of 1916, and the
Republicans also secured twelve out OF
twenty Congressman. If the presen
Democratic 'sgerrymander'' had been in
force in 1876, notwithstanding the fact
that the Republicanswere in a majority il
this State, the delegation in Congress
elected that year, would have stood twelv'
Democrats and eight Republicans.
i The reac tlon in public sentiment wa
so great that the expectations of the au
/ thors of this schme were not fully realized
j; This law was so unfair that while tht
Republicans had a majority of II ,04S
over the entire vote cast for Democratic
nominees forCongress in Ohio last fall ,ye
!, they elected only nine Congressman, ,whil
the Democrats elected eleven.
THE BOAST THAT 2,244, 695, ,16 HAVE BEEF
SAVED BY THE DEMOCRATS Is FALSE.
The claim is made in Democratic pa
pers and by Democratic speakers, tina
the last General Assembly has saved t
:, the people by its appropriation bills tn
sum of s., PA ,695, Is over the amounts az
r propriated by its Republican predecessor
3 This is about the only good thing tina
} is claimed for! the last Legislature, an
this claim rests upon false premises, an
is not true. The rate of taxation for Stat
purposes is fixed each year by Law
e Prior to 1870 the rate of taxation
S Ohio was three and one-tenth mills O
the dollar. In 1876 the Republican Les
: islature reduced the levy to two and nine
i, | tenths mills on the dollar. The levy ha
j not been reduced from that day t
f this. During this year the people wi
S have to pay the same rate of taxation s
d they did in 1876.
It If there has been a reduction of tw
n and fourth millions of dollars in the e.
penditures of State Government, why di
l. this Legislature require the people to pa
h the same amount of money as they did
d former years? Why did they not gi'
It the people the benefit Of the saving?
:, The taxable property of the state,
d represented on the grand duplicat
If amounts in round numbers to 81 ,5O'
ID OOO, 100000. A:levy of one and five tent
ID m ills on the dollar on this amount
I'd property would produce $2,250,O00, ,on
e little over five thousand dollars mo
than the large amount said to have bee
I'd saved by the Legislature. If this claim
Mt true why did not the Legislature redu
of the levy of two and nine-tenths mills to o
ht and four tenths mills, so the people mig
W have had the benefit of this wonderi
an saving?
a. This would have shown the savings
S, such a manner that each mans pocl
on would have felt it, and if their claims /
n any foundation in fact, the Democra
he leaders in the General Assembly wor
he not have neglected the opportunity
lis make party capital by reducing taxatit
Die Now let us look at the true figures.
on Tho total concentrations of the Six