Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-07-24

ucT even lL0 hilcsI Dihtiu VI AiuOi man
ever assembled in New York, by a CON-
pariSon with this domestic assembly
called the Ohio Legislature. If there
be any virtue in jobbery, any honesty in
knayery, and purity in corruption, any
craftsmanship in party plunder, then
was that assembly virtuous, honest,
pure and statesmanlike.
With no good reason this Democratic
Legislature proceeded to carry out a
system of reorganization of our public
Institutions, which reorganization has
brought our public benefactions into
disrepute and seriously interfered with
the management and efficiency of our
penal institutions. This is abundantly
proven by mere mention of the chari-
| ties and corrections tampered with.
They recognized for political purposes
entirely to make room for Office-seekers
and asps clinging to the public treasury,
the Insane Asylums, the Reform School
for Boys, the Penitentiary. the Soldiers
and Sailors Orphans Home, the Indus
trial School for Girls, the Institution for
Imbecile Youths, the Institution for the
Blind. They created useless offices, to
meet the rapacity of hungry office-seek-
ers and Democratic politicians. Among
these was the office of Chief Engineer of
Public Works; the office of Criminal
Bailiff of Hamilton county, thus robbing
the Sheriff of that county of his dues,
guaranteed him by the statutes; the office
of Deputy Commissioner of Fees and
Costs of Hamilton county, for this pur-
pose, despoiling an office already held by
a Republican, and giving its benefits to
ward politician.
The name of the O'ConnOr Legislature
is familiar to every reader of the news
papers. What does it mean? Who was
O'COnnor? What was his position in
this Democratic Legislature? He was a
bounty-jumper during the war, had al
ready served a term in the Michigan
Penitentiary-a periurer, a burglar, and,
in short, was skilled artist in all the
knavery of the slums. The Democratic
Legislature made this man Chairman of
the Committee on Military Affairs and
Soldiers Orphans Home, and passed his
bill to re-organize that Home. What
prospect for virtue, when such man
was to guard the honor of the daughters
of our brave heroes, now beneath the
sod! What mOckery of purity! But
such corruption is whitewashed by pre-
tended respectable legislators. What
need of character, probity, honor and in
tegrity?
Recurring to the matter of re-organi-
Zation of our Soldiers and Sailors Or
phans' Home, by the passage of bill
now seen as infamous, it would be well
to know that this Institution was es-
tablished by the Grand Army of the
Republic and afterward transferred to
the State. 1t was a model Institution,
was efficiently managed under the ap-
pointments made by Gov. Hayes. But
the next Legislature-the O'Connor Leg
islature-laid its vile hands upon it, its
good name was blasted, noted women of
i'll repute were appointed to fill impor-
tant places in its management, and COM
mon fame has it that they impaired
freely the doctrines and practices in
which they themselves were adopts.
When this same O'Connor Legislature
re-organized the Reform School for
Boys, they found it in excellent condi-
tion, and needed only to be let alone
They proceeded to remove Mr. Howe
without cause, and so cripple the use
fulness of public benefactiOn, which
was accounted model of its kind, the
pride of the State. The inefficient man.
ager, like the notorious DR.. Keefer, was
allowed to resign, without an investiga-
ton.
Col. Grove was the Warden of the
Penitentiary when this Legislature came
into power. The Penitentiary was man.
aged with rare skill, the discipline was
excellent and perfectly satisfactory to
the people. Without charge against |
him he was removed, together with the
whole Board of Directors. that places |
might he provided for McWhorter,
Quinn Il Co.
The story is the same for all the pub |
lie Institutions. Everywhere we see
the same reckless disregard of the honor |
of the State, the wishes of the people, |
and public economy. No such shameful |
jobbery has ever before been attempted |
in Ohio by any men charged with the
law-making power. The people will not |
soon forget it. They have good memo
ries; the accounts will be balanced in |
due time, and the brand of infamy burnt |
into the forehead of every man who, in
that body, deserted the principles of |
honor and decency. And with regard |
to the Democratic love for the soldier,
hear Private Dalzell:
$50 back with me to the first day of |
the OConnOr Legislature, when the
houses were organized, and you will see
the first monument they raised to signal
ize and record their love of the soldier.
We presented the names of Gilkey and
Meloy, two young gentlemen of educa-
tiOn, whose fathers died in the Union az
my in defense of their country. They
had been clerks in the Republican Leg
islature. They were rejected by solid
Democratic vote. We presented also
for similar positions, two cOlOred gentle
men, who had been in the Union army,
and were highly educated gentlemen.
They were rejected with jeers and SCOTS
from the solid Democratic side. Not
colOred man was chosen for any posi-
ton there, not even for porter. AS a
leading Democrat expressed it, We will
have no id niger about this She
bang"
But what is more consistent? This
same Democratic party voted solidly
n roi nett fha ,,e4 Il
to the. Constitution. They
voted solidly against allowing the citi-
zen soldier in the field during the war.
the right to vote. They declared that