Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-08-28
TWO YEARS OF DEmOoRATGC Gov
ERNMENT IN OHIO.


Two years of Democratic control of the
Executive and Legislative Departments
of our State Government have been near
" completed. 1t is the duty of the peO
pie to examine the character and capacity
of this administration, before giving it a
new lease of life. If anything good has
been accomplished, it has been so over
shadowed by notorious greed for Office
and measures matured for merely partisan
gain that it ought to be forgotten.
There has been no reduction in State
taxes, and the local laws of 1873 and 1879
authorize an increase of local taxation
and Indebtedness of nearly one and one
half millions of dollars.
In 1873, the business performed by the
new Governor with the most alacrity and
the greatest vigOr, was to search the State
Capitol from garret to basement for Off
cials who had faithfully performed their
duties for years. This search was con-
tinued throughout the State, wherever it
was thought possible to stow away hun
CRY Democrat. As soon as these officials
were found, they were decapitated, and
~ AAOAA NAO AAA hO
knowledge of the duties to be performed,
and, in many instances, no capacity to
acquire such knowledge.
Not even the battle-scarred veteran,
who guarded the most sacred trophies of
Ohio valor-the flags borne by her Tegi-
ments during the war-and the One-arm-
ed man who guided the visitors through
tho Cfofa Houco v,,aro rv1opad Tho aAS
GERS controlling the Executive Depart
ment of the Government did all in their
power to convert it int o mere party
machinery.
What was true of the Executive
was true in greater degree of the Legis-
lative branch. The first session of this
General Assembly (1S79) was the longest
eyer known in the history of the State,
and it is estimated that at least fifty-eight
days were consumed in the consideration
of purely partisan legislation. The same
spirit prevailed at its second session, and
the people can comfort themselves with
the assurance, that about seventy-tive
days of this Democratic General Assem-
bly, and seventy-tive thousand dollars of
the money were spent for party purposes.
THE PENAL, REFoRMAToRY AND BENEvo-
LENT INSTITUTIONS.
The penal, the reformatory and the be-
hevolent institutions were seized upon by
the Sixty-third General Assembly as le-
gitimate prey for partisan purposes. All
of these institutions have been erected at
a great expense by the people of the State
for the protection of the public, the re-
formation of the immoral, and the care
and improvement of the orphans, the
blind, the deaf mutes, the. .imbecile youth
and the insane.
In this direction millions of dollars
have been spent during the last twenty
| five years. Our magnificent asylums and
reformatOry institutions have justly been
source of great pride to our people and
monuments to their wisdom and benevo-
lence. Their proper management requires
that all of these institutions shall be gov
erned by and have for their officers peo-
pie who are peculiarly qualified, by long
experience and patient study, for the dis
charge of the duties imposed upon them
These institutions, to all who are not
made mad by partisan zeal, are too sacred
to be converted into asylums for impecu-
nious party spoilsmen. The poor, the
weak and the helpless inmates ought moi
| to be deprived of their tried and trusted
| guardians for the purpose of making room
for the place-seekers of any party. To
do SO would be an outrage deserving OF
the seyerest condemnation of benevolent
people. Yet this was the work first en-.
tered upon by the Sixty-third Genera
Assembly at its first session, and mos
eagerly followed by its members.
In the early months of 1873 the Ath-
ems, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton an(
Longview Asylnms for the Insane, til,
Ohio Penitentiary, the Reform Schoo
for Boys, and Girls Industrial Home
the Asylums for the Blind, for the Dea
and Dumb and for Imhecile Youth, anC
the Home for Soldiers and Sailors Or
phans were all reorganized. 1t was pro
vided that all the old, tried and true at
tendants might be turned off. In mos
cases they were dismissed and in thei
places came a swarm of ward politician
from the Democratic party, who knew n
more of the duties they were appointe'
to discharge than would a band of will
Indians.
/. Among the many good people, of who's
: almost invaluable services the State wa
deprived by these partisan acts, were Dr.
|, Gundry, the Superintendent of the CO
lumbus Asylum and Mr.. Geo. E. Howe
i the Superintendent for the Reform Schoc
= for Boys. Each had had many years c
experience, and each had peculiar f1tnes
for the position he occupied, but the gree
of the Democratic Legislature would NJ
n permit Ohio to have the benefit of eve
their services. They must and did go.
The Democratic State of Maryland in
mediately recognized the prize, whiC
er Ohio had rejected in DR.. Gundry, an
: called him to her assistance; and whs
81 Maryland did in the case of DIR. Gundry
the Democratic State of Connecticut d
N. in the case of Mr.. Howe. The officials
81 these States having in view public al
% not merely party gain, called the depose
Ol superintendents to their aid, and place
25SS them in charge of their institutions of lii
20 character.
= What has been the result of this wick
policy? Scandles and mismanageme
IN, have already grown up about some
re these institutions, which have broug
shame upon the State. Within fe
: months after his appointment, the m
having in charge the morals and educ
= ton of the soldiers and sailors orphan
was driven from Office by the indignant
of good people on account of his sea
dalous misconduct. The Warden of t
Ohio Penitentiary, and the favorite of t
Governor, in less than one year, by
incompetency, SO demoralized the VIII,
institution, that second reorganizati