Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-07-31

the last Democratic General Assembly
has to depend upon its financial manage
ment for its vindicatiOn, it will be bu-
ried in oblivion without one.
Time and Money Wasted.
One of the growing evils in this State
is the tendency to long sessions of tie
General Assembly. This is an evil not
simply because it involves a great eX-
penditure of money, but also because
the result is to bufden the statute books
with useless and worthless laws.
The Sixty-third General Assembly had a
Democratic majority of 10 in the Senate,
p in the House and AZ on joint ballot.
This Legislature in the pretended length
of its two sessions Outstripped any one
of its predecessors by nearly forty days.
These pretended long sessions were con-
sumed to great extent, in considering
purely partisan legislation and in idle
ness.
We use the word "pretended" in speak
ing of their long sessions, for the reason
that its members for its two sessions
drew pay for two hundred and ninety
seven days, while they were in actual
session not more than two hundred
days.
Take for example the adjourned ses-
sion, which ended on the 23d of June
last. Its pretended length was one
hundred and sixty-eight days, and its
members drew pay for that number of
days.
The Senate was in actual session but
nihety-nine days, and was unemployed
sixty-nine days. ....
The House was in session one hundred
and twelve days and twas unemployed lif-
ty six days. OF these days, these two bO-
dies were unemployed, twenty-four were
Sundays, but the members drew pay ror
these days.
The daily expense of the members and
various clerks and employees of our Leg
stature is about 81 900, and it is low,
estimate to say that $59,120 were paid
to them during the session of 1879, and
$4,000 during the two sessions of 1873
and 1879 for time spent in idleness and
loafng.
The leaders of the Democratic party
have realized the terrible weight the last
long session of their Legislature would
be upon them, and therefore have raised
the cry, that it was necessary, in order
to complete the codifcation of the laws.
The falsity of this cry is shown from
the facts that the Senate was idle sixty
nine days out of the one hundred and
sixty-eight, and that the House was idle
fifty-six days out of one hundred and
sixty-eight days. If it had not been for
this waste of time, they might have ad-
journed on the first day of May at least,
instead of the 23d day of June.
Its falsity is also shown by the histo-
~ of this work of cOdificatiOn. In March,
1875, law was made, which provided
for the cOdificatian of the laws of Ohio,
by three persons learned in the law, to
be appointed by the Governor, and to be
paid $40 per day, each. Three such per-
sons were appointed by Gov. Allen, who
commenced the work in April, 1875.
They in turn appointed clerks and other
assistants. In this work this COmmis-
sion has been engaged for four years,
and at an expense to the State Cf $780,
9S9.45 for the SalaieS of the Commission
and its employees. The work of codify-
ing the laws was the work of this Com
mission, and all the General Assembly
did, was to simply ratify work that was
brought to it already done. That this
is so proved by the fact that the Demo-
cratic House on the last day of its ses
sion, by unanimous vote, adopted
resolution thanking the Codifying Com
mission for doing and completing this
work The code of Ohio laws as it now
stands consists of 7,436 sections. Of
these sections 1876 were ratified and
approved during the last session of the
62d and the first session of the 63d Cen
eral Assemblies, and are published in
the volumes of laws for 1877 and 1878.
Only 1850 sections were ratified and
approved during the last long session.
The first session of this Democratic
Legislature approved as many sections
as they did the last, yet it was not i'll
pretended session SO long, by thirty
eight days.
This false cry will not cover up the
upon themselves that has been commit
ted by the late Democratic General As
sambly.
Home Rule.
One of the battle cries of the Demo-
cratic party is, Home Ruler By this,
the impression is intended to be convey
ed, that this party desires that the peo-
pie shall be governed by men, whom
they may choose of their own free will
at the ballot-box, and that it is the spe-
cial guardian of the people in this re-
spect. "
The last General Assembly gave the
lie to this pretense at its late session,
and showed that the Democratic party
is in favor of Home Rule" so long as
the people elect Democrats to office. But,
that so soon as the people think that
their interests require officers belonging
to another party, the principle of Home
Rule" is to be ruthlessly thrust aside.
The municipal improvements and
great public financial interests of the
city of Cincinnati, have for several years
been looked after by 5 officers elected by
the people, and called the Board of Pub
lie Works. The affairs of that city have
been wisely managed by this Board, and
the people of that city, without regard
to party lines, had great confidence in it.
Prior to the April election, 1879, it
consisted of three Democrats and two
At that election each po-
litical party presented candidate for
that Board, and the people at fair cleo
ton said, as solemnly as they could say
at the ballot box, that they preferred to
have the Republican candidate serve
them. Thus the political standing of
this Board was changed by the direct
act of a majority of the people.
This kind of "hOme rule" did not suit
our Democratic General Assembly, and
so soon as the will of the people became
known, a bill was introduced and made
a law, which legislated these five officers
out of Office, and replaced them with
five others appointed by Democratic
Police Judge. In thirty-seven days af-
ter the election, the man who had been |
elected, was thrust out of office, and the |
man who had been rejected by the peo-
pie, was put in his place.
The Constitution of this State pro-
vides, that the State Board of Public |
Works shall consist of three members,
one to be elected each year by the people |
Of the whole State. In January, 1879, |
The Democratic Legislature discovered |