The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-04-29

tions to fll the vacancies, If the resigna-
tons were valid onee; the Democratic
members. debarred by the Constitution
from the right to adjourn, except from
one day to the next, agreed to disperse,
The city OF Columbus as might have
been expected, was wild with excite.
ment The Whig leaders were jubilant
with delight at the manner they had
prevented the apportionment of theState
for the election of members to Congress,
and when the Sergeant at Arms of either
branch of the Legislature, armed with
warrants, attempted to arrest the recu
SAINT members, the Wings Constitu ed
themselves into mob, in which the Co
lumbus Wings, angry at the thought
that the State House, which, being built,
would forever secure to that city the
Capital of Ohio, formed an uproarious
part. The morning the General Assem-.
bly, dissolved Hon. Rufus P. Spalding, as
Speaker of the House; and Hon. James
]. Faran. as Speaker of the Senate, both
delivered an address. In the address to
the Senate Mr.. Faran, after reciting the
facts in connection with the 'absquatu.
latiou" the latter word, not then, but
after, became of common use) of the
Whig members said:
Besides l would refer to
proceeding that was witnessed by more
of you this morning, and which could
not have helped but cause every Senator
regret that witnessed it.
"The General Assembly of this State,
sitting in ChilliCothe, selected this place
as proper one to hold its meetings. 1t
was done under the impression that the
legislative functions of the General AS
sembly could be here conducted in peace
and without interruption. Whether this
has been accomplished is a matter of
doubt. An officer of this General As.
sembly, in the discharge of an order
properly directed to him, has been in
suited by mob in the Capital Of Ohio,
while some of the citizens of the place
gave apparent CountenanCe to the dis
orderly proceeding. If the legislative
fupCtons of either branch of the General
Assembly can not be carried on in this
place without being disturbed by mobs
or if the legislative orders of either
branch, directed to the proper officer
can not be executed without the officer
being insulted or assailed by mob, it is
then high time to inquire whether an
other place should not be selected as the
seat of Government This will have to
be determined by future Legislature"
This speech fell like shower. bath on
the Columbus Wings. The city was then
the Capital of Ohio, and that was pretty
much all there was of it. Remove the
State House and it would be, for time
at least, a deserted village. From his
connection with Columbus and former
intercourse with some of the leading
Whig families and property owners, Mr..
Faran was almost considered Columbus
man, and hence his words about the ne.
Cessity of removing the State Govern
ment to some rival town had double the
weight that the words would have had
from more impulsive man or one with
out Columbus connections The repeal
of the law appropriating money to build
a new State House ''sCotChed the snake"
of Columbus insults to the General AS
sembly the speech of Mr.. Faran "killed
it," The thing was never again attempt
cd
At the succeeding election, Thomas
C0rwin, the Whig candidate, who beat
Wilson Shannon 80 bad in 1910, was him.
self defeated at the fall election of 1842,
as the Wings of Columbus stated, be-
cause of the Whig disqualification. The
next Legislature was Democratic in both
branches. The first term of William
Allen as United States Senator expired
during that session, as did also that of
Samuel Medary as State Printer No
two men in that day were more abused |
than Allen and Medary by the Wing
leaders and the Whig press. The very
day that Wilson Shannon was inaugura.
ted Governor,sat his second election, the
Legislature, in joint Convention, re elect.
ed Allen to the United States Senate |
and Medary as State Printer. 1t was 4
triumph of which the Democracy were
proud, and had great cause to be.
At the next election for members OF
the Legislature, by the election of two
Representatives in Licking county and |
one from Fairfield, the Wings got par.
tial ascendenCy. The members from
Licking were men of fine talents, and |
demagogues Of the first order They got |
votes enough to elect them on the plea
of economy--of cutting down salaries.
The Whig leaders in the Legislature
were forced to do their bidding as the
price of Wing supremacy, for if they re.
fused Messrs. Duncan and White-eleCt. |
ed, as they claimed, as on.partisans,
and holding the balance of power
would act with the Democracy. The
salary of the Governor was cut down to
81, 200 per annum; the Auditor and
Treasurer of State to $3.50 per annum,
and the per dium of members to So per
day. In providing for this reduction
two or three clerks in the State Offices
were overlooked, and notably, in one
case, an inferior clerk in the Office of the
Auditor of State was left with a salary
more than one-third larger than that of
the State Auditor.
The late Governor Brough was then
State Auditor. The salary was not suffi.
Cient to support him, and he threatened
to resign. The owners ofa large amount
of State bonds in New York protested
against it, and Mr. Brough said
that the firm of Lanier, Winslow & Co.,
who controlled much of the State debt,
offered to more than make up the differ.
ence in his salary if he would continue
in Office. Whether he accepted the prop.
osition or not is unknown, but from the
fact that he did hold on it is probable he
did. Brough's reputation as a State off
Ger was good, and the State might have
sustained a loss by his resignation.
Joseph Whitehill, then Treasurer of
State, gave bond for near $500 600, and
got for his compensation as Treasurer
but little more than that of common
laborer. Governor MordeCai BARLEY had
to live in small second rate hotel, hav.
ing but one small room for himself and
wife, so as to make his salary pay his
board bill. Much indignation was felt
at this demagoguism, and, because of
this, the present Constitution contains a
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