The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-03-11
coLUMBUs LETTER.
The Radical ReorsRh,Sers Banpant-ThO His
tory Of Their HJpOcritieal Treatment Of Our
Benevolent IRstItutiOns.
Special OorrespondenCe.l


Benevolent Installations.
special COrrespondence.l
COLUMBUS, o., March 8, 1880.
After halting course, dictated by
cowardice and falsehood, this miraculous
Legislature has yielded to the pressure
of hungry place seekers, and concluded
to reorganize our benevolent institutions,
and every Office that holds Democrat
is to be turned topsy turvey.
"Whom the gods would destroy they
first make mad )" and as if preparing
for their own destruction in Ohio this
year, the Republicans have actually gone
crazy on the subject of reorganization,
Never has Legislature in Ohio gone to
such extremes as the present one. Bills
have been sneaked through both houses
to legislate Democrats out of Office in
some remote county, or to curtail the
powers of some municipal officer who
happens to be Democrat. For instance,
bill has been passed to legislate out Of
Office an assistant Prosecuting Attorney
in Lucas county who is Democrat, and
provide for putting Republican in his
place. Another has been sneaked
through to Curtail the powers of the
Mayor OF Springfield, who is Democrat,
Charley Baker, the County Solicitor of
Hamilton county, is to be legisIated Out;
and 81 Hoffman, City Auditor Of Gin
CipRati, is honored by having special
bill to cut off his head and make room
for a Republican. Happy spectacle
The Legislature of the great State of
Ohio wasting its time, and squandering
the peoples money in cunning for poor
miserable mites Of humanity, in the
share Of individual Democrats. This
despicable meanness 10 too low and little
to excite the contempt of honorable
men. 1t rather provokes to pity to see
the representatives of the great Repub
lican party, 100000 strong, bounding
and hunting obscure Democratic Off
Cials.
otis true, It's pity-and pity It's tlS true"
During the week Ponds bill to reor
ganize the Penitentiary, passed the SEN
ate. While it was pending, Hon. A. R..
Van Cleaf, one of the ablest and most
faithful Democrats in the Legislature,
made forcible speech, showing up Re.
publican inconsistency and hypocrisy in
reorganization. The points which follow
are condensed from his excellent speech:
The first party that laid it's hands on
our benevolent institutions, and dragged
them into the mire of politics, was the
Republican party. In 1855 a Republican
Legislature reorganized all our State in
stitutions, and Gov. Chase appointed
Boards of Trustees composed entirely of
Republicans. For eighteen years the
Republicans held undisputed sway over
our State institutions. There was car.
niyal of extravaganza and waste, while
our population and wealth increased
400 per cent; the increase in the expen.
ditures of our State institutions was oyer
1400 per cent. No man that was sus.
pected of Democracy was permitted
near these institutions except as inmates.
When Gov. Allen beat Indexer Noyes
for Governor, the Democrats reorganiz.
ed such institutions as were too extrava-
gantly managed. Gov. Allen, however,
did not exclude Republicans from par.
ticipation in the management of these
institutions. He gave them a represen.
tation upon all the Boards which were
appointed. In 1875, when the Republi
cans gained control of the State, every
Democrat was promptly excluded from
place, and none but Republicans were
put on guard.
In 1877 the Democrats again reorgan.
lied a portion of our State institutions.
But the faithful officials in such institu-
tions as the Blind, Deaf and Dumb, and
others, were permitted to remain, ire.
spective of politics.
In summing up, Senator Van Cleaf said
pointedly: No sooner was the policy of
reorganization proposed two years ago,
han there went up from the Republican
camp, in every part of the State, a howl
1f denunciation and a wall of lamenta.
ion. Republican conventions, State and
county, the united Republican press and
he Republican stump orators, from Gar.
ield and John Sherman down to Chas.
4. Grosvenor and Private Dalzell, have
n the last two years denounced the
Democratic party and the late Democrat
C General Assembly in terms more fore.
BILE than elegant; in fact, with every vile |
'pithet that tongue or pen could use, be-
ause of the reorganization of the pub. |
ic institutions. The Republican plat
orm Of 1878, Condemning the Democrat.
C Assembly "for revolutionizing every |
jtate institution to make place for Dem
cratic partisans;" and for subordinating
the welfare of the insane, the blind, the |
mute, and the orphans to the interests
# the Democratic party"
The Republican State platform of 1870
the reorganization of State
Institutions as ''mischiefs unmeasured."
Now, after having made the opposi-
ion to reorganization of State institu'
ions one OF the principal issues in the
ast two campaigns, we find the Republi-
an majority in this General Assembly
avoring and urging the passage of polit
cal reorganization bills, in the face of
heir record, platforms, and declarations
uring the past two years; and in the
ace of the protest Of Republican mem.
ers of the last House of Representa-.
ives, that such reorganization measures
re unjust, unpatriotiC, impolitiC and
artisan"
1t cannot be truthfully, justly or sue.
essfully claimed that the reorganiza-
on of the public institutions at this
me is for any other than partisan pur.
oses, and "to find places for the hungry
ordes Of the party" The institutions
re all in excellent condition, we'll off.
cred and economically managed. No
buses exist requiring reorganization.
he Penitentiary, it is conceded even by
1e highest Republican authority in the
tate, was never better conducted, and
OF flaw can be detected in the intri.
ate and difficult management.
1t is not only proposed to reorganize
1e Statn 1natitutiona hnt IN ranr0aniza