The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-30
SPIRIT Of THE PRESS.
rhs Enrlish papsrs Of rhi. mornine

| ahe enquirer says: Inc Legislature o
this great State, after an effort that Taste,
three months, which some time since took
the shape of venomous personal persecu
tion, and after large expenditure of pub
lie and private funds, has finally succeeded
IN enactlng little Silas w. Hoffman out o.
ofnce. 1t was great work-a whole Legis
iature OF one hundred and fifty-one mem
beas ponncing, like tiger on a kitten
upon one little city officer, small, but gal
lant' 1t was the work of personal malice
private vengeance and partisan wrath, and
with many misgivings and beneath q news
paper lash. and after acres of editorial on.
slaught, the Legislature lent itself to the
petty, disraceful and malignant work. Mr.,
Hoffman was not legislated out of office
because of dishonesty or incapacity. Re,
publicans of the Legislature, in the best
position to know, were compelled to bear
public testimony to the contrary. This
was the man, honest" efficient" an
officer who had handled $4,000 600 an.
nually, and who was found, after search.
ing investigation, to have only made a
mistake of $40, who was elected from office
Yesterday by the General Assembly of
Ohio, on purely political grounds" The
| night thus became not only persecution of
Mr. Hoffman, but bitter fight against his
party, which it becomes his party to re-
sent The City Democratic Convention
that meets to-day will nominate candi-
date for the Comptrollership of the city.
the office substituted for the Authorship
by the new law of the abolition of Hoff-
man. The Convention should unuuestipn-
ably nominate Mr. Hoffman by acclama-
ton for this position. Not to nominate
him with eclat would be cowardlv. Let him
be nominated by acclamation and with a
hurrah, and he will be triumphantly elect
ed. .-Theadoption of the Moore Building As
sociation Bill, as reported by the Judiciary
Committee in our State Senate, would be
severe blow to a great number of our
most thrifty citizens 1t would deprive
the men working for wages or small sal
ary OF the opportunity to invest their
weekly savings in safe and profitable
manner, and thereby to accumulate lit
tie capital with which they can eventually
buy home or get start in business. 1t
would place them once more at the mercy
OF Savings Banks, and discourage them in
their efforts to become independent. There
are no valid arguments that can be ad
vanced in favor of abolishing Building
Associations as they have been conducted
in this county, where they have proved of
great benefit to thousands of hard-workipy
men. The bill in its present shape ought
not TO pass.
The Commercial says: 1t was the duty.
OF the Republicans who have the power
and responsibility of the General Assem-
bly,, to have disposed of the special legisla-
tion required by common decency, honesty
and fair play, within three weeks. There
were three measures that should have
passed in the order that they have become
laws-l. The abolishment of the Police
Board; 2. The restoration of the Board of
Public Works; 8. The relief of the people
of Cincinnati from 81. Hoffman. The sur
prise is that there should have been Re-
publican capable of opposing either of
these measures The opposition from
the Republican side has been feeble
and foolish when it has not been false and
treacherous. The work of the ring that
has infested and ROBBED Cincinnati for
years and sought to blackguard out of |
countenance all who nolest them in their |
downright stealing and swindling schemes,
has been visible from the start. The rdic- |
nlous contentious and long-winded stupid
tiles that have prevailed until at the last
moment the City Auditorship has been
turned over to the people, have disguised
and demoralized tie Republicans of Gin
clnnati. The thing to have done was to
nave promptly abolished the office |
OF City Auditor, and to have
had the Comptroller assuming the
duties appointed by the Board of Public
Works. This would have insured change |
OF dynastlcs as well as officers another |
page will be found particulars of the devel- |
n nf "a yiSta q Il
in connection with the bonded indebted |
ness OF Cincinnati. Not only are duplicates
of coupons found in dozen Of the series
OF our bonds, but coupons have been paid
that were not numbered-others that we're
numbered with lead pencil-still Others
in which the numbers have been changed
so that duplicates should not seem to be so.
The Gazette says: The bill to abolish
the office of City Auditor, who was ap-
pointed by the Board of Public Works,
and to put in his place Comptroller, to
be elected by the citizens at the April cleo
tion-familiarly known as the Hoffman
bounce bill-was made law yesterday.
The election of Auditor was with the CITY
Council. 1t was taken from that body
and given to the Board of Public Works, |
in order to re-elect Hoffman. The plain
intent was to remove this appointment
from the control of the electors. The act
was made the more fragrant by the event
that Hoffman has just tried his chances
before the people by running for Auditor
Of the county and had been defeated. 1t
was special act of the Legislature to keep
Hoffman in Office The present act is in |
the nature OF restitution. 1t should have
been done promptly. 1t has occupied an
inordinate amount of the time of the Cen
eral Assembly. But in this city malad- |
ministration always has wires reaching into
the other party. The City Republican
Convention met last Friday. 1t must now
be called together to nominate a Comp
trpler Its previous work does not prom
Use we'll for this. Some more OF the !
same sort would complete the scandal |
-hich the Hoffman bounce has raised and |
would end 1t in a farce by the election of |
Democrat of the same ring. perhaps of
Hoffman himself.-It is not to be doubted |
that In the event of Mr.. Blaine's nomina-
ton the Mulligan business would be re-
vived, and as the Democratic Congress
would be in session the Investigation
would be reopened 1t would be folly for
to close their eyes to all this.
The question rather should be how could |
those charges be met. or could they be suc-