Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-01-20
ColuM M BUS.
DILAToRY AND INEFFICIENT LEGIsLA.
TURE-MUCH PROMISE BUT LITTLE
PERFORMANCE.
TSpecfsl 10 the Plain Dealer L

PERFORMANCE.
Especial to the Plain Dealer.l
COLUMBUS. Jan. 15-In the two weeks
which it has been in session the Legisla-
turs has accomplished about as little as
any Legislature ever did in the same
length of time. Certainly there never
was Legislature that showed up so wide
difference between its promises and its
performances. 1t was announced very
loudly when the body convened that it
would get right down to business, and
push things so that the session would not
only be the shortest ever known, but
show the most work. II the two weeks
OF the present scssioD are to serve as
sample of the kind of work to be expect
ed Of this most wonderful Republican
Legislature. the grass will grow green in
the State House yard before the members
take their final departure from the scenes
of their alleged labors, and the record of
their work may be sent out to their con-
stituents in small pamphlets The fact
is that the present General Assembly is
one the most dawdling, trifling and dila-
tory bodies ever assembled at the capital.
The Senate is often without a quorum,
owing to the absence of Republican mem-
bers, and the House is frequently so thin
that action on important bills cannot be
had. There is an unprecedented rush of
local bills and i'll considered measures for
reforming every thing and every body.
If one tenth of the bills proposing amend
ments to the new code were to be enact
ed into law, that very costly piece of
legal and legislative lore would be so
changed that not even S. S. Bloom would
recognize it. The only bill of any i'm
portance that has been passed thus far
has been the anti-pool selling bill. and
that measure is one that is more than
likely to be consigned to the limbo of un-
executed statutes than ever to accomplish
anything in the direction its authors, and
advocates hoped. For the rest there has
been talk and loafng about, wearisome
twaddle about things of no consequence
and mastery activity in doing nothing.
And this is the Republican Legislature
that was to do wonders in the last days.
THE LOCAL OPTION PROBLEM AND HOW THE
REPUBLICANS PROPOSE TO SOLVE 1T.
COLUMBUS, Jan. 14.--The general opin-
ion here in regard to local option or any
other So-called temperance legislation is
that nothing will be done notwithstand-
ing the very heavy pressure being made
by the friends of local option. Certainly
there will not be if the Republican lead
ers can restrain their followers. The
Republican members from the country
districts are very much in earnest in pass
| ing some kind of an anti-liquor law and
if they take the bit in their teeth, they
will pass local option bill of some kind
But the leaders and the members from
the cities will stand out against any such
legislation, because it would be ruinous
to the party. 1t will be the Republican
policy 10 put the temperance reformers
off with sowe kind of non-committal
action, solace them with a virtuous reso.
luton against intemperance or evade the
passage of the law asked for by some
kind of an equivocation. 1t is a knotty
question for the Republicans and there is
danger IN both doing and not doing. But,
as one of the shrewdest members of the
Republican majority in the House ex-
pressed it, the temperance people can be
bamboozled into voting the Republican
ticket under any circumstances, and
when the party war cry is raised they
will rush to the support of anybody who
may be the candidate; but if any sump-
tuary law is passed the German vote is ir-
retrievably lost. Hence it is the Repub-
lican tactics to put the temperance re-
formers off with soft words and to favor
the liquor interests at the same time.