Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1881-02-03
COLUMBUS LETTER

the prospects, ana aDpafenC evidence OF
a change Of heart in our Democratic
friends on the south side of the House.
had hopes that there might yet be
found grace in the hearts of those who
have usually shown themselves on the
adverse side of about all the great moral
questions that agitate the country, es-
peeially on the great question of tenn
perance; but in this l have been
doomed to disappointment. If their
hearts were moved to place themselves
on the record in favor of moral reform,
as l was lead to believe last week, their
actions on Saturday last furnished con-
elusive evidence that they haze fallen
from grace. On that day a lively discus
sion arose in the House in relation to
what disposition should be made Of the
100000 petitions left in the charge of
Representative ThOrp by the officers of
theState Temperance Convention which
met here the first week of the session.
The question was whether they should
be presented in bulk by Mr.. Thorp, or
whether they should be handed to the
representatives of the counties from
which the petitions came. In this dis
cussion Representative Bloom, from
Riehland county, presented the views
Of the Democratic members with few
exeeptiOns) on the temperance question.
He declared himself emphatcally in
opposition TO local option, and he spoke
on this question for his party. He de-
nOuneed the Republicans as acting in
bad faith toward the people to whom
they stood pledged to pass local option
antl-llquOr law, charging the Republi-
cans with praoticing deception upon the |
temperance people Of the State. And |
hear let me tell the readers of the HER
AID that the Democrats of the House
expect that If the local option bill
should pass the Legislature 1t will
secure the election In the State next
year to the Democratic party; that is
why they are now showing such a de-
sire to have the Republican members
vote for the bill, and why they are
taunting the Republican members, AZ
their leader did the other day, as being
towards. IdOubt whether we will be
able to carry with us more than two
Democrats in favor oflOcal option. We
may be able to carry fifty Republicans
in the House. There are a great many
theories, even among members who
really desire to do something to relieve
our country from the curse of intemper-
ance. think all the Democrats and
many Of the Republicans will favor the Z
to amend the constitution,
80 as to authorize the issuing of license s
to traffic In spurious liquors; and 1t
looks to me, now, more as though that d
would be adopted than that
a local option bill will pass. 1t is
worthy ofnote that one of the members
Of the House has taken the pains to as !
certain how many Representatives there !
we're who do not use tobacco In any
'Orm; and the result Of his inVestiga- :
ion is that there are forty-four mem t
JerS who are guiltless of the use of the v
pillalnous weed. ?
We have not yet been able to pass any !,
Dill that will be likely to better the con- fl
litiOn Of the people of our State. A
great many local bills have been pre- y
ented, and some have passed the ordeal. "
There seems to be disposition on the 81
,art of many members to sit down on 81
'ills having for their object the building q
# railroads and railroad shops, and Of u
increasing local Indebtedness, except in Al
ases Of absolute necessity, d.
There was not aquorum In the House u
his forenoon, but the members were q,
In their seats this afternoon, al
nd more bills were meHtoriously Killed Ia
han passed, u
Mr.. Payne, the representative from h,
ackson, answered to the call of his tl
anne on Wednesday last, for the first m
line this session; he has been sick, le
nd is still In feeble health. Mr.. Tyler, ~
{ Licking county, who has been at
ONE, sick, for several days, took his Is
eat In the House this morning. DIR. u
Illl, Of Ashland, has been at home sick n, NJ
Dr two weeks past. Vi
The committee on temperance are in m
'ssion this evening, considering tile y y
nrIous propositions referred to them on \,
lat subject. Four Of them are In favor vi
local option, tO-wlt; Herrick, chair
ian, King and Frame, Republicans, &c
nd Tyler, Of Licking, Democrat. an an
gainst it-BlOOm and Hardy, Demo- in
rats, aud Hart, OF Cincinnati, Repub- g
can. This committee have an ardu- y,
ne talk before them. y,
It has been showing here all this af- III
rnoon. W. NJ. tic
"a a 10