The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-01-13
A CONSPIRACY.
TO FOREsTALL THE LAW, AND
PERMIT A CULPRIT TO GO
UNWHIPPED OF JUSTICE.
Secretary Barnes Carries His case Into the Leg,
islature, and attempts to Anticipate the
Grand Jury-MOnkey Business In the
e-Republlcans Igno-
minlOusly DOdglng.
specIal pIspatoh % the ENQUIRER.

Special Dispatch to the Enquirer.
Columbus, Ohio, January 1.-The Columbus
Journal this morning published the fact that the
Grand Jury now in session in this county is buslly
engaged In investigating the affairs in the secre.
tary Of States Office, and the charges In the En-.
quirer that Hon. Milton Barnes has been guilty
ofembezzling the fees of his Office.
Among the witnesses before the Grand Jury
were Governor Foster Attorney General Nash,
Treasurer Of State Turney, Captain Cope and the
correspondent
The publication of these facts created some con.
sternaHon among some OF Mr.. Barness Republi.
can friends and they resolved to anticipate the
action OF the Grand Jury by little Special Legis
lation.
Governor Foster came to Barnes's rescue In his
message and instead Of attempting toe force the
law, as he took a solemn oath to do when he as
sumed the duties of his high office, he plead for
the relief of the official who has been openly Vio
lating 1t and robbing the people by converting to
his own use the moneys which belong in the
Treasury Of the State.
The oonspirators in this scheme to throw the
protecting influences Of the Legislature over this
great wrong began their work simultaneously in
both Houses.
Barnes, like restless spirit, hovered about the
halls and corridors. Dick Dead.Eye Tanning
dropped In and illuminated the proceedings by
his presence.
In the House General Jones Of Delaware, intro.
duced an innocent BILL fixing the salary Of the
Secretary Of State ct So 900 instead 10 $1,000 and
prov lding that all the fees OF the Office should be
paid into the Treasury, The law now provides
that In language as plain as the words written by
the finger OF God on the tables Of stone. General
Jones wanted the rules suspended aud the bill
passed at once. The object Of this bill was to fix
the salary at So 0OO so that Major Townsend might
derive the benefit when he enters upon his Office
next Monday. The Major has examined the
statute and knows he is not entitled to the fees Of
the office, and while the present law stands he
will pay every dollar Of fees he receives into the
Treasury, and not follow in the unfortunate and
illegal footsteps of his predecessor. The legisla
tive report by your regular correspondent gives
the details of the interesting debate in the
House.
The most shameful part Of the conspiracy de.
veloped In the Senate, Colonel John Entrekin
the blue.eyed boy Of destiny the Mars Of the Ohio
Militia, and the idol Of the people Of Ross county,
allowed himself to be used as a csHpaw to take
Barnes's burning chessnuts from the fire. He Of.
fered modest resolution to construe Section l4S
Of the Code to mean that the Secretary Of State
had right to the fees Of his Office, where section
Is says mol" In thunder tones. Mr., Entrekin,
who will henceforth rank as lawyer Of the first
magnitude by his discovery that the Senate of
Ohio had concurrent Jurisdiction with the Su.
preme Court had the audaclty to proclaim that
the statute was very vague and uncertain, and
that all Secretaries Of State, for forty years, had
gobbled the fees Of this ocel He fell back on the
Governors message aud felt that something ought
to be done to caution the law, and he might have
been frank and courageous enough to say that If
the Senate would adopt the resolution 1t might
have some effect on the Grand Jury and prevent
that body from indlcting Mr.. Barnes for embez-
element, He sat down like man who felt that
he had done something he was ashamed Of Sen.
Rtor HollingswoTth who comes from Barnes's sec
ion OF the State appeared as his especial defend
er. He was cooked and primed for the occasion.
He read extracts from the musty rolls found on
the body Of the Egyptian mummy to prove that
the Legislature had perfect right to let wrong
doing official out Of a hole. His argument in
Barnes's defense was overwhelming, but was
knocked seven ways to confusion by Senator
Sal tzgaber who, discovered that there was an In
strument called the Constitution Of the State oi
Ohio, which prohibited the Legislature from ex'
erclsing judicial powers. In neat and clean'cut
argument he showed clearly that the Legislature
had no right to construe the statute. The AttOr
ney General was the only one beside the GourI
| who could give an opinion upon the law, and fol-
| some strange and unacco1ntable reason the Gov
ernor and Barnes both had failed to called upon
this officer for an opinion. motion to refer the
resolution to the Judiciary Committee disconnect
cd the conspiracy Barnes moved over to the
CRATE and pulled some comfort out of ive'cent
cigar. The scheme didn't seem to be working tC
suit him. Professor Hartshorn thought there
ought to be no haste in the matter, and Senator
Hitchcock expressed the opinion that 1t was the
duty Of the Legislature to egislate and not to con
strue laws. Senator Jackson read the law upon
the question of the fees, and showed that there
could be no doubt about It's plain intent and
meaning.
When the Senate convened at three o'clock thi'
afternoon Entrekin and Hollingsworth concluded
that they had not votes enough to adopt the reso
luton, and concluded to consent to q reference
The Democrats feeling that they were strong
enough 10 defeat the resolution determined to dc
SO.
The motion to refer was voted down. There
were fourteen Democrats present and only twelve
Republicans. The following Republicans were
absent: Senators Beer, Carran, Eggleston, Feisch
mann Kirby Of Hamilton, Mounts, POLAND
Pringle, Sinks and Strong o'Hagan was the
Democrat absent Senator Van Oleaf offered an
amendment to refer the subject TO the Attorney
General for his opinion, but the Chair, by
a remarkable ruling, declared this out Of or
der.
Then the beaT.garden began, The Republicans
finding themselves outnumbered resolved tC
break up a quorum by not voting, but Senator
salizgaber called attention to rule 16, by which
all Senators present but not voting were requlr'
cd to be 30 entered on the Journal. The Chair
ruled In accordance with the rule and then the
grave and digniHed Republican Senators, the
representatives Of the party Of progress Of culture
and all that sort Cf stuff behaved like big boys al
district school. They abandoned their seats and
left the Senate in the hands Of the Democrats The
The wealthy Senator Perkins OF Trumbull, who
entertained Senator Conkling and General GRAM
at the great meeting at Warren last summer, tried
to hide In the lobby. Peter Hitchcock, the pure
and honorable Senator from the Reserve, crepI
through the railing and became interested In a po
litIcal map that looked like diagram Of tape
worm that had been boiler explosion Horr oi
Lorain-a brother Of the Michigan Congressman
rem out and peeped in like q clown at one
horse circus, Professor HartshoTn Of Stark, an
educator Of the young scholarly man, 80 far
forgot his character as to hide in the wash'room.
Colonel Entrekin, Colonel in the Ohio Militia,
was seen going in the direction Of the water clos
ct. POLAND Of Adams, tall and awkward, looked
like country boy sneaking up for a raid on a
watermelon patch. At one time Kelly, Cline,
POLAND, Hartshorn, Hollingsworth and Hall were
gathered In the wash room like q Coroners jury,