Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-07-27

1 tiOuai convention OF lou MADE 1t dpVty
there when they framed the State Con.
stitution, ana the principal il the same
to-day as then, Principle and truth new
er change. and are the foundations Of jus
tice at all times and under all circum.
stances. Now. sir. what has been the ex
perience Of the people OF Ohio IN THU
very question: 7 The evils arising under
the exercise Of this power had well-nigt
bankrupted the State. and IL was that evil
that made the people call loudly for q
Constitutional Convention. In that Con
/ vention this proposition was thoroughly
considered and was voted down by q
large majority OF the delegates. On the
other hand. the section Of article 8, quoted
above. was adopted by . very large vote,
Il protects the weak and oppresses no.
body. Itrestrains the Legislature from
indulging Ia dangerous excesses.
Mr.. Hill reads largely from the case oi
Cassvs. Dillon. End c. s. p. $50. in sup
port Of his position. and continues:
Mr.. Speaker, have thus read copious
extracts from this most mastery opinion
Of Judge Ranney, because It covers the
whole question. Here is the opinion and
/
the Constitution. Il is unanswerable.
challenge any advocate of this measure
to produce one single authority in favor
OF the principles embodied IN this resolu-
tion. The gentleman from Hamilton,
Mr.. Crist, asks me if ever knew rail-
road to be built in Ohio except by taxes
as herein provided for. Sir, | am not ia
miliar with the origin and construction
of all the railroads in Ohio, but 1 can re-
fer the gentleman to two railroads which
have been recently constructed in Ohio
by private energy and private enterprise
and private capital. There is the Attain
tic and Great Western Railroad, travers-
ing the State diagonally from the north
east to the southwestern corner, at cost
Of more than forty millions of dollars,
and not city, town or county in the
State was taxed to secure the road. Here
too, is the Hooking Valley Railroad, be-
gun littleoyer a year ago. partly in OPP
Grafton to-day, and being pushed for
ward to completion with unexampled
rapidity. Then. on the other hand, there
| is government railroad--the Pacific
and what is the history Of that road. One
gigantic scheme of plunder, robbers and
outrage from its inception till to-day. A
vast corporation, extending across the
continent. created in violation of the spir-
| it of the Federal Constitutional has been
fostered until it has grown to be one of
the corrupt powers that control the leg
islation of the country. Millions Of acres
of the public domain, acquired by the
common blood and the common treasure
have been uselesslys squandered by Con-
gress, and.turned over TO the exclusive
control of this great corporation. For it
is conceded that the firsL mortgage bonds
will be entirely consumed in paying the
Indebtedness Of the road, leaving nothing
to the Government Thus. Mr., Speaker,
this vast domain, intended as the homes
of enterprising young men, future homes
for the penniless emigrant, and as an in
ducement to the energetic and enterpris-
| ing laboring classes of the Old World to
come to our shores aud aid us in develop
/ ing the resources of the country, have
been literally turned over to the, land
sharks, stock jobbers, spectators and
land kings of New York, and New Eng
in the Constitution will relieve Cincin-
natl of commercial embarrassment; that
Cincinnati desires with her millions of
money to build railroads through the
South, and thus heal the wounds which
war has made. The gentleman from
Warren tells us. too. that Cincinnati de-
sires to take the Southern people to her
heart. Sir, should like to see Cincin-
natl relieved of her commercial or
any other embarrassment; but I would
suggest to Cincinnati, and to the gentle
man from Warren, that the best way to
heal the wounds of the late war is to re-
peal your odious reconstruction laws.
Take the yoke of tyranny from off the
necks of the Southern people. If Cincin-
natl wants to aid in restoring peace and
friendly feelings. let Cincinnati vote the
Democratic ticket a few times. Let her
voice speak out in behalf Of those whom
her representative men have aided in
placing under the dominion of their for
mer slaves.
| Who asks for this mutilation of your
State Constitution? Why, sir, the men
who ask for it are the railroad presidents
land superintendent. merchant princes,
heavy capitalists and bondholders, who
will have no taxes to pay under the
grinding operation OF this provision. II
the business men Of Cincinnati desire to
take the Southern people to heart, in or
der to sell them few more wares at a
profit, let them shell out their ample
means out Of their own pockets, and aid
in the enterprise which is to make that
city rich and prosperous. What right,
Sir, have majority to force a minority
against their will to invest their money
in private corporation outside the State
of Ohio? We are told the business men
of Cincinnati want to vote tax Of ten
millions of dollars on the people of that
city to build q railroad in Kentucky and
Tennessee, to be under the control Of the
Legislature of those States. Let every
man invest his money where he pleases,
but, force no man to invest where he is
unwilling. But the gentleman says all
the people are taxed to build school
houses and county roads and bridges and
4 court houses, and that in these cases the
majority rule. This is all true, sir, bul
your county roads and bridges are free
roads and bridges, The people are not
taxed to make them, and then pay three
cents mile to ride on them. $50 with
your school houses. Their portals are
open to all, free Of charge, rich and pool
alike, and your court houses are for the
common good of all. These things arr
necessary to secure the benefits Of gov
eminent and for the administration d,
4 Justice. Railroads are grasping corpora
tions, controlled by private individual,
\ for private gain and private aggrandise
ment. There a q wide distjnction he
tween the cases mentioned by the gentle
men fropf Morgan and this case. "A ma
4 jority have right TO tax q minority fol
4.