The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-05-07

tempt will prove failure.
1t is fact that ought to be pat
ent by this time that the one thing
that needs to be discouraged in the
Ohio Legislature, is tn at of passin e
local laws by the Legislature. 1
have long advocated the policy of
% amending tie Constitution as to
prevent it, and providing by gener-
al law for the regulation Of local
boards of Commissioners. Trustees.
Boards of Education or Municipal
Councils.
There is no good reason why the
Legislature should be appealed to,
to relieve the bondsmen of a de-
faulting tow nship or county treas
urer to authorize the issue of local
bonds; to divide a township into
voting precincts or do one of the
hundred other things that are
aone by local bills. All these
things should be donc by the local
authorities, in accordance with a
general statute. and under the i'm
mediate inspection of the people af
fectsd by them, who would thus be
able to put all the. responsibility
where it belongs. This is a reform
that is not very far of in the future
of the State.
AS have already said, there were
no very radical changes in the ex-
isting laws. The very large num-
Der of sections of the Revised Stat
utes which were amended do not
make any very great changes in
the law as 1t stood previously
Some of these amendments are mere
ly clerical in their character. Some
make unimportant changes, while
some are of greater Importance, cut
mainly of interest to the legal pro
fession. As matter of fact, almost
all of them were made upon the
of lawyers who felt that
they could improve upon the yer
biage of the Statutes in some cases
and upon the character Of the pro-
visions in others.
The amendments of existing laws
are the natural result of the meet
ing OF legislative body, there new
er having been one that assembled
yet that did not believe that it
could improve upon the work of its
predecessor-and there never will
be.
The two constitutional amend
ments which you are printing each
week are of much more than ordin.
ary Importance to the people and
they should see that they are adopt
ed, Thor adoption this fall will be
something that no voter will ever
have the slightest occasion to re-
gret, and l think the majority will
take this view of them and act ac-
cordingly.
The Weldy law for the punish
ment of taking or giving bribes at
the primaries or at the polls, is an
excellent one, and if the people will
see to it that 1t is enforced. they
Will have less cause TO complain of
dishonest and incompetent officials.
The Registry law for Cincinna
ii is good so far as it goes, bat
should have been h,ado to apply TO
all cities of $4,000 population or
over. 1t isin these dense centres
of population where the elections
frauds are committed that every
once in a while practically disfran-
chise the lowest masses in the other
parts of the State.
The Schultz bill distributing the
rolling stock aud other property OF
railway companies among all the
counties along the line, for taxation
purposes is jus! measure and will
equalize things much better tha n
they have been heretofore.
The Mooney bill to protect peo-
pie who buy things on the install
ment plan, and the Bruce bill put
ting an end to the bucket shop bus
mess by which people are feeced.
are two well timed laws, and the
people will appreciate them, as they
will the o. Neil bill breaking up the
insurance syndicates, which have
their own way in running up pre-
m:ums.
| have tried to convince myself
that the Legislature has improved
the prison sy tenn vi the State, but
candor compels me TO say that il
has not. Its legislation in that dI
rection has been experimental, and
will eventually have to be undone.
When the Inlei mediate Penitenti-
ary is bul t, there m ~ be some re
OF select class Of crl m
inals, but as t" pcnitcntiary convlcts