Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-04-23
FROM COLUMBUS,
From our Regular Corrsspondent.l

lt Is claimed by the lying Commercial
Gazette and Cleveland Leader that the
present General Assembly has neglect
ed to attend to the material interests OF
the State, such as the canals, schools,
prisons, the liquor question, etc., and
without reason or justification they en-
deavor to east ignominy upon it by call
ing it the "Coal-oil Legislature" These
sentiments are echoed by penny mug
wump dailies in several cities, and feel
ly responded to by their Republican
newspaper brethren of the country dis
tricts.
Now, let us for a moment dispassion-
ately consider these charges. In the
hrst place, as | have heretofore declared
in this correspondence, the Republican
party must be held solely responsible
for the continued reign of free whiskey.
1t was decree of a Republican caucus
held in the Republican Secretary of
States office which prevented three of
their number, who desired so to do, from
voting for wise constitutional amend
ment to license the sale of intoxicating
beverages. Those three votes, with the
sixty Democrats of the House, would
have permitted this question to have
gone to the people and thus settled it
forever. So it is mere hypocrisy for Re-
publicans to gable about this matter.
In the second place, it has enacted
general laws to revise and consolidate
the statutes relating to the organization
and jurisdiction Of the circuit and other
courts; to create and to provide for the
operation of tribunals of voluntary ar
bitration; to adjust industrial pursuits
between employers and employed; to
prevent the keeping open ofany place
where opium is used or smoked; to con-
tract the labor of prisoners in the pen
itentiary on the piece or process plan;
to provide for the collection of ASSESS
ments on county bitches; to provide for
the management and control of school
houses, etc.; to provide for the separate
maintenance of children in county in
firmaries and their transfer to children's
homes; for the drawing and summon
ing of grand and petit jurors; for the
collecting of taxes against express, tele-
graph and telephone companies; to pro-
vide cheap school books for the people
by allowing boards of education to Sc
lect a series which shall not be changed
for five years except by three-fourths
vote of the board, and to allow the
board to contract with publishers or
dealers and to furnish the books to the
pupils at the lowest cost price; making
it unlawful for any person, firm or cor
poration employing more than twenty
hands to pay them for wages due in
scrip, token, check, draft, order or 9TH
er evidence of Indebtedness, payable or
redeemable otherwise than in money.
Besides these there have been number
of other general laws of less importance
as well as great many local
laws. The canal question is now under
consideration, and I think it is safe to
say that these water ways will not be
butwill be literally provided
for by appropriations. And they ought
to be. 1t would be wise thing if the
Legislature gave million of dollars for
their repair and permanent mainten-
ance. The canals are the property of
the State and deserve its care and pro-
lection as much as any of the public in
'titutions. If the State once begins to
let go Of its hold upon them it will not |
De long before, through insidious means,
hey will fall into the insatiate maws of
'ailroad or corporate monopoly, with
'ut the State receiving a dollar in re-
urn. But l digress.
Now, what is there in the above laws
% be criticised? Amt they wise and
ust? almost forgot to mention that
'everal appropriation bills have passed,
'hd the general appropriation bill is
'ow being considered, in which the ele-
nosynary institutions and universities
Vt the State are all amply provided for.
\ law was also passed to fund over two
Millions of dollars of the public debt
alling due next year at lower rate of
interest. This will reduce taxation.
1t will be readily observed that this
Democratic Legislature has thrown safe
yards around the cause of labor, and
las not done one single thing to fatten
he greed of capital OF monopoly. 1t
las kept watchful eye upon the help
ess children and unfortunate people of
he State. As far as legislative enact
nent can go, it has helped to lift up
morality. Having founded the COM
non school system of Ohio, the Demo-
ratio party has guarded and promoted
he education of the masses with a zeal
orn philanthropy. And it has labored
enforce the majesty of the laws by /
ich and poor alike.
What more do our Republican breth-
EN- want? What else can the Republi-
an press ask? No., they are sorry that
ais Legislature has made such clean