Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-12-17

ED. NoRTHwEsT.-One more appeal
for handed justice TO the people Of
Henry county Is still In order. There
fore we ask for what purpose do weelect
legislators? The universal answer must
he, to obey the will Of the majority and
to deal out equal justice to all las near I
ly as can beD according TO benefits to be
received. This 10 the true Democratic
theory of q government by the people,
and any variation from this principle
by any representative is violation Of
good faith In performance Of duty from
some mercenary motive or ignorance OF
the peoples wishes. Can the latter
plan be sustained or entertained by the
people for the passage Of the Norton
Stone Road law being smuggled, as II
was, through the lower House in the
second session of the Ohio Legislature,
after its first introduction in the SEN
ate, lying over one year before 1t be-
came u law bv passing the lower House,
during the absence Of Mr.. Tyler, who
was then member of that body, and
by his special agreement that it should
not go through the House while he was
member. The people rested on the
strength of that promise, that it would
never become law, and hence ceased
action already begun to kill 1t where 1t
was or have it so amended as to bring
it to a vote Of the county or otherwise
changed to carry out the will of the
majority, either reducing 1t to town
ships to build their own through the
trustees after an affirmative vote of the
township, or some other way that would
he equitable and just to the tax payers.
But, to their utter amazement, while
thus resting in quiet with full faith and
confidence in the promise accepted,
by some hook or crook in the face and
eyes of the promise. in the absence OF
Mr.. Tyler, the Norton Stone Road bill
passed the lower body and became a
law empowering the Commissioners to
levy tax on the county for As of the
total cost after IS had been subscribed
for the construction of said improve
ment asked for.
Now let us suppose that every neigh
borhood in the county would immedi-
ateIy raise that 20 per cent. subscrip-
ton for stone roads through their re-
spective neighborhoods, who shall have
best right to he first served, (this is a
government of fequal rights, remember,)
all having the first right with their
neighbor, none relinquishing their first
claim, what could be done? Everybody
knows that the roads could not be built
and no preference could be given one
over another, and where would we
stand? We come right to the point for
which the law was made, to make mon
archs of few and serfs of the many, or
abandon the law and give no preference.
Let us suppose that the county be taxed
to pay $40 of the cost of paving the
Bryan pike with stone from Napoleon
to the county line, or change it to any
other equal number of miles in any
other part of the county, (no matter
where,) it is a safe estimate to say that
not one-tenth part of the county at
large will ever travel it, hence nine
tenths must pay heavy tribute to the
other one-tenth. The comparison of
equity between this stone road law and
the tax to build bridges over the natural
streams distributed through every
neighborhood before referred to, is too
fallacious to need further argument.
A law to build the sidewalks in every
village and hamlet of the county by
county tax would be eminently more
Just than this stone road law. Why?
Because all the people of the county go
to these several places of business, and
more or less travel on these sidewalks
every time they come, and would there
by derive some benefit by their use,
whereas not one in ten would ever step
upon the same cost Of any single stone
road that might he built with their
money. The whole truth is, under this
Norton act, nine out of every ten would
he injured where one would be bene-
fitted. Not over one-tenth of the eoun-
ty at large ever travel the Bryan pike
or any other one road of the county,
hence the fragrant injustice of any law
to tax the whole people to benefit one
tenth of their number. Not one of its
advocates has dared to argue the justice
and equality Of this law; then why an
attempt to force the people to the wall
under its provisions? Nobody approves
It except those for whom it was made,
expecting it to be built up by their
neighhors money, and there can be no
other face put upon 1t. The servants
of the people to make laws, and county
officers who are elected to protect and
defend the rights Of the people as far as
in their power lies that disrespect and
ignore their pleadings for pecuniary
gain to themselves or their allies, (you
tickle ME and Til tickle you,) must ex-
pect to be held responsible by plum