The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-09-18

cccdcd to have written in book which they
had the temerity to entitle the Journal OF tho
Senate, the passage OF n resolution ousting
the four Senators from Hamilton County
from their scnts and putting four other men
In their places.
There are some provisions of the constitu-
our courts to be directory In their charnc-
ter, the observance of which, by the Assem-
bly,, is secured by their sense OF duty and OFF,
cial oaths, and not by any supervisory power
OF the courts" but tho only directory provi-
sIons OF the Constitution arc such as relate to
modes prescribed, and to the authority con-
ferred.
when we consider that written constitu-
tions are tho only barriers. to the encroacli-
pies liberties, and that the supervisory power
OF the court is the only means of securing
their observance, and that this means has
OF partisan Judges. we may well cxclaim:
Great God, on what slender thread hang
the cherished rights of the people, tho desti-
Let all the. people of the State read and
ponder the dissenting opinion of Chief JUS
tice Owen, In the case of Ohio OK rel-Hcrron
vs. Smith, aud especially this part of It:
"if seventeen members could transnct such
business SO could seven, or any less number.
Indeed, let IL once TO established that a plain
provision OF the constitution can bc subvcrt.
cd or wholly disreRarded by such. means Us IL
is here admitted were employed, and 1t is
vain to speculate upon what may not be no
COIupllSueu III uu euOTJ W COutThNcue buO OE'
ganic law of our State
''In this case tho court Is called upon to
consider radically new question. II IL cred
tied to tho Legislative departments of the
of them. has ever been required to deal with
such question.
failed to produce case, and 1t will be OBJ
served that not one is cited by the majority
OF the court which tends in the slightest de-
gree to support the extraordinary PROPOSE
"To apply the cases cited and relied upon It
Is necessary to assume an entirely different
state of facts from those which appear In this
case.
Ceases are found supporting the principle
that courts will not inquire into the motives
which prompted the enactment of law.
Their soundness will not be questioned They
all presuppose full authority to net. Here
there was entire absence of authority.
'If the position reached by tho majority be
tenable, these startling conclusions follow.
when both branches of the General Assembly
possessing undoubted authority to act, and
acting in good faith, overstep in the slightest
the attempt to enact law, this court is
clothed with abundant authority to overturn
it and declare it a nullty; but where less than
a quorum of single branch, utterly without
authority to act by a scheme of conspiracy
and fraud unparalleled in the history of leg
islation, overthrow and disregard plain
false, spurious and pretended. Journal to
make that appear which was not and could
not be DONE this Court-the Court of last re-
sort in this State-which has ever been re-
tuition, is compelled 10 confess itself helpless
and powerlesst to do more or less than ratify
and sanction the great public wrong, by pro-
nouncing upon its solemn approval"
The object of thought to be accomplished
by thus regarding and violating laws, the con-
stitution, official oaths and rights Of the peo.
pie, was the desire to obtain the control
of certain Offices, with the spoils of which
they might feed the vultures of tho party.
As soon as they had stepped over the grave
Senate no time was suffered to eiapse until, SO
far as in their power to do so, Democrats
were displaced from Office and Republicans
almost absolute control of its municipal af.
fairs. of its streets, sewers, water-works and
its finances, vested with veto power over the
ed by the people, having charge of the
affairs of the people of the city, and that
should be responsible to the city. in whose
whose acts the State can In no way be held
responsible; this board, elected by the people,
who are affected by, and responsible for, its
acts, was abolished and another substituted
the Governor, in no way answerable to the
people, who are responsible for Its acts.
That the people can not and should not be
trusted has long been the theory of the lead
ers of the Republican party but never before
have the leaders of that party in this State
dared to carry it so fully into practice.
more safety than a partisan Republican Gov
ernor, is fully and satisfactorily demonstrate
ed by comparison of the two boards.
they do they make haste to correct them
Some Governors fancy they are infallible,
and hence, however serious may be their
mistakes, no correction Is made. The present
Governor has done more foolish things,
made more mistakes in the seven months he
ha, strutted in the office than the people
have made In as many years.
Aside then from the fAct that In
sentative government the people have right
to choose those who are entrusted with their
affairs, and the control and management of
their property, they are safer and more re-
liable than Governors are likely to be, cer-
tainly more so than the present Governor is
If Board Of Public Affairs can be ap-
pointed for Cincinnati, and the Republican
members of the Supreme Court cay 1t can,
the next move on the part of u Republican
Legislature in this State will be to pass a
law authorizing the Governor to appoint
mayors and city councils for such cities of
the State us have Democratic mayors and
councils. Let those who trample on the peo-
too stupid or lethargc to resent, beware,
for when the people rise in their might they
will shake them Off and crush them as they
them.
Through the combined and harmonious
action of the Republican members of the
ments ei of the % present state Government. % Re.
publican cormoranLs are now gOrging them
selves upon public plunder, as Is shown by
an empty treasury, increased indebtedness
and increased taxation.
In their imagined security they have said
to themselves they have the Offices and can
regale themselves on public plumber Mt the
at the first opportunity the people will hurl
them from power and teach them that they
who disregard laws and violate constitutions
are unworthy of public trusts and can nc
longer be servants of theirs.
The issues In the coming campaign are not
between the Democratic party as such and
the Republican party, but between the people
in defense of the laws the constitution and
the heritage of freedom and the Republican
party. In such contest the people can moi
fail;
"For freedoms battle once begun,
Bequeathed by bleeding size to son,
Though bafiled oft, is over won."
You and I, as the people of Ohio, have en-
tered into solemn compact, ratified in thu
form of the Constitution ofsyour State, pre-
scribing the limits of power and fixing: thu
rights of the people. When that constitution
! spurned-when, as said, all the representa-
tives of u great political party agree to violat,
it and set 1t at naught, the time has com
Government should band together to teacl
| them that there Is no provocation-thcre
no occasion-there can be no occasion-tha
the State. or the violation of the rights of tn
people as contained therein. TApplause.l
For some time past there has beel
brought before the observation of a Ger
tain class of commercial people YER
interesting product consisting of ex
tremely thin and slender shavings @
wood, that are comparable to paper Gu
for packing, and that 60 by the nam
of wood WOOL This product wa
first introduced into France as pack
ing material. 1t weighs about forty 0
fifty per cent. less than the material