Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-01-26

the Legislature and In 1872 an act was
passed, making Columbus ION the high
bank opposite Franklinton," the seat
Iof government. This result was
brought about by the action of Messrs.
Lyme Startling, James Johnston, Alex
ander Mclaughlin and John Kerr, who
owned all the land upon which it was
proposed to found the new city, offer
ing to give the State square of 10
acres for State House and a lot of ten
acres for a penitentiary and erect a
State House, toward the construction
of which they bound themselves to
contribute S50, 900, provided the seat of
government was permanently estab-
lished here, the Legislature to convene
I'm session at the new capital on the
first Monday of December, 1917. This
proposition, deliberately drawn up and
accompanied by q bond for 800, 900 was
submitted to the Legislature.
But it hung fire. The members were
chary about locating the capital per-
manently at any point and Messrs.
Startling, Johnston, Mclaughlin and
Kerr, seeing that it was likely to fail
drew up another proposition and bond,
containing all the stipulations of the
first, except as to the permanency of
the location, substituting therefore that
"the Legislature shall commence their
sessions there at or before the first
Monday in December, 1917, and con-
tinue the same in the town to be laid
off by us until the year 1840."
The proposition was accepted and an
act was passed, providing among other
things "that the seat of government be
and the same is hereby fixed ard per-
manently established on the lands
aforesaid; and the Legislature shall
commence their sessions thereat on the
first Monday of December. 1916, and
there continue until the first day of
May, 1910, and from thence until other
wise provided by law"
The ambiguous contradictions of this
section of the act, taken in connection
with the unaccountable disappearance
of the second proposition from the files
of the Secretary of State, leaving only
the first, making the location perman-
ent, is what saved Columbus from
losing the capital some years later as
we shall presently show.
We shall not attempt, to give the
history of the building of the Capitol
and the town under the act of 1872.
Suffice it to say that the buildings were
ready for occupation on time, the total
cost to the State, after deducting the
donation above referred to, being some
$50, 900.
On the 26th of January 1888, the
Legislature passed an act providing for
the erection of new State House, the
old building being inadequate to
answer the demans upon them. Joseph
Ridgway, Jr., of Columbus, VIM. A.
Adams, of GAINESVILLE and VIM. B. Van
Hook, of Butler county, were appoint
ed Commissioners to carry the law into
effect. Vast quantities of stone were
quarried and hauled to the present site
of the Capitol, and the work was enter
ed upon vigorously. On the 4th of
July 1889, the corner stone was laid
with imposing military andg civil
ceremonits, and the work was pushed
vigorously until the winter of 1939--40
set in.
Then came crisis, which would have
cost Columbus the seat of government,
had the Legislative Committee found
the second proposition above referre
to. During that winter Mr.. VIM. B.
Lloyd, member from Cuyahoga coun-
ty, was charged before a Legislative
Committee with forgery in altering
certain accounts against the State
While the charge was not entirely
proven. Mr. Lloyd was so palpably in
volved that he was brought to the bar
of the House and severely censured. A
friend of Mr.. Lloyd thought to break
the force of his censure by drawing up
the following certificate of good
character:
COLUMBUS, FEB. 13, 1910.
"WM. B. LLOYD, ESQ:
"DEAR SIR-The undersigned, con-
vinced beyond all doubt that the
charge lately circulated against your
self is totally unsustained by the testi-
mony relating to the matter; and the
act charged, one of which it is impossi-
bile you should be guilty, beg leave re-
spectfully, to assure you of our undi-
minished confidence in the integrity of
your character, and to express to you
our sincerest wishes for YOUR future
happiness and prosperity"
This was signed by siXty-three citi-
zens, the most of them young profess
sional men, who attached their sigma
lures without stopping to enquire
about it. Mr.. Lloyd armed with this
went to the State Journal office and
had his vindication published. 1t
created a regular cyclone in the Legis-
lature, and the members resolved to
wipe Columbus from the map. Already
there had been more than $45, 900 spent
on the foundations of the new building,
but the irate members did not care for
this. A bill repeating the act for the
erection of the present edifice was rail-
roaded through both houses and o Joint
resolution adopted calling on the Go =
ernor to issue his proclamation setting
forth that the time had come for the
permanent location of the State capital
and calling on other towns and cities
for proposals.
We need not say that there was great |
CONSERVATION in Columbus and log
rolling and lobbying set in in earnest.
A Legislative Committee was appoint
ed to look up the contract with the
original prOprietors of Columbus and
provide for its cancellation according
to its provisions. But i'm the mean
time the proposition really accepted by
the Legislature had disappeared and
the one making the location permanent
stared the committee in the face. For
several years to Legislature wrestled |
with the subject and the fight entered |
into State politics. Finally in 1S46-47
anotherer act was passed providing for |
the erection of new State House, or
rather the repealed act was re-enacted,
and in the spring of 1S47 work was re-
sumed and the present structure was