Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-10-10
laI power I'M Ulio. They allied th,

/ v...clal power IN Uaio They allied the
name OF Ohio Democracy with such criminal
and disreputabie methods that the better
elements thereof became terrified and
| shocked al the blare and brazenness of the
evil deeds committed in the name of their
party.
In striking contrast with the disgraceful
reign of Democracy IS the last four years of
Republican administration in Ohio. We,
too, elected a United S1a5es senator, but it
was done by open. honest and unanimous
ballot of both branches of the general as
| sembly. No charge or whisper of an i'm
| proper influence ever came from our politi-
cal opponents. We, too, came in. contact
with fraud, forgery and political crime, but
it was only 10 denounce the fraud, punish
the forgery and expel from the halls of leg
Station the representatives OF political
| crimes
Turning to the work of the Republican
legislatures during Governor Forakei's ad-
min;stration We find the statute books
studded with patriotic and valuable laws
| As testimony to the memory of the sol
iiers and sailors of Ohio, We fl ii the legisla-
ture exempting from taxation all real estat
NQ6T6O1 DulAb udtlS 70 JQo
patriotic dead. Never forgetting the duty
We owe to the disabled and INDECENT ,liiers,
sailor and MARINES a Republican legislature
| conceived, founded, and built for them a
nome at Sundusky, thus rescuing from the
| infirmaries of OHIO many brave boy in
blue from the ignominy of pauperism which
no defender of the republic should bear
Recognizing that many could not leave
their families TO go TO to the home estab-
Iished and that many soldiers orphans and
widows needed relief, Republican legisla-
| ture created the sys5sn of relief commis-
sions supplied with funds raised by taxation
| to aid INDECENT soldiers sailors and marines
not in the home, as well as their widows,
/ wives and minor children. Proud of the
| gallant deeds of Onio'S sons, and especially
| of the daring act of the Andrews raiders
| in breaking through the heart of the South
efn Confederacy, the last legislature ordered
| that monument should be erected to their
bravery in the National celnstery at Chatta-
nooga, thus demonstrating that we are
neither ungrateful nor forgetful of our he
roic dead.
The Republican party has always con-
ceded the claims of labor, and in response to
its demand fixed eight hours as days work
in the absence of specific contract to the
| contrary. In answer to the appeals of
| workingmen throughout the state, Repub-
lican legislature provided for the payment
of wages every two weeks, when the major
| ity of wage workers in any establishment in
writing expressed their desire for it to be
done, thereby recognizing that the right of
workingman to his wages is a matter
which should be sacredly regarded, and that
he alone is the sole judge of when he nesds
il For the miners of Ohio, Republican
legislature provide1 that for labor per-
formed in mining coal a lien should attach
to the mining property for any amount due
and unpaid for such labor, thereby giving
the highest and most extraordinary protec-
ton known to the law to the laborer for his
hire. A Republican legislature not only did
that, but it revised and improved the system
of mine inspection in this state, greatly in
creasing the force and efficiency, and fur
nishing to those who earn their living
underground, safeguards for the preserva-
| tion of their health and lives, thus protect
ing with supervisory system of inspection
a great element of labor i'll this state
A Republican legislature did something
more for workingInen. 1t fixed and defined
the responsibility of contractors, and passed
lien laws that more thoroughly and effect
lively than ever before protect laborers and
sub-contractors who perform labor and fur
nish material for public works, and for work
constructed by corporations and firms. To
furnish to the young men of Ohio opportu-
mites and facilities for scientific training in
this great business of mining, which is a
source Of such great wealth and prosperity
to the state, Republican legislature estab-
lished a school of mines at Ohio State uni
versity, thereby furnishing to the young
men of the state another avenue to scientific
| training, and furnishing to the miners an
other means of obtaining skilled engineers
to conduct and supervise the labors
In the interest of the farmer and to pro-
tect the products of his farm a Republican
legislature created dairy and food COM
missioner. 1t clothed him and his assist
ants with power to suppress the sale of imi-
tations of farm products, and to punish
adulterators of food In doing this the
market of the farmer is preserved fer him
self and the public protected against poison
Gus and dangerous limitations of food.
More than this was done. A Republican
legislature originated and passed laws look
ing especially to the protection of the dairy
interests of the state. 1t passed laws pro-
viding for restrictions on the manufacture
and sale Of oleomargarine, and under GER
tain circumstances prohibiting its sale alto
gether, thereby advancing the interests of
every farmer in tn state.
In the interest of law and order and rev.
enue a Republican legislature enacted the
Dow law in place of the Scott law, de-
stroyed by the Democracy. When it did
that it furnised a source of revenue to the
state, thereby relieving the tax payers of
the burden of raising 50, 600, ,00J annually,
and oil I,oI h. ho.+ of -,
liquor traffic possible under our constitu-
ton.
In the interest of temperance and in re-
sponse to public sentiment, Republican
legislature conferred upon every township
in the state the right to say whether intoxi-
eating liquors should be sold within its
limits, thereby granting to every COM
munity that principle of Home Rule SO de-
votedly advocated by the Democratic party
in this canvass
True to its principles of equality and JUS
tice, Republican legislature erased from
the statute books the last 'vestges of the
infamous "black laws" thus placing the
colored man absolutely equal with every
other citizen before the law and its privi-
leges. Favorable to the elevation of the
colored race and ready at all times to ad-
vance it, Republican legislature estab- |
ished, and provided for its maintenance,
combined normal and industrial depart |
ment at Wilberforcs university And when
it did this, it performed an act without pre- |
cedence in Ohio history, it appropriated |
funds to the use of an institution not under |
state control. But in so doing it performed |
duty to the colored youth of Ohio that |
will never be regretted nor abandoned.
For more than fifty years an immense
amount of property belonging to Ohio con-
nented with the canals has either been bur- |
led from public sight or stolen by private |
parties. To reach this property, Repub-
lican legislature created a canal commission |
whose duty under the law is to search for |
such property and define that now belong |
ing to the state What has been the result |
of that commisSiona More than s3S5, 900 |