New-York tribune., 1890-04-29
A "RIPPER' LEGISLATURE.
sCANDALOUS RECORD OF THE DEMOCRATIC
MAJORITY IN OHIO.
THE SESSION CHIEFLY DEVOTED TO PARTISAN
LEGISLATION. sEAr.sTEALING AND
GrRRYMANDERING

GrRRYMANDFRING.
Cleveland Ohio April % (specisD-The ONO '' hee',
lature adjourned to-day at Columbus ana ''c ,,
., ,ts si,,aen weeks, session can be prohtabiy
summed up and the benefits and injuries oi " va -
rnle estimated. No more partisan Dous o''' w "
Ohio than this sixty-ninth General Asse''u"' 10
aim has seemed to be to the Democratic Pa''s
at the expense Of everything else Inc n""''o' "a
bills Of u general character that promise " uo y, a
reaI value to the people of the state passen Dy IL
can be counted on the fingers OF one manu. anu .U'
sumed not more than one-tenth oi the scssioi' 0
other nine-tcnths spent In s4uapDhns o'e, P, P
san matters passing bills the sole purpose vi "i"'"
.s 90 herest Democratic politicians and the party,
and dealing with such petty local matters as time
could be found for and the twoiora-penny statesmen
were disposed TO consider
Several subjects of very great importance were
bromrht forward by Republican members, Dut "ere
kept jealousy in the background by Bourbon commit
tees Early in the session Senator Mors>'h' from
Cuyahoga County Cleveland), introduced all A"s''ai''
ballot BILL modelled closely after the MASSACHUSETTS,
law and a very carefully considered ana eNcehcn'
measure The Democratic majority in the senate
nrompty sent il to a committee, where 1t was pigeon
hoIed and never heard of again. Later in the session
the force OF public opinion in favor OF ballot reform
became so strong that Representative Malloh OIL ham
ilton Comfy of the younger ana De''er oiasS VI
Democrats felt that something must be done oy Ills
party and he introduced bill that in it's ballot reform
provlsions was almost counterpart OF the MorIsoi
hill Resides 1t had good provisions creathe
and regulating election boards. This bill passcd lhe
House by a of 81 to 10, most OF those Vou'is
In the negative being Democrats and all the PROM
nent Republican members voting in favor OF IT, ~
had hardly passed when Of the Democratic
Representatives became appchensivc over ii and the
greatest pressure brought to bear on the senate
TO amend the bill y substitute was bToueh' lot
ward, in which the reform was made 10 apply OILY
10 the cities of Cincinnati Cleveland, Columbus Ioieao
ad dol,o, for
finally postponed until next January. 1t is evident
from the way the Bourbons have conducted their
ballot reform canvass in the Legislature that they are
at heart opposed to the reform and only wish TO
make show Of supporting ii because they see IL Is
demanded by public opinion. Had this not been the
case they would not have tried to make the matter
party issue in the senate amended the Malon blll
to death and postponed the Senate substitute
"A MOVEMENT TO SECURE REFORMS IN NUM-
CIPAL GOVERNMENT KILLED.
Another matter Of great importance was brought
forward BY Representative Pudney young kephD
Ican member OF the House from Cuyahosa county.
For years the cities of the state. particularly CHI
rinnati, Cleveland, Columbus. and in later years
Toledo and Dayton. have been continual prey OF
politicians Not Legislature convened but that
changes were made in municipal govern
ments often in-cOnsidered partisan grounds
The result has been constant smiuns
and instability that prevented the fixing Of respon'
sibility for abuses ana maze cOoI ''i'
dicult while it nearly impossible for the AVERAGE
citizen to keep informed the constitution OF tic
CITY government under which he lived. 1t was
grave abuse and Representative Pudney proposed
municipal commission 70 be composed OF nve aoie.
scholarly outside Of politics, yet well informed
on city matters, appointed by the Governor. to In
vestigate thoroughly the city governments OF tho
state and formulate general plan Of government
that would bring order out Of the present chaos and
give a proper uniformity and stability to the nl-
nicipal governments OF the state. 1t was good
idea and promised much. The Democratic majority
I'm the House. however, tried to turn it into iunhet
bv providing that the commission should be composed
OF members OF the Legislature That plan failed
and so they defeated the measure partly bcause it
introduced BY Republican, partly because IL was
p5ove politics and chiefly because ii promised to
take the city governments of the State out OF the
Legislature.
school book bill, inroduccd by Representative
Geyer of Paulding County. Democrat. was enacted
II provides for commission Of five, composed of the
Governor. State Commissioner Of schools, supervisor
of Public Printing, who is appointed by the Governor
and two Others Democrat and one Republican,
10 be appointed by the Governor, who are 10 III
vestigate the whole subject. fix maximum price
above which bids will not be received, and which
must not be more than so per cent OF the present
lowest wholesale prices advertise for bids Tor fur
nishing such books as tile commission thinks are
needed in the schools OF the state and accept such
loosely framed measure and capable Of being greatly
abused. The commission IS entirely in the control Of
Governor Campbell, and If he wants to make Bour-
bon Job out OF it, ii will be an easy matter Three
OF the members will be Democrats. and one OF the
Republicans will hold his place at the Governor
pleasure and SO will hardly feel like sharply opposing
any plans he may have The State Commissioner Of
Schools who 10 an elective officer. Republican and
a very capable is the only person on the com
mission who will not be open 10 tile suspicion Of
political motives. The law may not result in job
but il will certainly bear watching
THE REGISTRATION LAW WEAKENED.
Among the last inqnitous measures Of the Sos
sion was Speaker HyseLs House bill amending tine
Registration laws they apply to the smaller cities As
enacted By Republican Legislature annual registration
was required in the sixteen cities Of the State. This
amendment Limits annual registration TO the cities
of Cincinnati. Cleveland and Toledo, and in the
thirteen cities Of Columbus. Dayton Akron. Canton.
ChillicOthe. Hamilton Mansfield. Newark. sandHsky,
etcubenviile. sprugfeh Portsmouth and Zanesvilie
provides for registration only once In four years
thus making possible the voting of dead men and
persons who have moved out of the ward or city.
These and a Two-and a-half cent nts-amile Passenger
Fare blu the principal measures OF general value
10 the state that before the Legislature in six
teen weeks The two most important were killed,
and the other three enacted In
form that IS not likely to prove satisfactory. All
the rest of the WORK either intensely and vicotsly
partisan or purely local and often petty.
STEALING THE LIEUTENANT GONERNORsHlP
One OF the most outrageous acts of the session was
the b Of the Lieutenant GOvcrnor-hip On the a"e OF
the election returns Dir. E. l.. LampsOn, the Republican
candidate had - majority. Mr.. Marquis. his Demo
cratic opponent. refused to contest the ca., until
dragged into il by the party BOSSES The scnat; j.
by statute the court OF final jurisdiction in such
cases and i: was Democratic 10 70 IL The lion
George :. Converse. formerly Congressman from tho
Columbus district Marduis's attorney, and los
making charges scoopnet plan succeeded in
t1imping up "A majority against Lampson Of 393. ~.
IampsOn's attorney made careful Investigation and
his defence showed errors and irreguaI.u enough
20 elect him by 400 majority granting that
one OF Marquiss chaIgcs true. The Democrat,
were determined 10 seat Marquis. however. because