Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-03-17

now members or both branches are be-
ginning to lengthen their estimates; six
weeks longer is now heard on many
sides.
The redistricting bill is now in fair
way to get through the house within a
few days, and probably will pass in such
shape that the senate will concur.
When this important measure is off its
hands, the house can sit down to the
task of passing local bills, while the sen
ate considers this important measure
and the appropriation bill. When they
are passed and out of the way adjourn
ment will again show its head and not
much before.
In the meantime there have been
about 900 bills introduced in both
! branches of the legislature and thank
heaven the largest portion of them is
still to be considered.
Nine hundred bills! With half as
many more to follow this year and as
many as the grand total next session,
all to be carefully considered by the
present assembly, is it any wonder that
many of them are hastily passedl Is it
any wonder that 106 members will take
the word of the 107th on bill and thus
get it out of the way when they can.
in no way be held responsible for it, and
he is willing and anxious to?
But there 1 go writing about the same
old dry subject that discarded but a
few lines above.
Railroad LegisIati"n.
Railroad legislation is ever bone of
contention. There are those in this
world who are constitutionally opposed
to corporations, just because they are
corporations and for no other reason
This feeling often shows itself in bills
offered in the legislature.
Others are fast to propose new orders
Of things without any idea of forcing
them to passage, all for the little polit-
ical prestige that the proposals of such
laws will give them at home.
Then strange as it may seem, there
are the ones that propose new railroad
bills in order to correct evils that really
| exist.
At present there are bills to make the
rate of travel two cents; another tc
compel the sale of 1900 mile books fol
two cents a mile; another to cut down
the rates of sleeping car berths and tc
make the sleeping car companies keep
the upper berths closed when not in use,
another proposition is to tax the gross
receipts of all railroad, sleeping car
telephone, telegraph and express com
panies. {"ia'
i And in the midst of all this mad rush
of railroad bills the supreme court de-
cides that the law passed by the last
legislature taxing the roads 81 mile
for all their track, is constitutional.
There is one thing about railroad laws
that cannot be sand of many municipal
laws, and that is the people are pretty
apt to find out for sure whether they art
constitutional are not because the rail-
roads nearly always carry them up to
the supreme court, while municipal law
are often enforced for years before such
action is taken.
Why Don't They Investigate?
Investigating committees that spent
money and do not investigate, have helt
their little sway and are still at it.
One committee appointed to investi-
gate the occupancy of certain lands il
Cincinnati by the Pennsylvania railroad
stopped at 81 a day hotel in the
Queen City for few days and then came
: back to Columbus to prosecute its
labors.
Another committee has been busy
listening to certain groundless charges
, made against member by an unscrupul
! GUS newspaper. A stenographer is in at
tendance.
Another committee has been appoint
ed to investigate the gas lands Of thu
state and has been off on little tour o.
its own. n -
Still another committee has been ap
pointed to nose through the state hous'
and see how filthy it is. 1t has spent ne
. money as yet.
There will be in all probability scor
or more investigating committees befor
year from now, and the amount o
chaff that will be turned up by them a
the states expense will be large enough
to put western threshing machine il
} the shade.
, Senator Nichols and the Ohio stat
) university continue to dwell in Colum
} bus without breaking up the town.
The woman's suffrage bill has beer
put off until next session; the COMMITTEES
! on elections now has charge of th'
3 measure.
{ The committee on elections has com
) pleted its labors and with supreme cour
l fairness it has decided in favor of one
4 contestant and against the other.
{ The Cleveland delegation had a Law
4 passed granting their firemen twelv
b hours off in each, day; they are nov
t on twenty-four hours per day. Cleve
s is the first city in the world to try thi
Q experience, and it isn't altogether hkel,
Y that they will try, as the Clevelan
& members have stirred up whirlwind i
;, their town over the matter. Cincinnati
: members threaten to pass the same sor
of law for their city.
Governor Foraker showed his Unfit
! ence the other day when he had bi
reconsidered and passed after it ha
6 been lost and that too by decisive vott
And he did it without any reference t
/ the lines as laid down by the late sens
r torial struggle. 1t was a bill to allo'
!, | +ba poIf;p,0ra opd Ohio ,.ai1road RI oo,
solidate with several West Virgini
., roads, and TO refund their bonds b
issuing new bonds of the consolidate
corporation in excess Of its capital stool
The tax inquisitor bill, so-called, cam
Il pretty near dying a-bornin' the otht
9 day when q motion to engross was lai