Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-28
the new federal cohstitution was much

more in the state factions than to the SyS-
tenn proposed the convention. AT the
| beginning of the revolution came the con-
! f1ict between the istocratic and the dem
ocratic wings over the form of govern
ment to be pres trved in the province. In
| the constitution of 1I16 the latter secured
a frame of government to their liking, and
| control of which it placed in their hands.
| The result was the disqualification of the
diScordant elements into two bitterly an
| tagcnistic political parties, called, respec-
lively, coustitutionalists and republicans.
The former, the -democratic party, found
| Its strength in the so1caled back counties,
among the poor and ignorant settlers; the
| latter prevailed exclusively in the richer
and more densely populated region in the
neighborbood of Philadelphia.
The excesses of the popular party gave
the control OF the government in 1856 to
| their opponents, and thus it was that this
party, which Naturally was more federal
| in temper than its rival, and which more
over expected aid from the new federal
| constitution iii their effort to redeem their
state politics from corruption was able to
| force through the federal constitution in
| that state against the vehement opposition
| Of the other party. The triumph Of the
| federal cause, in turn, enabled the repub-
| llcanS at last to succeed in their efforts to
| secure a revision of the state constitution,
| and In 11S9-o0 convention was held which
| removed from the form of government the
main features which had given such Of
tense to the aristocratic element.
Pennsylvania Germans.
SM.Sener of Lancaster, Pa. had written on
1.-THE Language, Manners and History of
| the Pennsylvania Germans" 1t was an ex-
| haustive treatise on the growth of the Ger
man colony in the Keystone state, showing
| under what difficulties the early settlers
from the north of the European continent
secured their homes. After tracing the
growth of this community the writer gave
some interesting facts concerning the Wig
orous part taken by the Germans in behalf
OF the states III the two wars for independ-
ence, and for the Union in the civil war;
The paper closed with mention of the
| peculiar customs of this colony. The Ger
mans OF pennsylvania, the writer said, are,
as rule, wholly without regard for Eu-
rCpean ties, except, perhaps, such who
| have recently immigrated. These people
have always been honest and thrifty, their
| first ambition being to own their homes. 1t
was great compliment for a guest to ask
his host: DO you own this house?" The
motto of the earlier members of the colony
was:
ITO spin, to weave. to ready make his
clothes,
And keep them clean the frugal farmer
They were very superstitious, and many
odd. quaint customs have been preserved
| until today.
Township Government.
Prof. James A. Wilgus of the Ohio State
University at Columbus contributed paper
| under the title THE Evolution of Township
Government in Ohio" He said that the first
quarter of the present century was an i'm
portant period of evolution in the township
government of Ohio, when great changes
were going on in the entire country and
Ohio was having her most rapid develop
ment and her largest accession of popula-
ton. There were three stages of develop
ment: First, the system of appointed Off
GERS, under the territorial government, until
1902; second, the system of town meeting"
so called, from 1872 to 1920; third, the pres
ent system of government by officers
elected by the people. In the first period
the township was governed by officers APP
pointed by the county courts in accordance
with general laws Attempts were made to
change this system, but Gov. st. Clair
vetoed all such bills. However, in 1I9o
law was passed providing for the election
of an assessor by the people; and in 1902,
when town meetings" were established,
the people had the privilege of electing all
their officers.
These meetings were not deliberative
like those of New England. The only pow
ers conferred upon the meeting by. law
were to elect officers, to fix the place for
the next meeting for two years, and to
levy taxes for six years. This same law
establishing the ftown meeting provided
also for an officers meeting once year to
settle certain accounts. BY succeeding
acts to 1870 the work of the town meeting
had been transferred to the trustees and
In the law of this date no provision Is made
upon reassembling are directed to choose
officers. The law of 1904, prescribing the
warrant for annual election, requires the
trustees to insert in It, upon the application
of two or mole freeholderS, any matter,
business or thing that may be proposed to
be submitted to the meeting. This was
continued in 1870 and remains today. 1t
does not contemplate deliberative assem-
bly, however, but only gives an opportuni-
ty for an expression of opinion, by ballot,
upon matters that may require 1t. BY $50
the essential features of the system of
township government of today were pretty
well established; the functions of the town.
ship remain the same, and the principal
differences consist in a few minor changes
in the officers and their duties. The town.
ship today Is corpoI ate division Of the
county for the purposes of local govern
ment. The people, each year, elect their
officers and these manage the local affairs
of the township in accordance with the
general laws Of the state.
Western Posts.
Prof. A. e. Mclaughlin of the University
of Michigan next read a paper on THE
Retention of the Western Posts by the
British After 1IS3." The purposes Of the
paper were to report the results of an in
vestigation prosecuted for determining two
questions: First, why the British retained
the western posts? Second, did they from
this vantage ground instgate the Indians
to war against the Americans? The ex-
cuseS for the retention were that we in
various ways had violated the treaty on
our part. But that does not account for
the desire to retain. The real reason was,
first, the desire to control the fur trade,
and second, the necessity of controlling
the Indians and retaining their alliance.
The second question is a complicated one.
The English government can be cleared of
the accusation of desiring to foment war.
But the Canadian authorities in 1874 did
give aid and encouragement. The deten-
ton of the posts and the desire of the Brit
ish to keep the Indians allied accounted
for the continuation of the war The
American historians have unjustly charged
the English government with direct in
stigation, but the Canadian authors are as
far wrong in denying any RESPONSE
bihty for the continuation of the Indian
hostlites, which devastated the northwest
and checked western expansion.
ChristOpher Columbus.
The last paper of the day was by Will
lam e. Curtis of this city on Existing Au-
tographs of Christopher Columbus"
Five papers are on the list for tonight's
session, as follows: Mountains and His
tory" by Professor Edmund X. Alden of
Parker Institute, Brooklyn; Causes and
Consequences of the Party Revolution of
1900" by Professor Arson d. Morse Of
Amherst; THE Tennis Court OATH" by
prnf To Dol Of Univ, cit