The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-03-24
A WELCOME HARBINGER
Is the Bill Proposing Protec'
tion to Polecats.
THE BEGINNING OF TIE END.
Realistic Performance of the Three Tall
srs of Tuiee street-A Memorial
Building-Hanna Downed
n Repeatedly.

legislature IL would seem that we are
near the bottom Of the bill basket.
When the statesmen get to legislating
for the safety and protection of the
common polecat, also called the
skunk, the ordinary run of subjects
would seem to have been pretty we'll
exhausted. Unless the species has
gEeatly deteriorated since the days
when the writer used to encounter the
skunk in his native haunts in this
state, the polecat is well adapted by
nature and education to take care Of
himself Certainly the whole range OF
wild animals known in Ohio does not
contain one that has in itself stronger
recommendations to be let alone. But
the people of the state will sadly hear
OF this bill for its worth as an indiCa-
tion that the beginning of the end of
the Seyenty-third general assembly is
here.
A Modern Instance.
Joe Bowling of Dayton calls atten-
tion to the close resemblance of the
address of the three adJuncts to the
late Democratic state executive COM
mitttee, whom it was necessary for
the central committee to discharge
wi ct armis, to the fulminations of the
traditional three tailors ofTulee street,
who, according to the well-worn story,
were accustomed to assume the right
to represent the people Of England.
I'VE, the people of England" they
would begin their addresses.
If the state central committee of the
party, properly selected, is not author
lied to act and to speak for the party,
there is certainly no person and no
organization that is. That is what the
state central committee is chosen for;
and for any individual, or group Of
persons, to assume to have better
right to speak for the party, is certain
ly the height of impertinence, and in
the present case would be exasperat-
ing if it were not so ridiculous.
o Sheppard of de sheopfoT.
Senator Oscar Sheppard of the Mi
ami-Preble district is to be the Re-
publican candidate for congress in the
Third Congressional district if the
Foraker Republicans can control it,
and they probably can. Sheppard was
nominated for senator by the influence
of DR.. J. Z. Loves, the Foraker boss
of Dayton, and he was claimed to be
against Hanna for some time on this
account. He was under other obliga-
tions, however, that held him in line
for Hanna.
John l.. Brenner the present mem
Der of congress from that district, was
selected as a Democrat by the small
plurality of 1893, but Chapman carried
1T by 1893 last fall and on the legisla-
tive ticket the Democratic plurality
was 2,O36.
From these figures it will be seen
that the prospect for the election of a
Republican in the district this year is
not alluring,
An Avalanche of Bills.
On the day Of final adjournment,
when the presiding officers are about
to bring down the gavels with the
declaration that the Seyenty-third gem
eral assembly is adjourned without
day, it is confidently expected that
members will request them to desist
until they can introduce a few bills.
1t is an indication that the statesman
ship Of the present general assembly
is Of an amateurish sort, that a call
for the Introduction of bills made now,
when the session is drawing toward
the close, brings out fully as many
measures as that order of business did
at the beginning. 1t shows that many
of the members came to the legisla-
ture with no well-defined ideas of the
Legislation they considered desirable
or necessary. Most of the bills that
such members have introduced have
been drawn by outside parties and
given to them to introduce. 1t Is an
everyday experience with newspaper
men reporting the Legislature, to find |
members introducing bills which they |
can give no intelligent explanation of. |
Indeed it can be said to be the rule |
rather than the exception that this is
the case.
With the legislator of experience it |
is very different. He Is wary of the |
bills that are handed to him for in |
PRODUCTION, and even after careful ex-
animation, usually prefers to insert |
the words by request" which relieve
Sim of the authorship responsibility, |
Two weeks ago | asked one of the |
ablest and most experienced members
OF the senate if he had any more bills |
TO introduce, "Oh, no." said he. II
had all the measures | hoped to have |
considered at this session, in the hop |
per some time ago." Unless a measure |
has unusually strong demands for con-
sideration, II is quite likely to die on
the calendar If introduced now.
Return to First Principles.
The troubles in the Democratic state
central and executive committees
whicn have ccms to focus just now,
are largely due to injudicious action
At the state convention last summer
Before the state ticket had been nomi-
mated, or platform adopted, the CEN
chaIrnan or the State executive COM
mittee, authorizing him to choose the
rest OF the executive committee This
very unusual proceeding was the be-
of trouble which has made
Itself felt all along the line 1t would
have been bad policy at any time, but
especially so at time when the Re-
publican party was engaged in a fac