The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-10-19
No IS

Legislation is, consequently. utterly re-
pugnant to the great republican doc
trine of equal rights-a doctrine
that lies at the basis Of the free in
stitutions of the country.
Sir, the people Of Ohio have felt
the blighting, withering, and contain
mating effects Of these ulcers upon
the body polite ic-corporations,
through long series Of years; and l
believe there is now a deliberately
formed and well settled public opinion
amorg the masses in this state which
requires of us as the representatives
of the ole to say to the general as
sembly, in the organic law OF this
| commonwealth, No more special
acts of incorporations-no more spe-
cial legislation A distinguished
American statesman has said. and ex-
perience has proven the truth CT the
declaration, that in this country cor
porations are like so many citadels,
in which the enemies Of republican
government entrench and protect
thems Ives, and from which they
carry on their warfare against the in.
stitutions of freedom and the liber-
ties of the people Sir, propose. by
prohi5itory provision in the consti-
tuition to storm those 'citadels, and
to rout the occ, pants fron~their en-
trenchmeut and their stronghold, so
that they may no longer be thus en-
| abled to carry on their warfare
against the Institutions CT freedom
and the liberties Of the people"
OF course we have applied new
words and phrases We now speak of
the tyranny of privilege" predatory
wealth" and the "tentacles of the
monster octopus" bat "blighting,
whitening, communicating effects Of
these ulcers upon the body Eolitic"
was doubtless a satisfactory avenue
for the release of the pent up and
righteous wrath of this friend OF the
people"
From another delegate Of the con-
vention we get an insight into the
cause of this early hostility toward
corporations in Ohio and an iliuminat-
ing exposition of the devious ways OF
legislatures sixty years ago:
at is we'll known that special
charters are always got through our
legislature at will, and it must be evil
dent that it always will be so, in the
absence of a constitutional provision.
When was there ever an instance
within the recollection of the oldest
| legislator on this floor, where a single
special act of incorporation was de-
| feated. 1t is but too generally known
that these special acts are got
through by log-rollng system as it
is called, the friends of one bill vot-
ing for the bills of others in consider
alton of their aid when the final vote
is taken upon their own. These acts
| will always pass legislative body
the dignity and purity of your gen.
eral assembly to the contrary, not
withstanding. Any association Of capi-
talists who ask for right Of way
through any part Of the country will
always get it. and ten thousand r.
monstrances might be sent up in vain.
A single member could carry it
through the legislature, if each other
member had bill of his own for SIM
iliar acts of Incorporation
The people who are wont continual
| ly to despair of the legislatures they
eject, may gather comfort from the
I evidence here presented that these
bodies are not much worse now than
in the long ago
OF course, in 1850, as nov, there
were stanch defenders Of existing in
stitutions, including the chartered cor
porations Among these was the dele
gate from Carroll county. Here is
what he has to say:
1T has been said that there is no
disposition among the people of the
state 70 embark in works OF Internal
improvement, hence there is necessity
for such action by the legislature as
would invite capitalists to invest their
wealth among US. 1t is said tGat this
is an age of progress. Well, 10 some
extent that is true. The practice OF
the early pioneers of the country was
to invite capital into the state by the
establishment and encouragement OF
associations of wealthy individuals
and, sir, the state improved under
that healthy system wise and
far-sighted policy | am unwilling to
take away from the people the op
portunity and privilege Of having
railroad or turnpike roads or any 9th
er improvements, if they find men
willing to build them. II it is the
purpose of this convention to prevent
the people from having these i'm
provements made, they could not, IN
my Judgment, adopt more effectua
plan than to support the section nov
, under consideration. l am for leav
ing it to the people and the legislature
to settle these matters by themselves
Let the people, by their representa-
tives, grant special charters and pu
upon them such balances and checks
as they may think proper. This con
vention should not attempt 10 pre-
vent the people from inviting capital
lists into the state, for to discourage
the investment among US Of eastern
capital Is to strike directly at thu
policy which has made the state wha
1t is-the third in wealth and great
ness in the republic"
: CONSTITUTIONAL DELEGATES.