Year: 1874

gerons proposition, because the aid must
" be voted for by at least tWo-thirds Of
al the electors of such township, city or
village" WHAT right, let me ask you,
have two men, owning, if you please, no
property and paying no taxes, to vote
away the property that the third man has
acquired by q life of industrious labor /
If 1t were provided that it should be by a
vote Of nine-tenths Of the electors, it |
would be indefeasible upon the principle /
that you have no rieht 10 take away the |
property Of the tenth man, without his !
consent, for private uses.


But the most oppressive and hagrantiy |
unjust aspect OF this proposition, is its /
application to the property Of nom nesi-
dents, Of widows and orphans Take /
your city Of Cincinnati. There are men 1
who, By long lives Of industry, have aid /
up their hundreds OF thousands or mill |
ions, who have helped to build up the /
city, but who now reside out upon the |
railroads, beyond the city limits. At |
such an election these persons would have |
no vote, while the loafers frUm Rat Row |
and elsewhere, who In winter live at the |
soup houses and -spend their nights in the
stailon-hcuses, 90 out from The Police ]
Court on the morning OF the election,
having resided SIX monts within the cleo
ton precinct, and cast their votes. The !
citizen, whose interests are at stake, and |
who -n1ighE Be opposed to the speculative
scheme, could do nothing more than stand
and look on silently.


We do not let women vote, and perhaps
it is well enough in the present condition
of things that she should not But at
such an election why should woman,
whose means of support il is proposed
shAll be wrung from her to help specu-
lRtors build railroads, be not entitled TO
some voice in the matter?


Again, there are widows and orphans
all over the State, whose husbands or
fathers were slain in battle when the Re-
public was assailed The means by
which they are enabled to maintain a
bare subsistence is to be taken from them
against their will. understand that this
scheme originated principally with per-
cons who, Tor speculative purposes, have
bought up large quantities Of cheap min
eral lands in paris of the State where
there are no railroads. Whether there
were any such persons in the Convention
l am not prepared to cay, and If we're
should certainly not attribute TO their
actions any selfish or mercensry motives.
l have been told that in those portions of
the State where railroad facilities are not
yet general, it is expected that railroad
and other speculative influences may be
so brought to bear upon the population
to excite a sort OF railroad mania, and in
duce them to vote solidly for the propo-
sition. IL is supposed that in other parts
Of the State, where private capital has
already furnished abundant means of rail-
road transportation, the people will pay
but little attention to it, and when the
vote Of the whole State comes TO be
counted the speculators Will have secured
more votes for it than there are against
it. Therefore, in such q case, if the main
Constitution be adopted, this most OBJ
iectionable clause becomes an integral
portion of it. Il is for these reasons I
have my fears, and while l would vote
against the Constitution under any cir
cumstances, this is an additional reason
that calls loudly for opposition.


LICENSE Or 80 LICENSE.


The only remaining side-shoN is that
relating to the traffic in intoxicating
liquors. Without entertaining the slight
est feeling Of disrespect for my associates
in the late Convention, cannot refrain
from expressing the idea that its action
on this important subject may be Justly
characterized as q miserable, pitiful dodge
of great question. Petitions came TO us
of two kinds, signed by thousands and
tens of thousands. First, 10 provide fer
the prohibition Of The manufacture and
sale of intoxicating liquors and, second,
to provide for stringent license system.
Believing the frat 70 be wholly impracti-
cable, have no hesitation in saying that
| am in favor Of the second proposition.
believe that the cause Of temperance
would be best promoted by rigid, we'll
guarded system of Incense, so argued, and
have seen no reason TO change my
opinion but the Convention, instead Of
taking the bull by the horns, and embody-
ing in the Constitution positive clause
for one thing or the other, refused to do
either, and merely settled down upon
the idea that something should be sub
mitted 10 q separate vote OF the people.
In that idea / concuTred, because !
thought IL was q distinct and separate
vote, in order that public sentiment might
be embodied in the Constitution. Hence,
/ tried TO get the alternative proposition
submitted, but without effect. The
clause finally agreed upon to be submit
ted to the people does not meet the issue
in that straigh forward manner they had a
right to expect. The Convention has de-
clined to put anything upon IFS own re-
sponsibility into the Constitution on that
subject, and it has failed to submit q
proposition that will settle the question
definitely if adopted The clause sub
mltted is a fraud, / may say, because
while it PROCESSES 10 be for the license
system it carries power TO the Legisla-
ture practically to prohibit. Itis nothing
more or less than absurd to put into q
Constitution license with power to pro-
hibit." Shoold it be adopted can not
see wherein either side is placed in any
other position than that In which they
are left by the present Constitution, ex-
cept that instead Of settling the question
definitely it keeps 1t open constantly dur
ing the time the Constitution may be in
force. From year 10 year, whenever the
excitement is raised by contending parties,
it will override all other considerations,
because thousands and thousands of voters
who are interested in the manufacture
and sale of liquors viii lose sight Of other
considerations that ought to prevail when
| they approach the ballot-box. In the
election OF Judicial officers the question
with great many will not be, Is the can
date good lawyer, an honest man, Of
| great capabilities but, Is he sound on
| these vital points affecting their immedi-
| ate interests Is he sound on whisky
and lager beer? This will be continu-
ally disturbing element in our elections.
We ought, therefore, TO have settled it
promptly in the Convention ourselves,
and not submitted it to a vote of the
people in such a form as would not en-
able them TO settle it


FINS OF COMMISSION AND OMISSION,


During the closing hours of the ConTen-
tion felt sad that after the work of
year and heavy expense to the people,
the result Of our mountains labor was
such an offspring Had telt inclined 10
leVity, should have moved as an ad-
ditional article, an extract from the con-
fessional branch Of the impressive service
of the Episcopal Church, which runs about
thus:


We have done those things which we
ought not 10 have done and we have left
undone those things which we ought to
have done, and there is no health in us p


THE GOVERNORS VETO.


@. 1t has been alleged, Colonel, that
your opposition was founded on the clause
conierring on the Governor the veto