OHIO. 



607 



by the previous Legislature was the passage of 

 laws for the reorganization of the several State, 

 venal, reformatory, and charitable institutions, 

 so that the Democratic Governor could ap- 

 point new Trustees. It was expected that the 

 new Legislature would undo this work, but 

 there was a disagreement among the majority 

 as to the best manner of accomplishing the 

 purpose, and the bill was not passed until near 

 the close of the session. In the form in which 

 it finally became a law it gave the Governor 

 discretionary power, providing that he " may " 

 appoint trustees, by and with the consent of 

 the Senate, instead of directing that he " shall" 

 do so. Immediately after being notified of 

 the passage of the bill Governor Foster com- 

 menced the work of reorganizing the institu- 

 tions by sending in to the Senate batches of 

 nominations. The names sent in were selected 

 according to a defined plan, and the additional 

 nominations made afterward were selected 

 upon the same principle. The full term of 

 service of the trustees is five years, and the 

 term of one trustee expires every year. The 

 first appointments being for unequal terms of 

 years, Governor Foster chose Republicans for 

 the two short terms and the longest term, and 

 Democrats for the three- and four-years' terms. 

 The object was to remove the inducement for 

 any further reorganization for purely politi- 

 cal reasons. The board of each institution is 

 formed at the start of three Republicans and 

 two Democrats, the Executive and Legislature 

 being Republican. A change of power in the 

 State would reverse those proportions, but no 

 more, and it would be impracticable for either 

 party to do more, for some time, than secure 

 the bare majority on each board. 



Several attempts were made during the ses- 

 sion to free legislation on the liquor question, 

 but most of them without practical result. A 

 bill to regulate the sale of liquors by compelling 

 retail dealers to give heavy bonds as security for 

 any actionable damage under the personal in- 

 jury liquor law failed for lack of a constitu- 

 tional majority, as did a local option bill after 

 a very severe struggle. There were repeated 

 endeavors to pass an act regulating the publi- 

 cation and use of school-books in the State, but 

 without success. A bill passed the Senate, but 

 remained unacted on in the House during the 

 session of 1880, preventing the selling of pools 

 upon the resultof horse-races, walking-matches, 

 or any other trial of speed or endurance on 

 the part of either horse or man. The punish- 

 ment to be inflicted upon violators of the law 

 is a tine of no more than five hundred dollars 

 or less than five dollars, or imprisonment not 

 more than six months or less than ten days, or 

 both if the Court deems it necessary. 



An endeavor was made to establish a prece- 

 dent for the admission of women to school 

 boards by so amending a bill for the election 

 of school trustees in Cincinnati as to permit 

 women to be chosen. The Senate passed the 

 measure, but the House rejected it. 



The Legislature adjourned April 17th, until 

 January 4, 1881, after passing over two hun- 

 dred laws of a general nature, and a number of 

 local laws. Among the acts passed, in addition 

 to those mentioned, were laws increasing the 

 penalty for violation of liquor laws from fifty 

 dollars to one hundred dollars for selling to 

 minors or habitual drunkards ; prohibiting the 

 sale of intoxicating liquors within four miles 

 of harvest-home festivals ; making the penalty 

 for grave-robbing imprisonment in the Peni- 

 tentiary from one to five years ; and a number 

 of acts authorizing counties and towns to build 

 railroads within their limits. 



The Prohibition State Convention met in 

 Columbus March 5th, and commenced proceed- 

 ings by the adoption of the following platform 

 of principles, reported from the committee : 



1. That we reaffirm the principles and measures 

 heretofore declared by the Prohibition Reform party, 

 in our State and National Conventions. 



2. That, asserting, our rights as electors, we demand 

 from the law-making power prompt and adequate pro- 

 tection of the people against the enormous wrongs in- 

 flicted upon them oy the liquor crime, and this demand 

 we call upon all good citizens to aid us in enforcing at 

 the ballot-box. 



3. That,as a step in that direction, we recommend the 

 enactment of a law combining State with local option 

 against the liquor-traffic on the plan proposed in the 

 bill from the majority of its Committee on Bills, sub- 

 mitted by the Local Option State Convention of last 

 January to the Legislature. 



4. That this Convention hereby tenders to that wor- 

 thy and distinguished daughter of Ohio, Mrs. R. B. 

 Hayes, its thankful honors for the moral courage she 

 has evinced and the high example she lias placed l>e- 

 fore the world in her efforts to exclude from her table 

 and from the public banquets and receptions at the 

 White House all intoxicating beverages. 



5. That, duly estimating the value and importance 

 of all preventive agencies against the liquor crime, we 

 cordially second the present movement among tho 

 friends of the cause for practically uniting temperance 

 with education by the introduction of temperance text- 

 books in the public schools. 



6. That we unre on all temperance citizens the duty 

 of immediate and thorough local organization ; and we 

 recommend that they meet in their several places on 

 the last Monday evening of this month, where such 

 action is not before had, and where party lines are 

 drawn, nominate full Prohibition Reform corporation 

 and township tickets for the April election ; and that 

 they maintain at all elections hereafter total separation 

 from all parties and politicians who are in complicity 

 with the liquor crime. 



The following additional resolutions were also 

 adopted: 



Whereas, In the hour of peril when the life of this 

 Nation was threatened by secession and rebellion the 

 citizen became the soldier and went forth to battle for 

 his country's life ; and 



Whereas, To the soldier and the children of the sol- 

 dier this nation owes a debt of gratitude ; therefore 



Resolved, That the fostering of the liquor-traffic by 

 the General Government for a revenue, and the pro- 

 tection of it by State legislation, whereby the soldier 

 and his family are deep sufferers, are not only acts of 



;at ingratitude, but are wrongs unparalleled in any 



.athen nation. 



Resolved, That the proposition, whether coming 

 from a conference or a Legislature, to defer action on 

 the liquor question until after the Presidential election 

 in order to get the liquor vote, implies that that vote is 

 deemed essential and useful in determining the issues 



