The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-08-19


reputation9 WeshaEs seenicandidAtes, for
time, refuse 70 .'ccme in" TO such a course.
but finally would yield, pleading that their
rivals did 80, and unless they followed the
.usage@ there was no chance for Notes.-The
''clever fellows" always treated Now and
then this system of ''druggingp ones self
INTO popularity would SO disgust a candi-
Date who felt the claims Of morality and
good citizenship little stronger, that he
would abandon the field in disgust, and
thereupon he would have good cause to af-
nrm, as has thousand times over been said.
that "no man with proper self,respect can
get office any more in Hamilton county"
This system of HISKYlELECTGON-
EEh!NG has been the paternityof another
vice. IN our opinion equally degrading and
reprehensible. 1t is the hiring Of men, by
candidates, with money paid into hand, and
more promised In the event of success, to go
around among coffee-houses, shops !. facto-
rles, &C., and through the county at public
gatherings, to influence voters IN favor of
the certain aspirant, and to poison their
minds by factious stories or downright sian.
ders, against rivals. There are men en-
/ gagged in both of these degrading means of
getting office at this very time, and more
will engage in them as the season progresses,
unless the party, wherever they see them
practiced, rebuke it by some saIutary lesson
to theparty engaged init.
This is why "good men, as hundreds ex-
press themselves, will not venture into the
field, or allow their friends to introduce
themto the arena. Wilt be contended by
any one, that for any of the civil positions
Of the State or county, we have not in our
party at this day as many talented, virtuous
/ and competent men as we ever had 2 Have
we not men who would honor any station,
not only as officers of the people, but as ad-
herents Of the Democratic faith ? No one
will gainsay the fact. But the people are
deprived of their services as men of ability,
and station is deprived of their examples of
morality and dignity, and party is deprived
of their strength as the honest upholders of
its faith, by the very fact, and shameful it
! is, that to get place they have to absolutely
degrade themselves, not only in their own
estimation but in that of the mass Of society,
by resorting to practices to prevent rival
candidates Of inferior merit from defeating
| them, which are totally Incompatible with
all their principles of morality and good
citizenship. A few examples we have, of
success without becoming parties to this
system Of making cleyerness by treating and
\ indirect bribes, but they are only in the po-
sition of exceptions to general rule. '4
Now, we know that we are speaking out
in the press what Will be seized upon else
where and used to reproach the Democracy
of Hamilton county with corruption, but
that shall not intimidate us from saying
what all candid men of our party will ad-
NIT is true and we are thus plain because
we entertain the hope that the PARTY will
\ drive these abuses ard all their school of
mercenary and grOvelliDg politicians out of
its ranks, and stamp disgrace upon any as
pirant for public favor, who seeks to reach
1 it through misunderstanding eleclioneering,
treating at coffee-houses, or the appliances
of money. If they will do this, then the
day of tricksters, small brains, small men
and whisky popularity and merits will have
its inglorious end, and men of character,
worth, talents and countrywide will again
venture upon the stage. .lF.