The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-08-25

foT He bhA"h
OHIO POLITICS-THE TRUE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
ELECTION OF 1854.
The elections Of 1854 win long be remembered By the
national democracy apparently among the most disas-
which their annals show Among these reverse
pehap the result IN the great State Of Ohio the most
astounding. II has BEEN and for years to win be,
the leading State Of the West exertng controlling infu
the whole Of the confederecy lying west Of the
Alleghanies Its wealth. enterprise, population and i'm
resources have long since given IL worthy rank in
that great rumvirae Of States which holds the presidency
in its gift Under these circumstances its voice at the ballot
box cannot but be regarded OF the highest significance
and Importance While therefore, the telegraph was busy
heraldng democratic defeats in various sections OF our
Union, there still lu both in the Civilizations OF fed
erasm and the despondngs Of the democracy, each anx
iously awaiting the result Of the canvass in Ohio.
1t came like the tempest Not only the 10000 dem
ocratc majority of 1853 wiped out but the opposition
State ticket carried by between 10000 and 10000 ma
ority and unbroken delegation Of wings ree-soiers
abolitonss and know-nothngs sent TO the halls of our
national assembly The democratic defeat looked com
plee and overwhelming that it appeared for time to
strike dumb the great constitutional party Of the Union
The democracy usually buoyant amid temporary dsas-
ters instinct with generous confidence in the nte
gence of the people seemed for moment to forget m ira
dictionary faith and trust and its noble sentiment which
bids "never despair Of the republic" Words can but
feebly describe the feelings of dependency which settled
through the black gloom Of October, 1854.
| Yet strange II may appear net only there no
for dependency but better far than such negative
cungrRtiia6n this there eas and is actual cause for
rejoicing The Ohio elections of 1854 should be matter Of
the highest exultaton the part of the democracy for
they afford the most brilliant proof that temporary
evils in legislation, in the monetary affairs Of
the country mistakes Of their representatives in
duce them to throw of their allegiance to those great prn
cples for whose ascendency they have often heretofore
VIGOROUSLY conended. 10 saying this say
than the figures of the returns demonstrate beyond the
possibility Of dispute Out of the hundred and sepy
thousand democratic roers Of Ohio not hundred Of them
uoted @ the enemy Despite the seeming increase of the
opposition forces implied in this hostile majority Of 10000
the returns show actual falling off in two years OF
nearly thousand We that the asser-
ton will incredible but it is capable of tangible
demonstration Let look at the In 1852 tho
opposition at the presidential election follows
Scott 1926; Hale 3l,7sl-amounting to lS4407 Com.
pare this with the of 1854 1t will be remembered
that third ticket put in nomination, and that by
the convention of July 18th of that year. the between
the know-nothihga 1.-THE whg party under its name)
and the ree-soilers complete The vote cast by hes
united parties Tor their anuuate for the board Of public
wcrgs Blickensderfer, which the only test vote
amounted to ls3472 showing loss of 935 to the
combined partes,
II viii be perceived then from these statistics that the
ocal and negative sort of triumph and that each of its
ton has not gaine but the contrary lost strength by
its meretcious alliance The result has been termed
revolution but have shown that few such rovou-
tons would annhilae both ends Of the opposition The
figures show still another most satisfactory ruth;hat the
Wanted strength of know.nothngism with all It's oaths
obligations and sacraenis the most complete and
tempbe OF political Weaknesses without the power to add
even single vote to the party adopting its devices
Tic democratic party of Ohio, then did not fall
count Of accession Of strength to its antagonsc ele
ments but simply through its own inactivity
The of that inactivity neither remote OBJ
They recent and obvious and stand boldly out
in the record Of the past And they will not be without
final effect for good the great doctrines of repubcansm
and human rights il the stern lessons they teach do
challenge regard in vain Truths sometimes dis
agreeable, but due regard for highest welfare
party compels belief that if the Ohio egs-
laturc of 1854 had finally adjourned on the day i,
met that mighty State would to-day stand side by side
with Virginia at the head 81 the democratic column
The srrora of the legislative houses of Ohio in the ses-
sion of 1854 not difficult to discover They all
the result of apparent mdity put in practice the
plain bold principles of democracya seeming fearnlness
to gve her faith the life of fact" 1t is well to look back
and learn wisdom from past And these replete
with profitable lessons They teach that are
only safe whom refuse compromise permanent prin
cipc for temporary expedency But this legislature
emphatcally convention of compromises. 1t was in
this harbor that our navy rotted away
We have space to spare and shall briefly mention
some of the which, conceive, Injured the
disadvantage of party in Ohio The law-making
found at its accession that the supreme of their
State had decided portion of the tax law demonstrations
al and that unusual degree of excitement prevailed rel
alive to the decision under which Taxpayers forbid
den from deducng the amount of their debts from Their
Great and perpeyng doubts prevailed as
the final construction of the famous tenth section, and large
amounts of taxes were held in abeyancea continual and
fruitful subject of irritation between the government
the people Nothing should have been obvious than
the paramount duty to put these questions at
1t was altogether neglected In the futile expectation
pleasing the law-abders and the law-contemners the
whole matter was left open. The obnoxious section was
neither repealed obviaed by amendment no pro-
vision made to take the voice Of the people Mt large the
propricy necessity Of efecng alteration pro toat
OF the constitution The result had been forescen
Suits sprung up all the State forced evies were made
and the auditor of State made assume the position
of armed taxgathere the most odious of all characters
to free people lie who would matter of philoso-
ply pursue this subject further will find it in the periodi-
cal press of 1854 until it eliminated in the fall elections OF
that year.
4 Among the evils Of banking to which the State had
been subjected whether right wrong, large number OF
the people had reckoned the issuing of bills of the
denominations With the justice of that belief have in
this article, nothing TO do. That there clamor
against them is undoubted Again the legislature tried
hapd In bona IF oil