Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-08-18
Then and NOW.


nominee for Governor, vas democratic cau-
didate for Congress in this district; then
composed Of The counties Of Trunibull,
Portage, AID Summit. His competitor
was Gen. John Crewell. There were
three parties, bnt the Wings aud Freesoil-
ers had partially sfuseds upon Nj. Crowell.
Dir. Ranney was naturally desirous of Sc
curing as much as possible of the Free
Soil or anti-Siasery votes Of the District.
Without ttaL his election was impossible; !;
with that, or even with the half Of that in
his favor, bis success was certain. Il was
iu this emergency and with these aims
that he wrote the letter to B. F. Hoffman,
which we publish in another column.
That letter we have reason to know was
widely circulated in this district. In this
county: Gen. Bierce, then one of the abiest
and most indefatigable advocates of dem
ocracy, scattered it broadcast, as the expo
sition of the democratic faith upon the
slavery question. 1t was so received; it
was read and dwelt upon as such 10 public
harangues. 1t was text and sermon, and
truth to say, sound and ample for both.
How times have changed in eleven years !!
Read that letter now and reflect on the
fact that the writer is the candidate of the
pro-slavery Buchanan democraty for Gov
ernor of Ohio.
From the manly positions which Judge
Rsnney assumed then-sincerely, We sup
pose, but certainly IN accordance with
opinion, even democratic opiniop,-he has
gradually lapsed. The transition has
been along with his party. In all the
contests of the last eight years his voice
has never been heard upon the side Of
Freedom. He supported Pierce and the
Nebraska Bin. He supported Buchanan
and the Lecompton Bill. When even
Henry B. Payne finched and denounced
the yilliany Of the latter measure, Ran
ney was steadfast- Nothing which is
labelled @densoerocy" has been too rank
for him to swallow. 1t is needless to
say that the platform on which he stands
to day is in Direct irreconcilable an
tagonism to all those opinions which,
when younger and honester than now, be
promulgated with so much bravery.
One Of the most painful things in poll
tics of these days is to see this progressive
decentralization wrought by the so called de-
mocracy upon men born in that faith. aud
dreading a schism from THE party. Rufus
P. Ranney, for example, a man of fine tai
ent, of generous impulses, a lawyer Of high
repate, in the ardorfor freedom which char
acterises youth, utters in all sincerity his
convictions upon the slavery questions
Gradually he grows hackneyed-permits a
party platform to stand in place of a soul
yields, assents, adopts the dogmas framed
ed for him by thu more cunning elders Of
his party. He is no longer free. He is
as Mr.. Buchanan aptly said, A PLATFORM
Ia man no longer.
"Vice is a monster of so hideous mien
-z--As to ha hated. needs bat too be seen,
But seen to oft, familiar with her face,
We pity-thene endure and then embrace. !"
So with Mr.. Rapney. A party man,
accustomed 70 bow implicitly to that papa
cy political, IA party convention, ,-he has
apostatised from all those manly tenets
and convictions he cherished in former
,so.,l,, lt, sf t,a ~
slavery faction which dominates in and
gives law to The democratic party.
A Letter from r, Ranney.
Defining his Position ON the
Free Soil Question.
WARREN, Sept. 80, ls4s.
pr,n s,.eonst.nt a,rooe,,,erts in
canrs w. a;sa me- hut : mo,nens,s lima 10
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h 11as popo'su ~ = ,a...,,aa ms, ~ - -. -
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s.aaGps sne ...J ,sr '.Aa 'Aolr M: - a.
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''sn' u s,o'y eioe'o, 'nu'sP.psae'y nsoes
as ~ ~ sn,oe - ~ es ;.sI a:.a "a ~
uDoe.s.@no - S''a ~ .". NJ R.s -
-, p's'en,o syISg - ~ =
ua aa :, -. .a. saa = - taas
n'o a'''1u ''oe0s'y' aua Leu ,l -.
opes'y. LII tl's .o's '.ia5 ia}. eo s..ls so,s
n'ou WINE ie''soA . ie'' ''0e ~ '.,'n9"' i
''e''
l am In favor OF maintaining the free,
dom OF the Territories OF New Mexico and
California IN their whole extent, and utter
~ opposed to authorizing slavery or lnvol-
untary servltude OF any kind within them,