Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-07-11
Douglas and Victory" Ratification
Meeting.

hCSt-AS'
1t being announced that Hons. David
Tod. r. P. Ranney, II. B. Payne, DR.. D.
B. Woods, J. W. Gray Esq, and other dis
tinguished speakers" would speak at the
Gaskil House at 4 Douglas & Victory rat
iication mass meeting, on Saturday of last
week, our curiosity induced us to be on
hand punctrally at the appointed hour,
to hear the speeches and sec the masses
President Tod was there, tleother speak
ers named, were among the missing, except
David Wilson of Youngstown, who ranged
Rnder the "other distinguished speakers.
There were probably enc hundred and
fifty persons, all counted present, of which
about so were active Republicans. When
sTe entered the room J. ID. Watson, of War
4un, was reading the ratification resolutions,
(which were of the ordinary kind, with
Hail Columbia" and hif@lutin mixed in.
When the reading was finished, a Democrat
from the rural districts moved that the
resolutions be accepted, which was carried,
and the resolutions were accepted as 4 re-
port from a Committee. Whether the
managers feared if they were voted upon
'On motion to adopt, they would be rejected
.kT the National Democrats" who were
Administration and Breckenridge men. We
do not know, but for some cause the res
~olutions were not adopted. Mr.. Tod. N
call, after the resolutions were accepted
took the stand. lie commenced by re-
minding the audience that they understood
his standing in the Democratic Party "that
carly in life his duty to his country and the
people, az which he lived, prompted him
to act with the great dimocratic party"
that there were many reasons why he
and his fellow democrats should still sus-
tain and support that party, and one among
the many was, that they were indebted to
it for the right to vote, for their Op-
ponents had sought to have put in
to the Constitution a property qualif-
%cation, SO that q poor man could not vote.
What party in Ohio had advocated a prop
-erty qualification, Tod cid not tell the au-
dicnce. The Constitution Of 1902 had no
property qualification in it, and We believe
no member of the Convention who formed
the Constitution Of 1851, proposed a prop
erty qualification.
We presume that President Tod, had
reference TO the Constitutions of many of
the Democratic States, which have odious
property qualifications in them, but as he
did not particularize VIC cannot say.
He then in substance, remarked that he
regretted that he SAW a disposition to dis
tract the Democratic party, and referred to
Mr.. Buchanan, Mr.. Breckenridge, Judges
Direhard and Fuller as causing most Of
the trouble, and he thought it not honora-
bic that men who had been so favored by
the party, should new turn traitors to it
in its hour of need. He regarded it as
presumptive evidence if a man was an Of
fec holder under this Democratic Admin
,istration, that he was traitor to the Dem
ocrtic patty. If to be an Office holder is
persumptiyc evidence of dishonesty and
treachcTy, then We know of no one who has
moro Prescriptions against him than Mr..
Ted, and inasmuch as Mr.. Tod upon this
point, spoke with much positiveness, with
our limited information We do not feel at
liberty to question his conclusions We
have for a long time been suspicious that
the only motive for zeal in the Democratic
caase, on the part Of Office holders, was the
reward Of official position, but We did not
expect that Mr.. Tod would turn Estates
evidence" so soon, and VIC should not now
RELY upon his evidence, if it was not sus-
Einsd by other and satisfactory proof
he mentioned frequently and Extensively,
the names of Judge Birchard and Judge
Fuller, the latter Of whom was present
lie charged them with being TRAITORS,
boilers and descrtcrs," and recommended,
that they be shot. as all descrters should
be. He said the Administration party
wa "a Aniserab9e faction, whom official
position had corrupted" We do not wish
extensively to interfere with INSTANTLY quar-
red, but it did sound strange to hear Mr..
Tod, who has openly denounced Mr.. Doug
las as an ambitious mcidler with the
harmony of the Democratic party by his
advocacy of the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise, and who on more than
one occasion has said, that Mr.. Douglas
agency in that repeal would kill him and
that it eaaAt to kill him pOlitically-thus
abuse Judge Birchard, who favored that re,
peal, and whose Democracy, IN a partizan
sense, knows no f"Tariabhness, neither shad-
ow ofturning." 1fthere has been a constant
and consistent Democrat in the State Of
Ohio, Judge Birchard has been that Dem
ocrat. No man, We think. except Mr..
Tod. who has known Judge j. as 4 citizen
and a politician, would think of calling in
question his sincerity as a Democrat. Mr..
Tod Charged, that Judge B. was Influenced
in dis present course, by a desire to receive
from the President, the place made vacant
on the United States Supreme Bench
by the death Of Judge Daniels, lie attn
6usel to Judge Bart'ej the same imotivc
lie was satisfied to charge Judge Fuller IS
corrupt without motive. for he did no.
mcnti on any place. that he vas after,