Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-24
VOL. XXXV.
0bio Statesman,
Ohio Politics from n New York
SfnndnOinf

Ohio. Politics from "A New York
Standpoint.
Below we give, without comment, the
leading editorials of the Ne,o York Herald
and The World of Friday last, both devoted
to Ohio politics, and both speculating on
the result of the contest of the Sth Of Oc-
tober next: -7.
lFrom the New York World of Friday.l
THE CONTEST IN OHIO.
Federal politics are very prominent In the
Ohio campaign, but State politics are influ-
encing the result to degree scarcely sus-
pected by the politicians of other States.
1. Concerning the issues raised in the
platforms of the two parties as to the poll
cy of the General Government. The Re-
publican platform, adopted on the 10Th of
July, without disguise asserts that the war
has taught us a lesson in politics as to the
of our federal and local
rights. It asserts that we are mot a con-
federacy of sovereign and independent
States" but Nation; and then clinches
this assertion with the non seQuitur-that
while opposed to all attempts atcentraliza-
tion or consolidation of power anywhere"
it holds that liberty and human rights
constitute our great national boon, which
local or State organizations must not be
allowed to abridge or take awayr' Such
a precious jumble of political philosophy
could only find ''concatenation according
ly' in the brain of its author, General
Schenck. The Democratic platform, on
the other hand, denounces the Congress-
ional legislation in detail, denounces the
exemption of Government bonds from
taxation, and it recites the canons of Dem
ocratic faith as to the spheres of the federal
and State governments. On general na-
tional politics the issues are squarely made,
I,asr,r HI a alxaka
State, from Portsmouth to Cleveland, and
from Bellair to Greenville.
2. Concerning the issues raised in the
two platforms on questions of State poll
tics: The pivotal point is the proposed
amendment to the State constitution,
which is yet interlaced with the general
Radical policy of negro suffrage. The Re
publican platform asserts that the Radicals
place themselves on the broad platform
of impartial manhood suffrage, as embod-
led in the proposed amendment to the State
constitution" This amendment is famil-
iarly known In Ohio as the "Gizzard foot
amendment" 1t reads as follows:
Resolued, By the General Assembly of the
State of Ohio, three-fifths of the members
elected to each House agreeing thereto, that
it be and hereby is proposed to the electors
OF this State to vote at the next annual Oc-
tober election upon the approval or rejec-
ton of the following amendment as sub
stitute for the first section OF the fifth arti-
Gle of the constitution of this State, to wit:
Every male citizen of the United States, of
the age of twenty-one years, who shall
have been resident of the State one year
next preceding the election, and of the
county, township, or ward in which he re-
sides, such time as may be provided by law,
except such persons as have borne arms in
support of any insurrection or rebellion
against the government of the United
Sfaf4 I,Ary< - Il Al,1..- IL
idence to avoid being drafted into the mil
itary service thereof or have deserted the
military or naval service of said govern
ment in time of war, and have not subse-
Quently been honorably discharged from
the same-shall have the qualifications of
an elector, and be entitled to vote at all
elections.
q To understand this amendment, it must
be observed that in the present Constitu-
ton, made by the Democracy in 1851. the
word white qualities the male citizen for
suffrage. True, by the decision of the Re-
publican Courts in Ohio and by the practice
of the Judges ot Election in Republican
localities, male citizens vote who can swear
that they have more white than black in
their blood. In other words, mulatto, or
coio-ed ieS eehites according to Republican
theory and practice.
This big-befiied amendment of the Con-
flies in the face of the COnstittl-
tionsl provision (Article 16, section y,
that "when more than one amendment
shall be submitted at the same time, they
shall be SO submitted as to enable the cleo
ly." Now this suffrage amendment con-
tains four distince propositions. The Rad
icals pronounce it only one, because all re-
late to suffrag age-some contradicting and
others extending the elective franchise.
In this amendment it is proposed. to ex-
tend the elective franchise to the negroes,
and at the same time to take it away from
three classes of white persons, to-wit,
those who left the State TO avoid being
drafted into the Federal service; those who
served in the rebel aomy; and those who
deserted the Federal service during the
war. The manner in which this resolu-
ton was passed is subject of remark in
Ohio. 1t was first proposed i'll January,
1866, by the Representative from Lorain,
an intensely Radical region, and by the
Senator from Ashtabula, only next to Lo-
rain in Radicalism. AS then proposed, it
simply extended the right to vote to the
negroes. 1t was then postponed till the
adjourned session of 1867, because it was
feared, ii passed in the winter of 1866,
1t would affect the Congressional elec-
tiOns of that year. In the winter of
1857 it came up again. When put
on its passage, it failed by decided
vote. Many Radical members coming
from the closely contested counties in the
central and southern portions of the State
voted against it with the Democrats. These
members claimed that when they were can
didates they had pledged themselves to vote
against striking the word white from the
Constitution. The subject was reconsid-
cred, however, and the Radical members
commenced holding knightly caucuses to
whip in the disafected. In the meantime,
letters poured in from the Radical Ohio
members of Congress at Washington, ex-
hortiDg and threatening the weakened
brethren. Finally it was agreed that negro
suffrage should be sugar coated with hate
to the whites, and so the clause disfran-
chising about twenty-five thousand SOL
diers of Ohio was forced on members un-
der protest. .. e. =. .-r ~ 10
Both Governor Cox and Adjutant- -Gener-
al Cowen were opposed to the amendment.
Two years ago the Governor expressed his
decided opinion against the contact of the
races. He had untitled himself by these
expressions for the candidacy of 1867. He
was opposed to the amendment also, be-
cause OF the DISTINGUISHING clause: The
books of the Adjutant- General show that
OF the Ohio troops, 27,l7S soldiers deserted
during the war. 1t is alleged upon high
authority, that out of all of these only
about three thousand areActual deserters;
that of the other 24,000 nearly all were re-
CuiioIcu FOt0i aus, VIII iouSuG Gne IeOelllOn
from the beginning to its overthrow, and
who, after the surrender OF Lee and Johns
ton, lett for their families without waiting
a discharge, ana did not return before the
of their regiments. Hence,
they are put down AS deserters, and are so
denominatetl by the Secretary OF War, who
claims that he has no power to restore them.
Another hardship i, that the amend
ment discriminates in favor of the rich
against the Door. During the last draft
many men who were too poor to procure
substitutes, secreted themselves to avoid
the Provost Marshals. Those who had
money hOuUht q snhstituta This amend=