The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-07-07
A Review of the Republican Platform.

-
The first resolution of the Repub-
ican Convention in Ohio is thanks to
the Hon. Benjamin. F. Wade. This
is cheap method of paying him off:
The Republican party, although hav-
ing majority in the State for Cover
nor, failed to reelect him United States
Senator. The main reason why they
refused to impeach Andrew johnson
for President was because in that event
Wade would be his successor. They
would not nominate him for Vice
President and Grant, their Presiden-
tial candidate, would not appoint him
a Cabinet officer. Mr.. Wade, there
fore, in view of these facts, receives a
very poor Endorsement from the Con-
vention. -r -tt = '
The next resolution declares that
siswe regard with sincere satisfaction
the fidelity evinced by General Grant
to the Republican party, and his po-
icy, both foreign and domestic "
Now, as to the domestic" policy of
Grant, about all that has been accom-
plished is his appointment of his own
relatives, and, his. removal of vet
eran and wounded soldiers, in all parts
of the country, for men who have
never smelt gunpowder, and never
seen the tented field. This war upon
soldiers, and upon their means of liv-
ing, is, therefore, approved by the
Radical party. What is the foreign
DOlicy of Grant. SO unanimously in
dorscd Can any one tell Does
any one know what he will do in re
ference to the Alabama claims, or in
regard to the. Cuban insurrectlon !:
Is not the Endorsement step in the
dark ? We put the question to our
intelligent Republican friends. They
all know it, and will despise the sub
serviency which dictated the resolu-
ton.
third plank in the platform
''hails with the profoundest satisfac-
ton" the declaration of Mr.. Grant,
that che will have no policy to enforce
against the will of the people" Now,
the will of the people is as constitu-
tionally expressed through the Presi-
dent as it is by the members of Con
grcss. Indeed, the Chief Magistrate
is more directly elected by the popular
will than the latter are. Why should
the President, therefore, abandon his
constitutional prerogatives that the
law has placed i'll his hands ? If the
Congress passes an unconstitutional
statute, why should not the President
veto it, and thus secure its. reversal.
The fourth resolution of the Con
vcntion is remarkable for its logic and
for its conclusions. 1t insists "that
the abolishment of slavery was a ma
tural and necessary consequence of the
war of the rebellion )" that "the recon
struction measures of Congress were
well adapted to secure the reconstruc-
ton of the Southern States, and that
in order to complete these measures,
and believing in its essential justice,
we are in favor of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution"
We ask the reader to peruse this
again: E.. r
1. 1t asserts that negro slavery was
necessarily abolished.
2. That negro suffrage was then ne
cessary for the South.
- 3, That, therefore, in order to COM
plete it, we should have negro suffrage
in Ohio. -- s .~f-a..
What brilliancy of figure and il
lustration there is in the above! Who
can see any connection between the
abolishment of negro slavery in the
South and the establishment of negro
suffrage there, and its enforcement up
on the people of Ohio Ohio Is ex-
pected, although she voted it down
two years ago, to now vote for negro
suffrage, aud force it ON other States
that do not want it.. ss.-i
The next resolution of the. Convcn-
ton condemns the late General As
sembly ssfor its reckless expenditure
of money and its utter neglect of the
business interests of the State" Ii
would have been more satisfactory to
have shown wherein the expenditures
were corrupt, and in what respect
the servants of the people fell short of
their instructions.
The Legislature is accused of hos
tility to our benevolent and literary
Institutions. This hostility consists
in requiring studens to vote at their
homes, just as every body else is OBJ
liged to do. If a laborer is at work
on a railroad hundred miles away
from his family, or business man is
making purchases in New York, they
are compelled to go home to vote, or
lose the suffrage. Because the Demo
crat Legislature places the literary
and benevolent institutions upon the
same footing, it is charged that Demo
Gratis don't like benevolent and literary
institutions. -....-
The General Assembly is accused OF
holding very long session. The fact
is suppressed that the last Republican
Legislature increased the pay of mem
bers from three to fire dollars day,
and that, had it not been for this act,
the expense of the session would have
been but little more than half what If
was. Why did the Legislature sit SO
long ? 1t was to see whether the Ra-
dical United States Senate would i'm
peach President johnson, as, in that
event, it would be its duty to elect a