Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-06-16
Real Genuine Democratic Organ o,
Lhe Recent State Convention.
From the Crisis, June Sth.
The State Convention.

The Democratic State Conven ton
which assembled at the Opera House in
This city upon the day of our last issue
was not as large in numbers, nor so
deeply impressed with the Importance
of presenting the more vital issues OF
the Democratic party before the people,
as a vast majority of that party had an
ticipated. Several important counties
were not represented at allan unheard
of thing in this State oflate years. That
such an old and naturally Democratic
county as Stark, with eleven votes,
should be without representation in a
State Convention is an indication of a
degree ofapathy that we did not believe
the sorely oppressed people of the State
would display, in view of the scandalous
outrages being daily perpetrated by the
ruling faction. But this apathy is the
fact, and it would be worse than useless
to attempt to conceal it. The old and
tried Ii aders and lights of the party
were not present, and their absence was
made the more conspicuous by the pres
ence of many not heretofore recognized
as being in harmony with the party ,and
by the preparation and adoption of a
platform open to the objection of grossly
and pusillaninously avoiding many
paramount issues before the people.
The ticket sunobjectionable,
AS to the platform upon which the
ticket is placed, it is probably the weak
est that could have been devised even
by the gentlemen engaged in its con-
struction. 1t is a tangled bundle of cru
dities, having the flavor but not the
substance of Democracy about il. There
is degree of subserviency and submis-
sion to fraudulent ''fnalities" at yari-
ance with all the customs, traditions and
ideas of the Democracy that it is abso-
lutely unsatisfactory. The absurdity of
denouncing the recent act 10 enforce the
Fifteenth Amendment, without repudi-
atlng.the Amendment swindle itself, was
weak dovice, smacking ofthe gross
est demagoguery. The real honest.
earnest opinion of the Ohio Democracy
in reference to that infamous perversion
called the Fifteenth Amendment is that
it is fraud, an outrage and treason,
perpetrated by robbers and conspirators
who had no more legal or moral right
to declare it ratified or enforce it than
the Greek brigands had to butcher their
captves. This opinion should have
been clearly and explicitly set forth ;but
it was not, and the Ohio Democracy are
placed in false position towards their
brethren in other States. The diploma
cy or State craft that could have suggest
ed the absurdity.in hope OF deluding the
people of their honest belief must take
rank with the idiocy that attempts to
run two locomotives in opposite direct
ions opon the same track. The work of the
on Resolutions was bungling-
ly done in this respect, and is not enti-
tied to that esteem which is usually
accorded to declaration of Democratic
principles made by Democratic State
Convention. The failure to speak dis |
tinctly as other Democratic platforms
have in reference to the humbug public |
debt and the best mode for its speedy |
is also a signal fault. This |
omission does not represent the popular
will, and will not succeed in securing
The votes that might have been expected |
rom frank expression of the well ma
-ured conviction of the Democracy. The
lariff resolution, so far as it denounces
.he roberies now perpetrated under the
name, is fair representation of the best
IDEAS of the people upon the subject;but
,he enumeration of certain articles TO be
such as tea, coffee and sugar,
s a fiat contradiction of the declaration
n favor of free trade. This position has
been aptly compared to that of "the
clown who brought the scythe down on
his own neck by darting the handle at a
salmon" The Democracy of
Ohio are in favor of breaking up the
whole system oftaxation devised by the
AbOlitionists to maintain themselves in
power and affiuence through the sweat
md blood of the people.
The platform, however, presented as
t is with all these defects, does not re-
,udlate or in any way withdraw the
opinions heretofore expressed by larger
Conventions upon the questions which
his Convention failed to take into ac-
:ount. The masses of the party who
re not fairly represented in the last
platform in expressed words can vote !
md work for the ticket with the assur-
nice that if successful, the general ideas
nd principles of the Democracy will be
arried out SO far as they can be by the t
'articular State officers elected, with 8