The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-02-01

heu S'SiJ oetohii't hhoNC W lhO HClhO
cratic members to have the claims of Mr.
BLAKESLEE investigated, and passed
upon. But this is all in strict accord
ance with the party They seem to be
bent on carrying out their measures by
force, fraud, or any other means ayaila-
BILE.
/ Now, 1 would say to the Republican
/ readers of your paper who have SO often
and 50 .vehemently declared that they
were not in favor of negro suffrage, that
If they are honest, as l presume they
are, that they can no longer have any
affinity to the Republican party. That
party has deceived them; that party has
| deceived the soldiers of the late war, who
/ fought to preserve the union of these
States that party will deceive you, for
deception appears to be one of the prin.
eipal ingredients Of which it is compos-
ed. Now to give you some idea of the
trickery of that party, let me give an in
cident that occurred here last evening !:
While Gen. BALL, Of Muskingum, had
the floor, and was addressing the Com
mittee, there was Rev. gentleman,I be-
lieve from Cuyahoga, come over to one
of the Democratic members and asked
Che Democrat to make motto n for the
Committee to rise and report progress,
and ask leave to sit again, ana assured
the Democratic member that he and his
party would favor the movement. Being
so assured, Gen. BALL gave way for the
motion, and when the Committee asked
leave to sit again it was negatived by the
entire Republican vote, and the previous
question Immediately called for and sus.
tanned by the Republicans. This same
Rev. gentleman assigned as reason for
his course that he only wished to take q
recess to 60 to tea, and stated that he
would as soon be in H-ll as to be here.
Now if the Rev. gentleman wishes to
resign his seat on this floor in order to
take position in that more ancient par
lament, suppose there will be no OBJ
jections. ~ - III NJ.
This letter, through delay in the
mails, failed to reach US in time for our
last number-Eps. SPIRIT.
The Man Who Became Converted
In one of our Western exchanges we
find the following relating to man who
became converted:
There was revival in the region
where Old Smithers,as everybody called
him, lived. and it took hold of him one
day. Smithers was a adreadful mean man,
oppressive to the poor, and all that, and
never paying debt if he could help it.
He had been known to turn poor wild
ow with family of small children into
the street of cold winters day because
she was unable to pay the rent Of the
miserable shanty she hired of him. He
was known as .sOld Smthers," although
he wasn't so very old, either, but we have
noticed that mean men have the prefix
"old' attached to their names generally
when their neighbors speak of them.
Old Smithers ''took habit" as they
say in Wisconsin, to one. of the spro-
tracted meetings" He was struck with
conviction the first night and hopefully
converted the next. After his CONVEX
sion he was announced to address his
fellow sinners and sinneresses on the
following Sunday afternoons. The news
that old Smithers had got religion spread
all about the neighborhood. Some doubt
ed it; said he was putting it on, so as to
skin folks a little closer; others, more
charitable,said it might be true, and they
hoped he wouldn't be so mean in the fu-
ture if it was.
| When Sunday afternoon arrived the
church was crowded. The entire neigh
borhood had turned out to hear what so
mean man as old Smithers would say
for himself after passing through con-
viction and conversion. All was still in
the church when old Smlthers arose to
speak. He began by telling what a mean
man he had been all his life. lie said
he had probably done more mean things
than any man of his years and opportu-
mites living, and if there was any mean
thing he had neglected to do, it was Ell
ther because he hadn't thought of it, or
there was no good chance After going
somewhat into detail regarding his mean
ness, astonishing even those who thought
they knew him best with the recital, and
declaring his utter unworthiness, he re-
sumed his seat.
There was brief pause, after which
a neighbor of Old Smithers, a member
of the church, arose and said; II have
lived nigh neighbor to brother Smithers
for long time. / have just listened to
brother Smithers remarks, and from an
intimate acquaintance with him for many
years, am prepared to endorse In the
fullest manner all the charges he has
made against himself and more too. He
is certainly the meanest man ever knew
in the whole course of my life" and sat
down.
Then arose Old Smithers, pale and
trembling with rage,and exclaimed Its
a damned lie, and III whip you as soon
as you leave the church y
A knife Gun.