The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-05-16
Speech of
HON. r. p RANNE1

Reform Convention which assembled
recently at Cincinnati, Judge Ranney
delivered an extended address, of
which we give the important features
below:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION l
hasten to return my profound thanks
for the honor and confidence you re-
pose in me, and the honor you do me
in calling on me 10 preside over your
deliberations. [ am, however, quite
well aware that no merit of my wn
as presiding officer has. determined
this choice, but rather the kind par
tiality of old and esteemed friends
who have met in this body, and who
have undertaken in this way TO pay .
compliment to my poor abilities, as
do not profess anv knowledge of par
.iiainentary laws, but unfortunately at
this tine am not in my accustomed
health, SO that l should be poorly
qualified to discharge the duties in any
event. There is compensation, lio W.
ever, in this last consideration, that L
shall not detain you but very short
time in the preliminary remarks that
[ propose to submit to you. beg,
therefore, gentlemen of the conven-
ton, your kind indulgence for my i'm
periections and any unintentional
errors may commit, but [ will pro-
ceed to state, only in a very few WORDS
some few considerations that are up
permost in my mind.
Looking at the character of the
gentlemen under whose auspices the
convention has been convened, the
material of which the convention is
composed, and the object and purpos-
es for which it has assembled, it has
occurred to me that very likely moth
ing would be required OF presiding
officer. It is a union and reunion of
citizens who come here to consult for
the public good, coming from all parts
of our country, from all the political
parties which have divided it. laying
aside all animosities, all preiudices,
everything that had disturbed the
equanimity of honest citizens hereto
fore, come here now simply to consid-
er what is best You come here to
subserve no personal ends; you come
here pledged to no man or no set of
men you stand pledged only to truth
liberty and law. Applause. 1t would
indeed be strange ii men assembled
for such purposes should for moment
forget that order and decorum are
necessary 10 recommend their work
and words to the confidence and re-
spect of their fellownen. You will
not impair that confidence by any
thing you do, and while deemed allied
simply to confer and consult and de-
clare what they conceive TO be right.
still it is very likely in its import, and
you ought to send it out to be read by
mankind as the solemn declaration of
honest men. doing your business in
order and decency, 1t is as well to
say so, and begin on what the conven-
tion is not as we'll as what 1t is. Ii is
not, as 1 understand it, convention
of any particular party or particular
set OF men, drawn from any particular
party. All is as broad as American
citizenship. 1t only expects of those
who attend here, to consult, that they
shall agree upon certain fundamental
propositions, that lie at the foundation
of our government, and l may say at
the foundation of all interests in it's
administration. Applause
No narrow bigotry brings us here ;
we do not come here to make any as
sault upon any man, except as man
may stand in the way of truth and
principles. [Applause.] II it were a
mere scramble as to turning out one
set of ohice-holders to put in another ;
if it was mere question whether one
set of politicians were to be rotated
and taken of from the emoluments
which they are enjoying under the
government, in order that another
might enjoy them, | would not turn
my hand over in the contest. APP
plause. l should know no rule to
apply to it, except what the fox in the
bramble applied, when it kindly pro-
posed to drive off one set of flies. He
very sensibly reasoned that while they
were sufficiently gorged, if they were
driven away a hungry swarm would
succeed. Applause.] There is one
thing, however, that is exacted of US
all who came here honestly and fairly.
There is one thing that we must all
keep in mind that if we have preju-
dices and passions, we shall not call
them up on this OCCASION, nor upon
any occasion when it becomes neces-
sary for us to cooperate with men as
honest as we (applause,) and as COM
pletely determined to do what is best
for the common country as we are.
Applause. - i+gHo
And now, gentlemen of the conven-
ton, is there occasion for our being
assembled ? That Is fair and candid
question to ask. It is question that
every man should ask of himself; a
question that the public at large have
a right to ask. Is there occasion for
calling men together to effect reform
in the administration of the govern
mont of the United States and of the
several States? If there is not, it is
simply folly for us to deliberate, and
l trust that in the future of your de-
alterations, as well as in the exposi-
ton of principles which have brought
us together, there will be gentlemen
much better able than myself to state
them from this rostrum. l trust that
there will be fair, candid. and full
statement made to the country of the
abuses which we know to exist, and
which not only justified us in assem-
bling, but which imperatively demand
the movement which we set on foot
to-day. prolonged applause.l
-Gentlemen, | will say to you that l
believe there are causes now operating
in this country, and tendencies now
perceptible, which, if left unchecked
for series of years, viii result in
completely changing our constitution
al system, in taking from the States
and the people of the States their
local right of self-government, and
ultimately their liberties. I@am quite
welliaware that this is strong language
and facts, palpable facts, should exist
to justify its use. But believe, and
am thoroughly convinced myself, that
this is the exact situation In which we
stand, and / have no hesitation in
making the declaration here. feel
further perfectly convinced that no
political party now in the country has
both the disposition and the power to
stay this torrent towards centraliza-
tion and corruption. Loud and con-
tinued applause feel further, that
we commit treason to our conscience,
treason to our duty as eitigens, in per.
mitting ourselves to float at the tail oi
an existing organization, until the
country goes down to ruin. Ap.
plause. What the hour exacts is