The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1874-09-03
The Ohio Canvass.
From the New York Times.


The Ohio Canvass.
From the New York Times.
Ohio has become the theater of what prom
ises 10 be the most important political contest
OF the year, a contest which is national in its
principal issues, and the result of which will 90
far toward deter mining the character Of the
next Presidential campaign If the Democrats
of Indiana had been allowed to make their alb
surb and wicked declaration in favor Of repudi.
| alton without awakening any response, their ac-
ton would have been of little consequence. In
diana Democracy is well known to be OF the
most degraded character, and the State which
was the headquarters of the only treas.
enable organizations known to exist during
the war, might have been expected to re-
tain TO the last moment all the worst dog.
mas OF Democracy. But the Democrats OF Ohio
! are of a very different stamp. Represented in
| the United States Senate by Mr.. Thurman,
| prominent opponent of paper money, and man
of general political sagacity, and including in
their ranks a considerable portion of the most
| intelligent OF the people of the State, the
Democracy of Ohio are entitled to be listened TO
when they speak; and when they put out even
the most atrocious doctrines, they can not be
supposed to be trihing with them. 1t is only
| too certain that the Democratic politicians
believe, on careful scrutiny, that they would be
sustained in reputation; they would not other
wise have ventured on ground where they had
once been defeated, nor would they have
| gratuitously insulted the ablest and best Of
| their leaders.
The Ohio Democratic platform includes a
variety OF propositions. II declares the fiye-
twenty bonds payable in legal-tender notes. II
pronounces the pledge of Congress to pay them
in gold, made in 1862 wicked sacrifice of the
interest of the tax-paying laborer for the benefit
Of the nom tax-paying bondholder;" it declares
the exemption of the public bondholders from
bearing their due proportion in supporting the
Federal Government unwise and unjust;" it
favors a steady increase Of the circulating
medium; it asks that one-halft the Customs dues
be paid in paper; and 1t demands the sub
Stituton Of a legal-tender currency for
the notes of the national banks. II
would be difficult to conceive of platform en-
bracing greater number of pernicious, danger
Gus, and contemplate ideas as this. II would
seem that the authors Of the platform set out to
see in how many ways they could advocate the
violation of the p blic faith, and in how many
forms they could appeal TO the passions and the
prejudices of the people. Our 6ve-twenty bonds
were distinctly understood, when they were
would pay them at ALL II we had told our
creditors abroad that we should like to borrow
money of them, and would give them bond,
bearing interest running from five TO twenty years
at our pleasure, and that any time after 6ve
years we should feel at liberty to cancel that
bond by the offer Of its face value in notes not
bearing interest and irredeemable--if we had
made this proposition, how much money should
we have got2 Not one dollar 1t is true that
Congress ordered the Secretary to borrow money
on bonds payable in paper; but it is equally true
that the Secretary never did it. And now come
the Ohio Democrats, and say to the bondholder
"You lent US money expecting to be paid; you
shall not have payment but only promise
worth much less than the one you now bold.
You were also promised that the Customs du-
ties should be collected in com, in order
that the Government might have a source from
which to get the coin to pay your bonds This
shall only be half fulfilled; the customs shall
half of them be taken in paper You were fur
ther promised that on the money you lent the
Government the Government would levy &C
tax, and would allow none 10 be levied. This
| is unjust and unwse,' and the promise shall
not be kept. You have been told that the legal
tender notes of the Government-in which we
propose TO pay your bonds-shal not be more
than 1882 100000. That was declared by law
the Democrats consenting-only last June.
But we are in favor Of having as much more of
this kind of money as the business interests of
the country may require, and the promised
limitation shall not be Observed" And this
really shameful series OF propositions is made
by a set OF astute politicians for the purpose
of catching votes in one Of the most pOpulous,
prosperous, and intelligent States in the Union.
1t is obvious that II the Republicans had
allowed such declarations to go undisputed they
would have been unfaithiul to their State and
country. and unworthy of their party, which
has always maintained inviolate the public
faith. 1t was their plain duty to challenge
clearly and completely the treach erous and
scandaous doctrines OF the Democracy. This
they have done. They have in terms denounced
the reputation advocated by the Democrats
They have declared their adhesion to the
solemn pledge given in 1869 for the full payment
of the bonds in coin. Instead of increasing the
legal tender CURRENCY they urged on the Gov
ernmet the duty OF restoring our paper
money gradually but certainly to q specie
standard. And even in declaring in favor
of freedom in banking they append the
condition that the currency shall first have been
restored to specie value. The contrast between
theposition of the Democrats and that Of the
Republicans could hardly be stronger. The one
is that Of honesty, the other that OF perfdy
The one appeals to the honor of the people, the
other to their greed, as well as to their envy
and jealousy The Republicans pledge anew
the faith first proffered in the dark days Of the
war, when we needed money and sought II
with many promises. The. Democrats repudiate
the pledges made then, not because we are un-
able to keep them, but because it is pleasanter
to break them. They would paraphrase Viz
gill Sweet and becoming is it to he for ones
country"
We can not believe that the people OF Ohio
will accept the Democratic platform. Nothing
could be more dangerous hardly anything eodld
be more dsgraceful Once started with the .aP-
proval of majority of the people Of a State like
Ohio, reputation would gain head until a ma
tional struggle would be required to cheek IT.
And that SO low a form Of dishonesty should be-
come political issue in free peaceful pros,
porous, commercial country, years after II nad
once been voted down, is a though ttoo humiliat-
ing to be yet entertained. We shall look TO the
Republicans of Ohio to strain every nerve TO
prevent such disaster .ia73 la,i-
Gov. Osborn, Of Kansas, sent letter 10 the
President renewing his request for arms to pro-
| tect the frontier from Indians. He states that
| sixteen citizens OF Kansas are known 70 have