The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-09-04
From the Western Christian Advocate
REVIEW OF THE LATE VOTE ON
THE CONSTITUTION AND IL
CENSE IN OHIO.
EY +. u. MANSFIELD, LII. u.

The results of the recent vote in Ohio
on the proposed Constitution" and
License" j. one of the most remarkable
political exhibitions ever made in this
country, especially in a moral and social
point of view. Ii will have, also, great
influence over the whole country, when
similar questions are presented in other
States. The telegraph, the railroad, and
the newspaper have thrown, not only
particular communities, but almost the
whole nation and the whole world to-
gethcr. The consequence is. that the
acts and opinions of a single State are
no longer confined to that State, but
perVadc, in their influence, the whole
public mind. The vote of the great
State Of Ohio on a public instrument
having a peculiar character, and upon
moral question of momentous conSe-
qucnce. will and must have a wide and
great effect throughout the whole coun-
try. Ii iS therefore well TO give this vote,
in regard to its causes and consequences,
a brief aud clear eNamir ion. Let Us
state precisely the facts Of the case:
|. \ Constitutional Convention was
called to amend the Constitution. eSpe-
cially in regard To the judicial system.
Nobody supposed the Convention would
do any thing else. But that body took
an entirely different view of the matter.
Ii began ut the beginning of political
creation. and proceeded to elaborate an
Instrument of extraordinary features.
The most marked of these was Il Iiliita-
ton of the power of the people. an ad-
mission OF til" principle of minority rep
reSrntation. and IL great complication in
all Its workings. Parts of two wears were
taken for this uncalled-for work. and the
people viewed the instrument with dis
gust
, But. in the meanwhile. the '.NVO-
mems Movement" had begun. and in
spired universal interest in the temper
auce question; petitions poured III upon
the Convention to prohibit the liquor
traffic, or TO leave the Constitution as it
is. But the Convention seemed TO be
incapable Of common sense 1t was not
called upon to meddle with it at all: but
meddle it must, and in meddling with it
50 efTectually muddled it that it took
the keenest lawyers of Ohio to know
what was meant. If ''license" was adopt
ed. it was to have certain effects in re
Stricting" which no body could under
stand: and if 'anti-licenSe." certain
other effects equally inscrutable. In
the meanwhile. however, the Temper
ance Leagues We're alike disgusted with
the manner of the Constitution, and the
manner in which the license" question
was presented.
8 In this state of the ease, it turned
out that the Temperance Party dor the
temperance people had now become very
wei! nnitedl was the only really active.
working party in the State. This fact
must be borne in mind to understand
the result. Neither Democratic or Re
publican leaders dare take an active
part in either organizing or canvaSsiing
for this particular campaign; for they
lid not know to what it would lead. and
had both fear of the liquor traffickers
and distrrst of the people; but the
''Temperauce Leagues" moved on with
steady purpose. and. If not with conf
drnce, certainly with hope.
These being the actual facts preceding
the election. let us now look at the re-
suits of the vote. At the writing Of this
article, the Constitution" is defeated
by about eighty thousand majority, and
license" by about ten thousand! Such
result the most sanguine friends OF
temperance had not anticipated, and the
liquor r-traffickerS look at it with astOnish-
ment, That class of people see around
them. not only the large body of the
vicious classes. but also all the local pol
it.cinnS. cringing for their influence, and
fattering them with the idea of their
power. They feel now as if they had
seen u volcanic eruption; and morally
they have. knew enough of the State
to know that the feelings and ideas of
Cincinnati did not prevail in it. But |
also knew that the vote of the cities and
great towns would be very heavy for
license" and felt uncertain whether
the vote Of the rural districts would
overcome it. But the hand of PrOvi-
hence has overluled the follies of men,
80 a. 10 give the triumph to the cause of
right and virtue This has been done by
the counties which had no great towns,
and especially where the country
church was a rallying point of social
influence. Take the following counties
for an example: