The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-08-12
For the Stark County Democratl
THE POLITICAL RELIGIOUS @ UES-
TION

HOJ pOllllCldll, anu Jlldl L nave no more
interest in the coming fall election than
what all good citizens, having wish for
the welfare of their country, should have,
and that had it not been for the Repub-
lican party's attempt to force upon us
issues that are not issues, | would keep
silent. 1t is evident to all how hard it is
to change our views, and how often the
cry of pecuniary consideration is imputed
to one as motive Tor changing from one
political party to another; how often the
epithet of "turn-coat" is applied, and the
cross-6re of abuse that is heaped upon
one that has the boldness and conscien-
tiousness to denounCe the wrongs of a
party to which he has been member, is
almost sufficient to crush common NOR
tai. | am aware of all this. But the
time has come when l think that no un-
prejudiced voter ought to remain silent
spectator to the wrongs which the Re-
publican party is attempting to force as
issues upon the people for the coming
campaign.
If there is anything that l have labor
ed against in my own humble way, it is
against the introduction of religious pre-.
iudices and questions that are entirely
uncalled for into our system Of politics.
will admit that in a country like ours
where the press and speech are free, that
free inquiry and public discussions of all
questions that have bearing upon our
system of laws or our ideas of civil and
religious liberty, are not only just but
commendable; but l deplore and con-
denim the attempt Of our political papers
and parties to force upon us religious
questions that Nre entirely foreign to the
subject. | had hoped when the subject
was first broached that it was delusion
that would pass away,-that the Repub-
lican party would not stoop to such inius-
tice; but the party of Lincoln, Greeley,
Seward and Chase is dead and we have
in its stead the clique of Grant, Morton,
Colfax, BasCom and Company party
of oppression, injustice and religious in
tolerance. The tanatical leaders in the
Republican party having failed to carry
the State by a recital Of the old enmities
eLgendered by our late war-having fail
ed in its mad unlawful crusade, must as
dernier resort rekindle the political-re-
ligious prejudices, which we had hoped
were buried so deep by the death of the
American party that they could never be
| resuscitated.
We have a country in which civil and
religious liberty are its prime virtues,
and where immunities of offices are open
to all without regard to sect. 1t has often
been the boast of our people how AMIGA
bly, the various religious sects get along
together, and how little regard is paid to
candidates religious professions; but this
is to be reversed If we are to Judge that
the tone and feeling as expressed by the
leading Republican papers is re-echoed
by the mass of voters in their party. l
would call your attention to leading ar:i-
cles printed in all the principal Republi-
can papers in this, from the Cincinnati
Gazette and Cleveland Leader down to
BasCom's petty Knownothing sheet, and
to the fourth and fifth sections of the
Republican State platform, as proofs of
this intended crusade against the Cath
olic church. The platform of a party
ought to be a true index of the principles
of that party. When the Republican
State Convention sets forth in its decla-
ration of principles that "There should
be no connection between Church and
State, and that 1T opposes all legislation
in favor of any particular sect" we would
ask if that language is not as the Demo-
cratic party calls it, "An insult to the in
telligenCe of the people" 1t is logically
supposed that party in presenting the
merits of its declarations to the intelli-
gence of the people, will deal with actual
issues and not with imaginary or possible
ones. would ask any well-informed
Republican what particular sect has ever
been legislated for, or what danger is
there OF any being favoredP Was such a
question as a union of Church and State
ever dreamed of? That the Infamous
Geghan Bill" as some of our soreheads
call it, is perfectly just and unsectarian
in its provisions no intelligent man will
or can deny. The religious character of
those who petitioned the General Assem-
bly, for the passage of the act has nothing
to do with the measure. Fanatics only
would raise such an objection.
The Republican platform further states
that that party opposes division Of the
school fund, another uncalled for issue.
If they were honest on this position on
the school question, would not their pa
pers cease their appeals to the prejudiCes
of the people after the Democratic Con-
vention had spoken against a division of
the school fund. The Republican party
knows very well that there is no danger
of division of the school fund, that it
cannot be done without being submitted
to the people; but it seems that they
have lost sight of every other issue but
the imagined one of the school fund, and
that they depend upon that and their
abuse of the Catholic church as the last
straw to keep them from sinking ire
trievably. When the question of divi-
ding the school fund is brought before
the people then will be ample time to
discuss it and rant about Popery. 1t
seems to me that such language as is used
in all the principal Republican papers
ought to be sufficient to disgust all intel
ligent aud unprejudiced voters in their
party. All this talk about union of the
Democratic party with the Catholic
church is mere political cLdp-trdp, a re-
harsh of the old Knownothing prejudiCes
for mere party purposes; but have too
much faith in the intelligence and justice
of the people of the State of Ohio to be-
lieve that such language as is used in the
Cleveland Leader and other papers will
influence them to vote against candidates
for merely religious prejudices, have
too much faith in the voters of Stark
county to doubt for moment that the
sting of Brother Bascom, through the
columns of his Knownothing sheet will
influence any material body of voters to
adopt his radical, uncharitable and un-
Republican views. We learn the editor
of the Repository is from New England,
where, notwithstanding the boasted civil
and religious liberty of our land religious
illiberality has still rank hold. Hoping
to be able to address myself again to the
intelligent voters of Stark county during
the campaign, Iremain yours, etc,
JUSTICE.