The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-09-09

witness, seeks to screen himself and his
party from all responsibility When we
were on the topmost wave of specula-.
ton, and everything seemed bright and
he claimed all the merit now
that we lie, damaged hnlk, in the
trough of the sen, ho cries aloud that the
shipwreck wax none Of his work.
The great cause of the defeat of the
Democratic party in 1910 was the hard
times that then existed in consequence
of the panic of 1887. One of the chief
causes of its defeat in 1860 was the hard
times that were consequent upon the
panic of 1867, Our opponents held us re-
spJnsible for the paralysis of business in
l840. because Van Buren, was President
and the Congress was Democratic. In
like manner they threw the RESPONSE
bility upon usin 1860, because Buchanan
was President and the Congress was
Democratic. But now, after they have
held uncontrolled power in the Govern
ment for more than fourteen years, and
the country is suffering as it never before
suffered, they complain that the people
insist that they shall be held responsible.
Their complaint would be entirely just If
there were no foundation for the COM
plaiht of the people. We justly denied
our responsibility in lS40 and 1860, for
the arrangement Of business then was
not the result of Democratic measures or
raticadministration But the pres
ent arrangement is directly traceable to
Radical measures and hadical admins
tration, and the people are right i'll lay
ing heavy share of responsibility upon
the shoulders of the Radical leaders.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
now turn TO another subject, about
which much is being said by Radical
speakers and newspapers, the public
schools.
In order to divert the attention of the
people from the just causes of complaint
that exist against our Radical rulers, and
which brought down upon their heads
the emphatic condemnation of last year,
the managers of the party have started
the cry that our public schools are in
danger; tLat there is combination be-
tween the Democratic party and the
Catholic Church to abolish the system,
or, at least, divide the school fund among
the various religious denominations, or,
if that cannot he done, to exempt Catho-
lies from all taxation for the support Of
the schools ,i .,s...- ..
A more unfounded pretense, q more
false, hollow and hypoCritical assertion
was never uttered by mortal man. 1t
would be sufficient answer to say that
no combination between the Democratic
party and the Catholic Church exists OF
has ever existed. There never has been
public measure adopted or advocated
by the Democratic party that gave to the
Catholic, or any other Church, any pref
erence or advantage over any other sect
Or body of men. 1t has been the boast
of the party, and a just and proper boast
too, that from its very foundation it has
defended the rights ofConscience ofeyery
man, opposed every scheme for union
of church and State, and maintained the
perfect equality of right of every sectand
denomination of mankind. Its great
founder, the immortal Jefferson, was one
of the first of men to advocate this
equality, and to give to it the sanction Of
law in the Legislature of his native State
For his maintenance of this principle he
was unsparingly denounced by his enc
mics, and held up to the public gaze as all
in6del seeking to destroy the very foun-
dations of religion. But the Democratic
party rallied to his support, and so firmly
established the principle that it has be-
come part and parcel of our free insti-
tutions, as inseparable from them as oul
blood is from our lives, and destined tC
endure as long as they shall exist.
Another and conclusive answer to the
charge is that our common school system
in its present enlarged and benefCent as.
poets, is the child, 80 to speak, of the
Democratic party. Under our first Con.
stitution it was left to the will of the Leg.
islature whether to establish common
schools or not, and for nearly twenty
years after the adoption of that Consti
tuition, no such schools were established
But our present Constitution, framed by
Democratic Convention-of which, by
the way, your eminent fellow-citizen
Rufus p. Ranney, was one of the most
distinguished, able and influential mem
bers-makes it the imperative duty o.
the Legislature to maintain "a thorough
and efficient system Of common school
throughout the State" and expressly de
clares mo religious or other sect on sect
shall eUer hare any exclusive right TO- or con
rolcf any part Of the school funds Of thi
State"
And this Constitution was adopted BY
the Democratic electors of the Stat
against the opposition of the great mas
of the Whig electors, who opposed anC
voted against it. And the very first Leg
islature that sat, after its adoption, ant
in which the Democrats had an over
whelming majority, passed schol ! Law
in compliance with its provisions, which
as subsequently amended, has been th'
law of the State down to this very day
That law was drafted by your own es
teemed fellow-citizen and hOnored Demo
crat, Harvey Rice, and reported by tn,
committee of which he was chairman
And, now, | challenge any man to pro
duce single measure or proposition eve
offered or suggested i'll the Legislature
by Democrat, in opposition to, or cal
culated to impair the efficiency of, ou
common school system. And l chal
lenge him to produce any act, resolve o
proposition of the Democratic party, il
any Convention-State, county, city O
town or township-in hostility to tina
system. On the contrary, the only propd
sition calculated to impair its usefulnt g.
ever made in the General Assembly wa
a proposition by Republican membe
to abolish the separate white and coloreC
schools, and mix all the children, whit,
and black, in the same schools. AnC
that proposition, which would inevitabl,
have created apowerful prejudice agains
the system, whether reasonable or not
never received its quietus until the .Su
preme Court of the State unanimousl,
decided that the law separating tn
schools was constitutional. But l an
wrong in saying that it received its quie
tus then, for its advocates, defeated il
the State Legislature, defeated in tn
State Supreme Court, resorted to Con
gress; and in defiance of your legislation