The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-11-04
WHAT A FRIEND OF SENA TOR
nTR RURMAN, JUDGE RANNEY AND
HON. HENRY B. PA YNE HAS TO
SAY or THE DEMOCRATIC De
FEAT IN OHIO. '.''
IFrom.the wapakolieta Democrat, Oct 81.

FEAT IN OHIO. ''''' '" '
fFrom:the wapakoneta Democrat, Oct. 2I.l
There is cause for our defeat, and adj
mitting 1t to be due to lavish expendi-
lures, and corruptihg influences in part,
these do not account for it as a whole,
and it will be unsafe to assume that they
do as a basis of future action. In part,
our defeat..was the result of our own ac-
ton. We made, two years ago, in the
State, an equivocal platform on the cur.
rency question. 1t however, was as de-
scribed, "a bed wide enough for two to
lie onD This year we made a new de-
parture, and we may be forgiven if we
say that in this case it is at least very
questionable if we have not departed
too often" Admitting that the "rag
baby" which our opponents had been
rearing for twelve or fifteen years was in
a sickly condition, there was no neces-
sity for our taking the unhappy brat
that its parents had Disseminated
against, as between it and the bondhold-
ers and other members of the Republi-
can family, and by new and enlarged
clothing to domesticate it in our family,
We say, admitting for the purpose Of
fair statement that the principle of infia-
ton was correct. matter of serious
question, and if the Republican party
were at all sincere, which we think they
were not, in seeking a change as to a
convertible currency, with Morton, Lo-
gan, Ferry, Ben. Butler, Wendell Phil
| lips & Co., as initiation leaders in that
party-if we say the Republicans were
really in favor of specie resumption, we
had no power while the United States
Senate was in their hands to change
their action, unless through the inhu.
ence of an overwhelming demand by the
| people for some years to come; and that
general demand was not even proba.
bility. We, therefore, made change in
the hereditary policy of the Democratic
party, certain to divide ourselves, and
not at all likely to disunite our oppo-
nents. A change of tactics which threw
aside former considerations, the corrupt
practices of the National Administra-
tion, and left us from being the assailing
party, to occupy the always losing posi-
ton of the defensive in the State can
vass. We think the question was un-
happily hazarded, and The action of the
Western Reserve and the leading cities
where we had reduced the Republican
and gained our majorities. now for the
time lost to us, vindicates our view, that
as policy it was premature and unwise
And we, the Democracy, are the losers,
for our defeat is not in the interests Of
better and wiser government
This change of front on our part was
not made in conciliatory manner. Men
like Senator Thurman, Judge Ranney,
Hon. H. B. Payne, lifelong Democrats,
men of commanding intellectual emf
nence, because they failed to change
front upon the opinions of life time,
and yield up all considerations of the
lessons of past history, Notwithstanding
they supported the Democratic ticket,
were treated with unparalleled rudeness,
if not insult, by the Cincinnati Enquirer
the leading Democratic organ in the
State, and members of the Democratic
party, of like thinkings, but of less
standing, were through them and other
wise almost driven from the party. This
course we think was unwise, and while
it has not succeeded in driving old Demo-
Gratis from the party, it has had an un-
happy and disastrous effect as to new re-
cruits. r.E
We may speak too strongly, but we
think much has been done in the service
of personal ambition, and not in the in
terests of an enlarged patriotism, how
ever mistaken, which is less cOnsoling,
bringing as it does reverse, and necessi-
tating it. ...
We do not say this in the interest of
New York papers and politicians. We
think Governor Tildens friends, when
they failed to confine themselves to the
enunciation of their own currency views,
and invited defeat to Governor Allen, as
Democrat, in a local State contest, were
more influenced by their aspirations for
a candidate, than moved by considera-
tions Of the reCtitude Of a principle. No
Ohio Democrat, whatever may be his
opinions, could approve this insolent in
reference, and it has injured the objects
they sought to sustain.
Weadmit that the bigoted effort Of the
Republicans on the school question,
wholly without honesty or merit, has
had a part in our defeat. To what ex-
tent we are unable to say. 1t could only
operate on the ignorant or willfully
blind but these are often more numer-
GUS among Republicans than their large
claims of intelligence and exclusive mo-
rality would lead casual thinker to be-
lieve. Waikiki. ...
Let us say that this little tit-bit of big
otry and prejudice was all the stock in
trade with which the Republicans start
ed into the canvass, and probably all
they expected to use, except Morton's
stale self-glorifcahon of what the Re-
publicans did in the civil war, at the con-
clusion of which they threw over them
selves the cloak of the valor of the
lighting Democracy" and claimed all
the service and virtue for union in the
Union. 1t was the Independent press,
so-called, almost wholly controlled by
Republicans and haters of the Democ-
racy, who really made the canvass for
the Republican party, and thrust upon
Hayes Gubernatorial honors, he and his
party, unaided, were incapable of win
ming. '.
In fact, their platform on the currency
had the merit of being equivocal and
harmless, like their pretense of resump-
ton.
Morton, who stumped the State for
them, was a known inhationist, who
pretended to uphold the other side, and
OglesbY. of Illinois. did not know what