The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-12-09


ofour national existence as "a free and
independent people, it affords me great
pleasure to recur to the llJ lUlllIJ /
ADVANCEMENT THAT HAS BEEN MADE
from the time of the Colonies, one hun
dred years ago. We were then peorle
numbering only three millions; now we
number more than forty millions Then
our industries were confined almost ex.
Clusively to the tillage of the soil; now
manufactures absorb much of the labor
of the country, Our liberties remain un.
impaired. The bondsmen have been
freed from slavery. We have become
possessed of therespect, if not the friend.
ship, of all civilized nations. Our pro.
gress has been great in all the arts, in
science, agriculture, commerce, naviga-
ton, mining, mechanics, law, medicine,
etc., and in general education. The pro-
gress is likewise encouraging Our thir-
teen States have become thirty.eight, in
cluding Colorado, which has taken the
initiatory steps to become State, and
eight Territories, including the Indian
Territory and Alaska, and excluding
Colorado, making a territory extending
from the Atlantic to the Pacific; on the
south we have extended to the Gulf of
Mexico, and on the west from the Mis-
.sissippi, to the Pacific. One hundred
years ago the cotton gin, the steamship,
the railroad, the telegraph, the reaping,
sewing and modern printing machines,
and numerous other Inventions of scarce
ly less value to our business and happi-
ness, were entirely unknown. In l776
manufactures scarcely existed, even in
name. In all this vast territory in 1870
more than two millions of persons were
employed in manufactures, producing
more than So. 100,000,000 of produce in
amount annually, nearly equal to our MT
tional debt, From nearly the whole of
the populace of.1776 being engaged in
the one occupation of agriculture, iu 1870
so numerous and diversified has become
the occupations of our people, that less
than six millions out of more than forty
millions were so engaged. The extraor-
dinary effect produced in our country by
resort to such occupations has built
market for the products of fertile lands
distant from the seaboard and the mar
kets of the world. The American sys-
tenn of working various and extensive
manufactures next to the plow and the
pasture, and adding connecting railroads
and steamboats, has produced in our dis
tant country results not equaled by the
intelligent parts of other nations. The
ingenuity and skill of American me-
chanics have been demonstrated at home
and abroad in manner most flattering
to their pride. But for the extraordinary
grade and ability Of our mechanics, the
achievements Of our agrieulturists, manu-.
facturgrs and transporters throughout
the country would have been impossible
of attainment.
The progress of the miner has also
been great. Of coal our production was
small; now many millions of tons are
mined annually. So with iron, which
formed scarcely an appreciable part of
our products half century ago, we now
produce more than the world consumed
at the beginning of our national exist
ence. Lead, zine and copper, from being
articles of imports, we may expect to be
large exporters of in the near future.
The development ofgold and silver mines
throughout the States and Territories has
not only been remarkable, but has had a
large influence upon the business of all
commercial nations
Our merchants in the last hundred
years have had success and have estah- |
-lished a. reputation for enterprise, sa-
gaCity. progress hand Integrity unsur-
passed by people of older nationalities.
This good name is not confined to their |
homes, but goes out ON every sea and
into every port where commerce enters. |
With equal pride we can point to our
progress in all of the learned professions.
As we are now about to enter upon our
second centennial, commencing -u.r-,ars
OUR MANHOOD AS A NATION,
it is well to look back upon the past and |
study what will be best to preserve and
advance our future greatness. From the |
fall of Adam for his transgression' the
present day, no nation has ever been |
free from threatened danger toits pros |
perity and happiness. y We should look |
to the dangers which threaten us, and J
remedy them SO far as lies in our power. |
We are a Republic, whereof one man is |
as good as another before the law. I'M |
der such "a form Of government it Is of
the greatest Importance. that all should
be possessed of tf(N1IRV\A
No EDUCATION AND INTELLIGENCE |
enough to cast vote with right under
standing of its meaning. A large asso-
citation Of ignorant men cannot for any |
considerable period oppose a successful
resistance to tyranny or oppression from |
the educated few, and will inevitably |
sink into acquiescence to- the will of in |
telligence, whether, directed by the |
demagogue or by the epriestcratt Hence |
the education of the mass becomes of the |
first necessity for the preservation of our \
institutions. They are worth preserving,
good to the greatest proportion of popu- |
lation of any form of government yet de- |
vised. All other forms of government |
approach it just in proportion to the gen,
eral diffusion of edueation'and indepen-
dence- of thought and action. AS the
primary step, therefore, to our advance
ment in all that has marked our progress
in the past century, / suggest for your
earnest confederation and most earnestly
recommend it, that a constitutional
amendment be submitted to the Legisla-
lures of the several States for ratification,
making it the duty Of each ofthe several
States to 1--o7algtu
ESTABLISH. AND FOREVER MAINTAIN FREE
n PUBLIC SCHOOLS
adequate to the education of all the chill
dren in the rudimentary branches within
their respective limits, irrespective of
sex, color, birthplace or religions, forbid
ding the teaching in said schools of re-
ligiops, Atheistic or Pagan doctrines, and
the granting of any school
funds or school taxes, orany part thereof,
either by legislative, jtDunicipals or any
others, for he benefit of any other OBJ
ject ofHny nature or kind whatever. In
connection with this important question,