The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-08-31

attest his deserved popularity. The
Wood county delegates, had they not
presented a candidate of their Own,
would have given him a warm support
A GERMAN ORGAN ON WEST
OF the tour German dailies publish
ed at Cincinnati three have come out
for West, the Republican candidate
for Governor. The other, the VolkS-
freund, assails him in this manner:
West is not only a radical Republi-
can, who has gone with his party
through thick and thin, but also a
thorough temperance man who does
not abate one jot of his position, but
finds the safety of the state only and
alone in stringent prohibitory laws.
Such temperance man of the deepest
dye he proved himself in the Constitu-
tional Convention, of which he was
member. There he was directly op-
posed by Bispop, the Democratic can
didate. While Bishop used all bis
eloquence to carry clause providing
for rational license law, West insist
ed on embodying in the constitution
an absolute prohibition of the liquor
trade. In short, West goes far beyond
Murphy, who is content to persuade
his fellow man to practice total alb
stinence, but West will have nothing
to do with fine words, Lut wishes to
force people TO dance to his tune
The object of this attack was evi
IDENTIFY to influence the votes of those
who are opposed to being ''vexed by
sumptuary laws" and to prejudice
them against the Republican csndi
date, and in favor of the Democratic
candidate by implying that he was op-
posed to the enforcement OF such laws;
''Sumptuary laws, are politically un-
derstood to be laws regulating the sales
of intoxicating liquors, among which
are cities and villages ordinances
against the sale of these beverages on
Sunday. Now, let us examine the rec
ord of Mr.. Bishop, the nominee of the
Democracy for Governor, and see how
his record, according to his own show
ing stands, upon this subject: He was
q member of the Ohio Constitutional
Convention of 1881. On the 25th of
April "a, the subject of enforcement
of law was under discussion (see part 1,
vol. 2, page 3,045, Debates.) On that
occasion the following discussion took
place, to-wit:
Mr.. Bishop believe laws can be
enforced. l regretted exceedingly to |
see the Sunday law of our city repeal |
ed, and giving as reason that it had |
not been enforced, as it could and |
should have been enforced, and know |
that it was enforced for years, and it
was done with but little trouble at
that. Ispedk Of IChGt 1 kno1C, because
it IDas my pririIege 10 enforce it. Il
1 undertake to sag that the Sunday or
din0nce Of Cincinnati 1odS enforced,
and / did it 1Cltea Ihdd the honor to be
Mayor Of this city.
Mr.. Pratt-Did the honorable gen
tleman enforce the law that required
that no place should be kept open
where liquor is habitually sold to be
drank on the premises?
Mr.. Bishop did not understand |
o h.
repeat it will answer it if can.
A Member-He asked about the
State laws.
MFR. Bishop was not aliuding to
the enforcement of State laws. My
especial business was to enforce the
city ordinances, which l did. | be-
lieve the State (SundayO laws ought
to be enforced, and could be.
The point We wish to make, and the
question which naturally arises is, in
which did the Democracy seek to de- |
ceive the voters-in their platform or |
their candidate. Certainly one is in
consistent with the other. And when |
they assail the Republican candidate |
in the manner of the VolksfTeund, they |
do it, evidently, with the purpose to
deceive the voter in regard to the |
record of their own candidate. We do |
not mean what his record was, but Is,
for since Mr.. Bishops nomination he
has taken pains to let it be known that |
his views are unchanged on this sub
ject. At Toledo he is reported as do
ing so, and also at Cleveland. We do
not mention this to his prejudice, but
to his honor; what we dc wish to e1-
pose is the double dealing of the De-
mocracy in endeavoring to blind the
voters in regard to Mr. Bishops posi-
tion.
The Republicans have neither de-
nounced sumptuary laws nor pronoun
ced in their favor. They have pre-
sented candidate whose record is
clear as one favoriDg the execution of
all laws upon the Statute book. as
every good citizen should do, and not
for the execution or non-execution of
any special law or laws. They make
no attempt at disguise, and no effort
to blind the voter, by raising a false
issue against the opposition.
Whatever Mr. Vests private opin-
ions may be or his public record is, in
regard TO prohibitory liquor law, it
can have no effect whatever The
of the State effectually
settles that matter, and if the Folks-
freund rightly represents Mr.. Bishop
on the license question the people eff
fectually settled him on that point a
few years ago, upon q direct vote.
So far, then. as the opinions of either
on these questions are concerned, they
may es well be left out of the contro-
versy. The constitution has settled
both, and the subjects are practically l
dead issues, but if they were not, nei
ther could claim advantage over the
other on the points made by the
volkgre,snd.. I
NEWS ITEMS.