The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-10-04
Mr.. WEST-HIS RECORD.

or not it will be credtable to this grea
State to exalt an erratic, bigoted, com
munistic demagogue, feeble in body ant
feebler in mind, both tottering on tn
brink of dissolution, to so high posi-
ton as the head of its Government /
it creditable to the American people Il
vote for unsafe men for lofty positions
is it wise to place premium upon heres!
or illiberality, by lifting them to posi-
tions of honor and trust and power
Something is due to the self-respect o
the voter. The question is not whetheI
Mr.. West, iGelected to the Governorship
would overturn the State, subvert thu
law, turn order into confusion, force thu
most rigid, obnoxious and tyranical Pur
itanism upon the people Of the State =
he would not be permitted to do that
but does he possess the qualities which
the people of Ohio admire, and for which
they love to vote2 Is he prudent, sagac
ious, steadfast, able, safe? Is his record
such as to command confidence and re-
spect, and such as to cause men who ex'
ercise the right of suffrage intelligently
valuing it and their self-respect, to vote
for him with delight?
His opening declaration in the cam.
paign betrayed the man. He has been
muzzled since. He showed himself as a
man willing to overtun the foundations
upon which the rights in property rest,
and on which the hope Of labor is built,
He announced that he would, if he had
the power, change our entire system Of
society. He proclaimed doctrines that
would, if carried out, exile law, Danish
order, make possessions valueless, rob
labor ofambition, transform the Govern
ment itselfinto a stupendous mob. He
hung out the flag of Communism. This
is his creed
81 would 90 further and try the exper-
iment-but do not know that it would
succeed-I would arrange and fix min
imum of prices for all who labor in the
mines and upon the railroads, and then
require that of all the net receipts and
proceeds of the capital invested, the la.
borer, at the end of the year, should, in
addition to his fixed compensation, re-
ceive certain per cent Of the proits."-
Judge West at Cleveland
We ask the voters Of Ohio if it pleas
ure, if it is consistent with tLeir ideas of
proper Government, lift is consistent with
their selfrespect, to vote for man enter
tanning such views as these?
The people of Ohio are lovers of the
peace; but they are also lovers of liberty
the largest liberty consistent with good
order. They desire to say SO at the polls
We have quoted from the reported de-
bates in the Constitutional Convention
upon the temperance question, to prove
hat Mr.. West was bigot, a fanatic, a
crusader, rabid in the Convention as he
was ostentatious and furious out Of it, in
his illiberal views. He called a
icense law, which the most intelligent of
,ur Commonwealth have placed upon
heir statute books, "the acme and ulti-
natum of everything that is monstrous,"
He trusted that "the day would never
,ome when legitimacy would be extend.
ID to traffic" in alcoholic drinks He
hoped and prayed and trusted that no
legislature of Ohio would ever be found
hat would authorize it," He advocated
proposition incomparably more unjust
md illiberal than the Adair law. All
his, and more, was done when he was
lnder no obligations to do anything save
what his convictions prompted. The
natural man crept out He was one Of
he orators of the Crusaders outside of
he convention. Worst of all, he sup
ported proposition practically disfran-
,hising man for taking drink Of alco-
lolic liquor on election day, or for being
lnder suspicion ofhaving taken a drink,
putting that ohense on level with trea-
on and felony; and this mons!rous doc
rine he desired to incorporate in the
law of Ohio.
The article upon the elective franchise
vas under consideration in the Conven-
ion. Section 8 was read, as follows;
Electors during their attendance at elec'
ions, and in going to from, shall be priv
legged from arrest in all cases except fell
my, treason and breach of the peace"
The report of the debates Up. 1885, vol.
!, part p reads: "Mr. Neal, l move to
mend by striking out and before breach
nd inserting the words and intoxica-
ion,' so the section shall read: "Elec-
ors during their attendance at elections,
nd in going and coming, shall be privi-
eyed from arrest in all cases except felo-
", treason and breach of the peace and
A member asked if in
oxication was not itself breach of the
'eace. Mr.. Neal said, mo, sir" An
ther member, Mr.. Miner, said: "a man
nay be drunk and yet commit no depre-
alton or breach of the peace. | do not
now why.he should be arrested, unless
be to take him some place to sober
im." This was the nature of the prop
sition. 1t was to give a constitutional
yarrant to arrest man, as though be
'ere felon or traitor, not for being
isorderly, not for disturbing anybody, |
ut on suspicion of his having taken q
rink In the debate Mr.. Clay gave its
leaning This is singular constitu-
onal provision. AS to whether a man
J intoxicated when he goes to the polls |
would require a great discrimination |
} determine. In the first place it would |
i've rise, probably to endless difficulties.
n the heat of political elections, when
Il persons desire to vote, and desire |
leir friends to vote; a malicious person
light cause the arrest of man on the |
barge Of being intoxicated, and have |
i'm imprisoned for the simple purpose |
preventing him voting" This as
,unding attack upon the elective fran
hise itself, on the theory that no man is
t to vote who takes a drink, was not |
nough for Mr.. West. He thought, not
My should a man, however well behav-
and peaceable, who would take drink
g arrested on his way to the polls, but |
any happened to escape, they should |
g arrested afterward. They should not |
g permitted, they would be unfit, to |
ersuade other men to vote as they be-
eyed Mr.. West said: II would sug-
est to the gentleman from Wyandot |
neither it the amendment quoted
lould not be modified in some way, 80 |
nat man being found in state of in
xtofal obor1ld ho |