Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-05-23
Preaching and Practicing.

o politlcian5. Nowhere else nave
and practicing so clearly re-
olved themselves into separate pro-
essions as in politics. We say 'profes-
ions because practical reform has,
70 far. proven to be only profession.
In party politics there must be issues;
men and parties must have their po-
itieal hobbies, else they would have no
axeuse for disturbing the existing or
Ter OF things. Those issues must be
largely based upon the 'mismanage-
ment, corruption &c. of those in pow
sr-and of course they must be supple
nented by promises Of reform. SO far,
it is all easily done; but just here comes
the dividing line between theory and
practice. If the reformers could only
have a new set of men to carry their
principles into practice it would be all
right. Bot when the professional re-
former undertakes the role oil practi-
cal reformer, being novice at the bu-
siness, he is likely to do a great many
curious things. This is perfectly natu-
raj, and our reformer ought to COM
mand our sympathy instead OF being
Yet there are great many
ridiculous people who are continually
prying into the reformer's business,
and exposing the little inconsistencies,
and q wicked and fault-finding public
insist that the reforner ought to prac-
tice what he breaches. Nothing Is
more palpably absurd. The man is on
Iva preacher of reform, and ought to
be tested only by the rules Of the pro-
fession to which he belongs. AS his
business is that of talker, give him a
hearing, and he viii be able to make
the matter clear end consistent. For
instance, if the man breaches that it is
wrong to squander the public money,
as that stalwart reformer, Mr.. Morri-
son, has taught, and then squander
s125 a week of the public money for
whisky and cigars, as that same SAID
reformer did in his Louisiana investi-
CATIONS, we should not, in critical,
fault-finding manner, assume an IN
consistency ON his part. Doubtless tie
whole transaction was very consistent
with the character of the man, with
fhe reform committee of which he was
chairman, and with the character OF
the rarty which it represented, as well
az with the business then in hand. MI.
Morrison, we all know, Is a genuine
professionHI reformer, and will, no
doubt. be able to satisfy the country
with an explanation. 1t would be un-
fair not 10 give him hearing.
Take another illustration-not be-
csuse il is any more striking than hun
dreds of others, but simply because IL
| is more recent, and nearer home-tne
reform gerrymander OF our presen
noble General Assembly. This band
of patriots, through five long months
of incessant toll, struggling with some
luf the mightiest problems OF state.
craft that ever taxed the wisdom and
| ingenuity of mortal man-such, for ex
ample, as de-butchering, reorganiza:.
ton of colleges and reform schools, and
reducing the fees of road supervisors,
township assessors. and other bloated
aristocrats who have been for years
sucking the life-blood Of the State
these patriots, we say, suddenly dis.
covered that the existing division OF
the National spoils among Ohio states
men was unjust, unfair, wicked,
ltreacherous, abominable and generally
n1iscbieyoIs; that Ohio, in short, has
mot enough Democrats in the National
| Ceneress. Who first made the discov.
ery has not been fully ascertained, as
lyet. History, 1t is hoped, will do JUS
tice to this great explorer Of the realms
! of the unknown. The discovery and
Investigation and final correction ol
this great fraud must be considered one
of the greatest triumphs of modern
stateslnanship. The Republican party
has for years been base and corrupt
Thev-the Republicsns-have made
the National welfare subserviept tC
party purposes; they have redistricteo
Estates in the interests of party; they
have sauandered public moneys upoI
I partv Investigations; they have de-
lstroyed the luxuries OF hfe-have pol
isOned whisky and turned tobacco tt
cabbage and burdock with their inta.
] NOUS ,revenues-in brief, the wicked
\ party has well nigh ruined the nstior
i and disorganized society by their cor
lruption and misrnanagement. Wha
lis the remedy? Obviously, to remov'
'hthis party from power, and reinstate-
Tor rather instate-the Democratic par
.fty,, This is the glorious endl Wht
rtshail question the means? Let US, then
4 f1aiI this scheme of redistricting State
las A step ia the right direction. 1t viii
-fgive the reform party a large share o
Line representatives in the Nationa
.ICongress: it will restore confidence; i
1 will adjust the relations between capi
.1taI and labor, and forever preven
/ Strikes; it will do all for the .coahtr.
l that the country needs.
But lust here we meet those absurt
tpeople who are everlastingly. critici
Using, objecting and pointing out incoD
sistencies. They Bring up the forgotten
Iereed of the reformers; which, havinI
lbeen intended merely for. election pur
lposes, should not be used for any othe
purpose-and with an air of incredu
'lious bewilderment, Say: "How is this
You say that the Republicans hay'
been guilty of baseness in reorsapizins
Il public systems and institutions in th'
interests of party, and you reform tn,
evils by doing the same thing, lift i
base for them to redistrict the State, i
ftrvirtuous for sou to do SOP" Now, |
fool can ask questions a philosophe
fcan,t answer, and this is one of them
1 Our noble .reformers, of course, an
.iswer: '"W hen the, Republicans redis
ltricted the State, long time ago, they
arranged it so that we could have only
,Eeiyflt Representatives out of twenty
This is obviously unfair, and we won
stand it. The Republicans redistrict
ed the State, and why shouldn't we?'
The vexatious objector answers: "Sim
ply because it's wrong, as you yourself
tsay. The Republican Assembly Q
I1872 found by the. 9th census, which
thad then just been completed, that th'
! population Of the State had increased
lsince the previous census, some 32S,.
loco, or nearly IA per cent As this in