The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-05-15
An Address to the Republicans of Ohio
The Importance of Making National
Questions the Issue in the Coming Cam
paign.

The approaching election in Ohio will
be one OF National Importance. The
! States issues involved are OF compare
lively trlf1lng significance. In an ordina-
ry time it would matter but little which
one of the many Republicans who have
been mentioned in connection with the
Gubernatorial nomination should be Sc
| lected. The duties of the Governor OF
| Ohio are light, and easily discharged by
| any one possessing the average amount
| of common sense. In this election how
ever. we should seek to give emphatic
expression to the will of the people on
Questions involving the purity of the
ballot-boX, the character of the represen
| tative body and the right of the nation
to protect its citizens in the exercise of
their Constitutional rights To do this
c6ectualLy tie candidate selected should be a
representatives. of the ideas o0e desire to maintain
and enforce In other Words the candi
date should he one who neither bargain
ed away the Republicans of the South by
cOnsenting to the surrender of Louisiana
and South Carolina, nor slandered the
Republicans of the North by affi firming
that under Republican rule the fl ~ float
ed over provinces and not States :; nor
whose only claim to the confidence OF
the people is that, when clothed with
office and Influence, be made an egregri
Gus and mlSchievous blunder, which in
the Ii aht of rapidly following events he
is now compelled to acknowledge. In
short, the cAudldates record should be
In harmony with the great idea that this
is a nation and that it is the dntv of th@
nation to protect ats citizens-peaceably and
jatdiciouSiy if 1t can, but torcibLy and by The
6ayonet Il ii must
Northern men, who within the last
two years have prated about home rule
in the South inveighed against carpet
haggers; questioned the propriety of
using United States troops to preserve
peace at the polls; ignored the freedmen
and defended the Ku Klux giving the
strongest assurances that the Admins
tration would adopt such policy would
give to the people of the State of Louis
lana and South Carolina the right to con
troll their own affairs in their own way,
well knowing that their way was the way
of fraud, intimidation, scourging and
murder, are not the best fitted to lead the
Republicans OF Ohio in the great struggle
which has begun tor the enforcement OF
the National Constitution and the pro
lection of American citizens in their right
to live where they please and vote as they
please
The result of the election will be ut.
terly valueless in a national sense, unless
thc character of the candidate be such as
to serve emphatic notice on the South
that hencetorth her representatives must
be elected by free ballots, at honestly
conducted elections. in which every citi-
zens may freely participate We want a
decisive victory-one that shall announce
in unmistakabe terms that Ohio de
r,an1s for ~ o1 tho TInita1 |
States fair play and equal rights. 1t
could scarcely be worse tor the party to
be beaten in a square. manly, uncompro-
missing struggle Tor the right, than to at |
tain nominal success by u e election OF |
one whose acts and utterances antagonizr |
the very ideas for which we contend |
whose election would be accepted by the |
South as a token OF surrender. and whose |
official record smacks of treachery, com |
promise. ind+cisIon and cowardice
with Republican doughtace at the |
head of one ticket and a Democratic |
doughiace at the head of the other, can
we doubt tor "a momeut that thousands OF
earnest Republicans would feel utterly |
ind different as to the result of the contest? |
The disadvantages under which the par
ty would labor in the canvass would be
well nigh insurmOuntable. You might
uenouhce thp brutal attacks OF tne Con
trderates, Ku klux and night rioters
from the stump, but the reply would
come that you have put at the head OF
your ticket man whose official utteran-
cea give the lie to your statements At
every point of attack you would find
your enemies eutrenched behind the rec
ord of your candidate. That record would
be constantly lifted in support of their
position That record, indeed, would
render their position impregnable."