Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-04-23
LETTER FROM CINCINNATI.


eyes open, calculating that rs their counties
voted thus and so "last year" il will be
perfectly safe to count on that vote az a cri-
terien for the vote Of the year to come, and
they then go at it and figure up result in
the State in consonance with that vote aud
generally in accord with their wishes.
The guileless Teuton, when asked by
stranger il his wife was nice woman, an-
swered, eyes, sir-but ono can't sometimes
always tell" was as near the mark in his
particular case, perhaps, as these guilelCss
innocents ever are in theirs. Things gem
orally progress smoothly until election
times, and afterward as the returns come
in and they compare the actual vote with
the figures previously made in their note
books they congratulate themselye on the
truth OF their previous prophecies, and ju-
bilate heartily for while on The victory |!
Thus il was at the October election. BY
and-by the returns Of Hamilton county
were received, which dashed their late
found Joy to :he ground, and sent most Of
NhNli w tilNli bphiN0t W tAil Aiifll
Gentlemen, you "can't sometimes most al
ways tell, and in the future it will be the
part Of wisdom in you, or of those of any
| party, not to attempt to predict and force
a result in the State to your wishes, without
first learning a few things with reference to
the politics of this city OF Cincinnati, and
county Of Hamilton, OF which you may
not now be aware, or may have neglec ed
TO take note of in the past. The city and
county control the vote of the State, and
| the " floating vote controls the city. This
has TO I've "fixed, i" and the party which sue.
ceeds in doing it carries everything before
| it-Governor State officers, Legislature and
all. 1t recks nothing to hold mass and
other meetings in ;he rural or back cOun-
ties; the sturdy yeomanry and business
men of other parts of the State and here
rarely If ever change from year 10 year,
and the gains, il any, and the losses, il any,
result from more than usual coming out to
the polls or more than usual remaining at
home, young men coming OF age, and
other trillng causes. You can count their
vote or ma jority to a dozen sometimes BY
the twentieth OF September previous, and
if it depended upon eighty-seven counties
Of Ohio each year to do the voting, seldom,
if ever, need the ballot-boxe be opened in
those countes-give the nominees of the
party in power their certificates of election
and be done with it; save the expense OF
holding an election.
| have been led to these reflections by a
curious thing in political life, which has
been called TO my attention quite recently.
1t is the organization of party within a
party-a ring within rng-in the county
of Hamilton. 1t is the "Hamilton Co.
Democratic Club" which at first view,
strikes one as eminently proper; at second
sight, questionable, and on mature consid-
Grafton, abominable. To be sure, all par
ties, in all counties, have organizations OF
some kind, but it is generally understood
that any one signing the constitution and
bylaws and voting the ticket is a full
member, but here the reverse seems to be
the case. This arty-within-a- party seems
to be rather a select affair, gotten up by the
favored few, ostensibly to keep alive the
fires of Jacksonian Democracy, but actually
that the results of political contests may
enure to the behoof of themselves person.
ally, or TO that of the particular men whom
they may deign TO favor at the polls. 1t
seems 10 be an extra select affair, costing
| SOluC anu ~ ldNOlhblC NONC vi NuS
members, for an outsider to gain admission
and when once in does he have any idea
that he will have any more weight in the
party by belonging to that society than il
he had remained out OF it? A kite must
have a tail for ballast, and a society oi
this kind must admit Il great many to give
n color of fairness to their movements but
the actual power aud the benefits to be de
.I | ritaI II, II nj i,,t tha
hands Of those who work the wires behind
the scenes-many and oftentmes men who
were they to come before the people and
ask for place on their own merits, would
be left behind so badly that they would
slink away and never attempt to meddle
with politics again. 1t is old Know-Noth,
ingsm attempted to be foisted upon Dem
ocrats under false guise-that OF Jack
sonan Democracy;" wolf in sheep.
clothing-an ass IN lions skin. Beware
oft!
Secret political cabals OF this kind are
the bane of any country dangerous to the
liberties of the people at all times, anc
much more so when controlled, as they
almost always are, by sellishness under the
guise of patriotism. They leave no liberty
to the mass OF voters, who, by the power
|
herded up to the polls like cattle into raj
ear. Political leaders, or assumed politica
! leaders, have no need OF followers, OF course
except on election days, and after the vote
are cast are Of no more use to them than 81
much cinder, but such bare-faced attemp
as this to fix the vote of the Democrac,
OF Hamilton or any other county shoul,
not go unrebuked. 1t will be altempte,
through this cabal, at future elections, Il
) elk" the floating vote of the city, but i
with no more success than in past times, ,th
| people of the State will be compelled t.
enlarge their Penitentiary for the especia
accommodations OF Democratic rascal
from Cincinnati.
Rings are develish, always, but rim
within ring is monster so hideous ant
damnable but as to deserve the anathema
of all well-meaning men, no matter If
is in church, charitable, labor or other sc
: cietes; workshops, homes, or pulitica
. parties. Let honest men wash their hand
of them, stand out in open day, and
nothing, be nothing, think nothing, a;
nothing, which will not bear the closes
q scrutiny before God and man.
RnsppNAfON