Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-08-04

The position taken by the Republicans
OF this State in their platform upon the
temperance question is a transparent
humbug and sham. They seek TO run
with the hare and bark with the hounds.
Had they declared that the temperance
question has no proper place in politics,
and, therefore, ignored il, their position
would have been at least manly and can
did. But they propose solution by sub
mitting to the people Constitutional
Amendments at the October election in
1888, the earliest period at which Amend.
ments of the Constitution can be voted
upon. Legislation could only then be
had in 1884. They pretend that this will
be fair submission of the whole ques-
tion to the people. 1t is an insult to the
public intelligence to make the assertion.
What is understood by submitting a mat
ter to a vote of the people is that major
ity vote shall carry. Now, the Constitu-
tion of this State cannot be amended un-
less by majority of all the votes cast at
an election at which members of the
General Assembly are chosen. These
tricksters well know that it will be i'm
possible to secure such a majority. All
who vote at such election and do not vote
at all upon Constitutional Amendment
are counted against it. Amendments
have been submitted to the popular vote
with the exception of the present year,
every two years since 1866, and but one
has been adopted, though many have re-
ceived majorities of the votes cast direct
ly for and against them. The one adopt
ed was that creating the Commission of
the Supreme Court. There were to be
five Commissioners, and the two parties
agreed that the party carrying the cleo
ton that year should have three and the
other two of the Commissioners. The
State and all the County Central Commit
tees of both parties assented to the agree
ment, and the tickets were printed For
Commission-Yes!' leaving those who
opposed to write mo" if they voted
against it. On no other conceivable
amendment can such an agreement be
effected or such method pursued sue
cessfully. Practically it has been found
that it is not possible to amend our Con-
stitution. The only result of such at
tempts is to give both party papers and
the German papers of every county in
the State fat printers bills for publishing
the amendments for six months prior to
the election, the cost to the. people of the
State being usually from $50, 900 to $100-
600.
1t is time for the people to protest
against such useless expenditure Of their
money.
Such is the real plan of the Republican
party in Ohio to suppress the temperance
question. Its leaders know, too, that
1884 is the year of the next Presidential
election, and that their party will resort
to every method, fair or foul, and strive
to get all the votes possible to carry that
election and retain political power. They
will call upon the Devil for aid as earn
estly as upon God; and at such election,
unlike in the off years, they are aware
that most of the earnest temperance ad-
vocates are such strong partisans that
they will wink ar free whisky and free
vice of'auy kind, if they minister to the
success of theirparty. The proposed sub
mission to the people of the temperance
question by offering for adoption Consti-
tutional Amendments is an intentional
and palpable fraud, and an insult to the
intelligence of all well-informed men,
Enquirer.