The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-07-28
CANTON. OHIO, THURSDAY, JULY 49, 1881
AN ADDRESS FROM NEW YORK
DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATORS.

ALBANY, July 23.-The Democratic members o
the Legislature, through their joint caucus com
mitt ee, have issued an address 10 the Democratic
Citi zens Of the State OF New York and 10 the cti
zens Of the State without distinction OF party
The address is as follows:
| DiGcords ana quRrels in the Republican ma
jortty have separated us from our homes ant
business for NE lrly two hundred days The chic
cause of this uncalled for detention was quarrel
with the PIteident OF the United States on one
side and the Vice President and two Senators
| from this State on the oher, The source Of this
discOid was the question Of official patronage OF
polls Of office The Collector OF the port Of New
Ork was forced to resign in the midst Of his
te I'm IICm a place where he wac serving with
&c neral acceptance to the public, ana appointed
TO place abroad, unCslled for by his friends or
by the public, in which he has no experience.
This change, which the melC chants Of New York
protested in large numbers, was made in total dis
regard Of every announced principles Of civil
service reform and was not called for by any
principle of political duty nor in the interest Of
public service. The purpose Of the act SCENE d to
be to reward those who had been personally sue.
cessful in securing the Presidential nomination
and to punish those who had resisted the leading
mem Der OF members Of the National Republican
Convention, claiming the right OF a third term of
executive service for the previous President
The unseemingly quarrel at Chicago In the sum.
mer of 1880 was transferred to Washington after
the PRESIDENTIAL election at the close of the same
year, The same strife has been continued with
more bitterness at Albany through the whole Of
the present St ssion Of the Legislature. 1t com.
menced with great Vehemence al the Senatorial
election in JsnuaIy, when thlrd.Class Candi.
date was nominated and elected over firstclass
competitor for the first Office in the gift of the
Legislatue, and hardly second to sny office in
the gift Of the people Of the State The Office then
filed after great strife was vacated by voluntary
resigrat alton and when 1t had been held for less
than nefOur,h of the first year of the fu'l six
years constitutional term of service. The man
who inspired this resignation was the senior Sen.
ator of the State, who had been three times
elected to the United States Senate by one party
of the State whose longer service he now refused,
and simply owing to the fact Of the nomination
to the senate Of one Of the chief offenders who
had opposed his ambition and wishes at Chicago
and elseWhere. The useless designations OF these
two mtn has cost The State not only large
amount OF money, but what is mere valuable, its
honor dignity and seltresp2Ct, Two factions,
known by the vulgar but expressive names "sal
warts and "hRli breeds" have governed the Sen
ate Assembly, Republican party aud State
through the whole session. The Democratic mem
bers have many times @ked and demanded an
appeal to the people, but by force Of numbers, in
defiance Of public opinion and the denial OF the
opportunity OF timely public Judgment upon the
fact of leaving the State withoutis constitutional
representatives in the higher branch OF Congress-
the Republical majority refused to leave the
choice Of the succession to the people Of the
State These demands by the Democratic minOrl.
~ that an appeal be made to the people were met
by the insulting declaration that the possible
choice Of Democratic Senators in Congress would
be a public calamity to the State; and this after
Just eecting Thomas @. Platt as successor TO
Francis Ker an, and after following this sue.
cession with the choice OF man named Warner
Miller, member Of the present snk previous
House Of Representatives, where he was only
COnapiCuous and notorious az direct and per-
and personal beneficiary Of one Of the worst
monopolies in the country, and where he has sup.
ported that monopoly by his voice and Influence
and with a threat that other public interests
should suffer If his special interests In wood pulp
and the manufacture Ofpsper were not protected.
The most distinguished and capable men like
Fish Wheeler, Curtis, RngI rs and others, who
have served the State with ability, have hat to
give place TO two men eleC cd to Congress, and
l1eir lOmlDhJlOu mace VII EXCUSE JOT passing
law to fill the vacancies maze by their election
and for no other reason Those special elections
hus pro Vo tdwill be unumt , as lhey are un-
necessary anu expensive Th whole Senatorial
discussion at Albany resolves Iself into three
most discrediting conclusions
Firbt-A mistrusl Of the peorle Of the State on
the part Of the Republican msjollty III the Legs'
latnre.
second-A quarrel over spoils Of Office in two or
three Republican factions with practical con-
EOp nVinntnln haInnUinp N what ID
known and recognized as Civil Service reform.
ThiFd-The abuse OF power from its long use
and misuse until two Of the least capable persons
heVe been drawn from the popular branch Of
Congress TO all the highest places o. the State In
the Congress Of the United States.
Another and most diBgIaceful transaction be-
longing to the Republican Legislature is the evil
dence OF bribery and corruption established upon
the evidence Of members Of the dominant party.
A leading Republican Senator Of one faction is
charged by a Member Of Assembly Of the same
party and same diBtTict Of the other faction with
offering and paying him 1900 for Senatorial
vote, and the money was placed In the possession
of special committee and is now In the hands OF
the State Comptroller. Beyond this fact is the
circulation OF large sums OF money by prominent
Republicans pending the Senatorial election, and,
as many believe, blended to control the result OF
the election, The State OF New York with Its five
million of people has been deeply wronged and
disgraCed both by the Republican Senators &C.
ton in Washington and by the action Of the Re.
publican party in power at Albany In one place
the Chief Magistrate Of the Government, for
daring to pat in practice the principle Of e3ecu.
tive right and authority IN the choice OF public
officer nearly lost his life. This sad and terrible
crime came not alone through the personal mad
ness Of a single man, but from the personal
fanaticism which was aud is the spirit Of greed
for public office and Of false and dangerous pOlit
icai education. Now, II there ever Is time to
teach all men that public otce Is the property Of
the people and that places OF official trust can
only be Tghlfnly distributed to men OF noble
purposes, OF pure lives, OF wise experience ana OF
unqualified fitness for the work to be performed,
the Democratic party Of the State desires to in
Culcate and enforce the doctrine with which the
Democratic party came into existence, as when
Jefferson declared that the only qualifications for
Office rested upon wise, safe and patriotic plat
form Of personal cspability, personal honesty and
personal fidelity TO the constitution, AS mem
bers OF the Democratic party serving In the Leg
islature where IN one branch there were but
seven Democratic Senators OF thirtv'tWO mem,
bers, and In the Assembly but forty'seVen OF l2o
members, we also feel called upon TO protest
against the special, personal and partisan lsglsla
ton against the public interests The majority In
the Assembly, by a combined vote with the eX'
Ception of a single member refused even to per-
NIT reference for discussion alone OF their bills
carefully prepared and sent to the Judiciary com
mittee and providing for absolute reforms in pri'
mary meetings Of cities, towns and villBges OF q
State where candidates are named and made for
every officer elected by the people, In the same
malign spirit where there were and are Demo-
cratic city and local governments, the wishes Of
the people were defeated by the combined forces
OF partisan legislator Even important cases
awaiting the decision OF the state courts were SCI
aside TO meet the clamOB Of partsans at home
and in the Legislature, and this under ruling
HpOn points OF order and rules Of parliamentary
practice wholly unprecedented In the history OF
the State or country. The chief source Of present
danger is Federal patronage and impure admin
islrRliOn Of body Of Federal oficers whose mum.
berB are now In excess Of one hundred thousand
persons and every year increasing In number
Against this enormous, aggressive and personal
power ihere must be eternal vigilance for the
right free education for the children Of the peo'
people and diffusion Of that knowledge and In.
tegrity and patriotism throughout the State and
country which alone can MAINTAIN union among
the States, and secure peace and prosperity al
over the land