The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-05-03

which We have no control ant which we
cannot prevent, wars and sonvulsions
and exigencies of other nations, shall
drain from ts, as they. always have at
intervals and always will, the precious
metals, our domestic trade shall anct
stagnate for want OF currency, and labor
shall not starve and debtors shall NOT
become bankrupt. 1t isithat no comb.
nation of corporations or ofcapital shall
dictate vetoes and defeat lefHa,ling acts,
1t 10 that the man shall estand higher
than the corporation. . It ls that the iu-
terest of the people shall stand higher
than the money power. Il is that every,
where in State and in nation tue, active
braine and the sinewy- frame and the
lofty aspirations of the moor and the
-iowly shall have before the lawiar equal
chance in the race Of life with an others,
And it is that, cnltiyatiDg these funda-
mental ideas, we shall stand abreast, with
an active. progressive, humane, human
izing civilization, whose constant ad,
Vance is such that the unseen OF yester.
day becomes the goal of to-day and the
starting-point of tomorrow. .v;,sf.ia. I
This is the democratic Soho idea. n
1t is the ideal of Ohio democracy
And there is another instruction which
that great Commonwealth which / am so
proud TO call my mother epjoins upon
all her sons Of all parties and persua-
sions; that when they are intrusted With
great public duties they shall perform
them so honestly, so faithfully, so In
telligently, as tina: when any party in the
country seeks for one whom to invest
worthily with the performance of great
duties and the possession of great pow
ers and the enjoyment OF, great honors,
1t will turn instinetiyely to him. Do you
aak me for proof7 ! would point 10
my honorable colleague OF to day., ;
would point to bis illustrions predeces.
sors in this Senate, my honoredr col,
league of the last aession.. s., -, ,,,'
Mr.. President, that constant cultiva-
tion. of these principles. which are called
our Ohio idea, has given to the people
Of that State very high appreciation OF
the right Of suffrage. We believe that
It is the right preservatiye OF all rights,
and that it lies at the very foundation OF
our whole fabric of government. Our
people are sensitive about its enjoyment
everywhere. They hear with not entire
complacency OF the restrictions that are
put upon suffrage BY the laws OF Massa-
chusetts, but they recognize the consti-
tutional right OF Massachusetts to regu-
late the right Of suffrage within her
limits, in her. own way subject only to
the constitutional amendment; and there.
fore, however much dissatisfied, they do
not feel at liberty to find fault. They
hear, not with entire satisfaction, OF the
restrictions imposed by the State oil
Rhode Island upon her citizens of Ger
man and Irish descent, 60 valuable .
part OF our population, so intelIigentiy
exercising the right Of suffrage with rs !;
but she admires the sturdy manhood oil
Rhode Islands Senators who In these
days rise upon this floor and in the stron.
gest terms assert the validity and the
virtue of the conservative doctrine ol
State rights. t'7s'
The people Of Ohio are sensitive upon
the infraction OF the right Of suffrage
anywhere and everywhere, and they are
just as sensitive to an infraction Of The
right Of suffrage when il comes
from the millowners Of Massachu-
sets as when It GENES from the white
people Of the South; but the people .ol
Ohio, / am proud to say, do not sit with
open, eager ears anxious to hear evil &C.
counts of their neighhors, whether
North or South. When we hear from .
defeated candidate for governor Of Mas,
sachusetts Of the great wrongs imposed
upon the laboring glasses OF Massachn.
setts; when a committee, OF this Senate
makes it's report that great wrong las
been done in various of the counties
and towns Of that State, we listen pa,
tientlv.,to the honorable Senatore from
that State who deny, that the account.
are true, who assert that there is nc
illegal limitation upon q, free suffrage
there. We find them upright and hon,
orable men in all the avocations In whict
we are brought together upon the fool
OF this Senate; and the people Of Ohio
regard their denial and are glad to be
lieve that the stories are at least greatly
exaggerated. When we hear Of outrage.
committed in the South upon the negro
population in depriving them Of th,
right OF suffrage there, We call upon be-
Senators for information as to the facts
If it relates to South Carolina we. cal
upon Hampton and Butler; il Alabama
upon Pugh aud Morgan /; II Mississippi
upon George and Lamar II North Caro-
lima, upon Vance and Ransom. The,
are men we'll Known to the Senate, vel
known to the country, men, in who's
keeping every man in this Senate, what
ever, may be bis political percussion
would put his honor and his propert.
aud his life; and we ask them what o
these stories that we hear coming Vi
from your States, and one and all with
out default they rise in their places an,
say TO US, These stories are false, 0
thev are exaggerated, or persona
difficulty has been made to grow into !,
political disorder, and that which woul,
be elsewhere called personal antagon
ism and private murder is here made
political mob and riotous assembling
ollowed by assassination. s 49,
| Gentlemen, We believe them; gentle
men we believe, We, the people OF Ohio
THAT these accounts are coming to u
either manufactured or exaggerated. w
know that our own populations are no
free from crime; we do not expect tba
1 yours will be. We know that wron,
I and robbery, that outrage and assassin
ton belong to this active race Of ours
! We know that political misdeeds are I,
be found everywhere. In my own Stat
J, as I'have said, the State Of Ohio, "
value above all things free ballot az,
a fair count, but we have had our diff
entities too. On the morning Of electio
day it frequently happens that a bIac
cloud arises in Kentucky just below th
} Ohio River and extends to West Virgins
and the cities Of Cincinnati and Ports
] mouth and Marietta and lronton and i
) the river cities OF our State present suc
an appearance upon the streets and sid,
! walks that you would suppose that Ii
5 exodus from North Carolina of last yes
/, ~ a 49,, th.o-u - ~, -. -. = -