The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-09-21
JOHN G.'s LETTER
To Republican Committee, Say
ing a Discussion Between
the Candidates Pro-
posed too Late in the
Campaign.

Iican State Executive committee:
DEAR SIR: The invitation to public
discussion received from your commit
tee on behalf of Hon. Charles Town
send, was subm tilted to MIR. Newman,
who, while holding himself ready to
meet any engagement we may make,
has referred your communication to our
committee for final action.
The Democratic ticket was nominated
more than seven weeks ago, and the Re-
publican ticket has been in the held
even longer period. The election takes
place in four weeks. IL JOINT discus,
sion was desired, the proposition should
have been made at an earlier day, be-
fore arrangements for the campaign
had been fully completed. Only few
public meetings which Mr.. Newman Is
expected to address have been an
nOunced, but he has promised to visit at
stated periods before the election, a
number of counties. These engage
ments, which will occupy nearly or quite
all his time until the election would De
deranged by an acceptance OF your pro-
position. COmpTehending, as we think
we do, the purpose of your invitation,
the Democratic Executive Committee
desires to state that it Is we'll pleased
with the progress of the campaign thus
far, and has no desire to alter the pro-
gTamme or deYiate from the plan al
ready laid out. Mr.. Newman has been
and still is engaged in discussing the
issues involved in the present political
campaign in a manner satisfactory to
our committee and to the people. 1t is
not our desire to withdraw him from
the field of labor to which he has been
assigned. If the status of the campaign
upOn your side is not satisfactory or as
suring, we are not disposed to relieve
you from any embarrassment that may
exist. We are content to have Mr.
Townsend and your speakers continue
TO discuss any issues they may choose,
whether they are involved in the pres
ent political campaign" or are merely
sensational.
Your managers have attempted, but
now openly confess their inability to
force the discussion of questions not in
YOlved in OF pertinent to the canvass,
and as we readily recognize in the pro-
posed discussion only another attempt
to accomplish this purpose, we would
be stupid indeed to aid your dilemma.
In order that there may be no doubt in
the mind of any one as to our meaning,
we will state our proposition fully and
explicitly. Major Townsend, in the
public addresses which he has made |
during the campaign, has devoted much |
the larger part of his time to the matter |
of regulation and taxation of the traffic |
in intoxicating liquors, and 1t Is an
nOhnced that in any joint discussion he |
would pursue the same course. No such !
issue is made by the platforms OF the |
two parties. No members Of the General !
Assembly are to be elected, nor is any |
constitutional amendment to be voted |
on this year. The present Legislature, |
which is largely Republican, will exist |
until 1884, and its power to pass cOnsti- |
tutional laws is unquestiOned. Between !
the Democratic and Republican parties |
there is, in truth, in this canvass, no |
issue whatever upon this subject.
The Democratic party was the first to |
heclare that the General Assembly should |
be clothed with power to provide against |
the evils resulting from the traffic in |
liquors.; ii was the first to |
make provision by law on the subject;
and it has always insisted, that persons !
engaged in the traffic should bear just
of the burdens of taxation;
but it also insists that every person who
conducts his business in conformity to
law shall receive the equal protection of
person and property guaranteed by the
Constitution, and that the largest liberty
consistent with good government shall
be extended to every citizen. If the
burdens of taxation are not properly ad-
justed, the evil should be Temedied.
This would involve an examination of
the whole subject of taxation. 1t would
call for accurate information, instead
of vague statement or conjecture, as to
the taxes, State and Federal, which are
paid by persons engaged or interested
In the manufacture or sale of alcoholic,
malt and YinOus liquors, it would re-
quiTe comparison of the taxes imposed
On other species of property, and it
would require a careful consideration |
of the constitutional limits to taxation,
which were utterly disregaTded on the
passage of the Pond law. In the absence
of any issue upon the subject-in the
absence of any proposition from your
party, or even any member in it, fixing
or even suggesting the limits of such
regulation and taXatiOn-it would be al
together idle for Mr.. Newman and
Major Townsend to attempt any discus
ion of the subject.
While we see no ground for discussion
# the liquor question between candi-
ates of the Democratic and Republican
)arties, we take the liberty of suggest
ng that there appears to be ample {
ground for such discussion among the l
of your own party. In speeches 6
which Governor Foster is reported to '
lave made, the position Is distinctly
AIKEN that persons engaged in the traffic
q liquors should he subjected to
K, 2
N the owners of other species of prop T
rty, and that such tax should be made s
lien on the property where the liquors i
re sold. You are reported as entertain u
ng the same views. But Senator Sher-
nan said, in his speech at Columbus,
hat he doubted very much whether any
Efficient tax law can be passed which il
7ill not be subject to the same objection il
hat was fatal to the Pond law. He says: G
i cannot see how you can have tax p
aw without it operating as license c
aW." Again, three Republican judges,
a majority of the Judges of
he Supreme Court, held the Pond law
% be unconstitutional, but Major Town
;end is reported in recent speech as L
aging that the decision is wrong, and a
therefore that the act is still valid law. $
IN addition to these grounds of debate n
ImODg members of your own party, we o
Deg leave further to suggest that there
s some room for discussion between
members of your own party and PrOhi- u
the latter maintaining the t
round that the scheme of taxation is d
lot only wrong, but sinful. t
The real question before the people is S
whether the Republican party has not
)een guilty of such maladministTation
n tho CovarnmnDf Gtata and EodaroI |