The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-09-14
IN. Y. Tribune.1
The Chronic Ohio Croaker

| 1hO VII OAIC VHIU CIOdkcIs
There is excellent ground for be.
lieying that Ohio will go Republican
this year as usual. To suppose that
the State will go Democratic, unde,
the conditions at present existing, is
to impeach the morality and intelli-
gence of it's citizens. The issue which
overshadows all others there is that of
temperance and a Christian Sunday.
The Republicans have taken their
stand on the side of temperance. They
are outspoken in favor of restricting
the liquor traffic on weekdays and
suppressing it entirely on Sundays.
The Democrats have taken the oppo-
site position. While their platform
is merely clumsy effort to dodge the
ssle, their sympathies are openly dis
played on the side Of free rum and no
Sunday. They are in unconcealed al
lance with the liquor producers and
liquor sellers, and make no attempt to
disguise the fact that if they are put
in power the liquor interests will be
allowed to have their own way.
In contest like this it is natural
to suppose that the Republicans will
have an easy victory. It must be that
an overwhelming majority Of the peo-
pie of the State are on their side in
favor of defending and strengthening
the moral and religious forces in the
commonwealth. But just here the
Croaker comes in and declares that
this is not the case. He has examined
the field and has decided that the ma
jority Of the people are in favor of
whisky domination. There is a IA
miliar air about this Croaker. He
appears every year about this time.
He comes always in the disguise of
Republican, though the most careless
observer can see easily enough that he
is Democrat, and tells us precisely
how the State is to be lost. He knows
all about it, and he can give you ex-
act figures. He starts off this year
with the familiar announcement that
the Democrats are harmonious and
confident and that the Republicans
are divided. Then we are told that
the indefatigable and irrepressible
John G.. Thompson is in command of
the Democratic forces and is sanguine
Of success. Of course; John G..
Thompson has been sanguine of sue
cess every year for the past quarter of
a century, but he has been beaten
pretty regularly in spite of that fact
He is always most sanguine when his
cause is most hopeless. Then, the
Croaker tells us, the Democrats have
plenty Of money. The liquor dealers
are fairly flooding them with it.
Drinks will be free throughout the
State, and no man who will promise
to vote the Democratic ticket will
be allowed to go thirsty. Then, again,
there is trouble among colored voters,
and many Of them threaten to vote
the Democratic ticket because the Re-
publicans have not given them offices
enough. Finally, the Prohibitionists
are dissatisfied with the Republican
position, and will vote solidly in favor
of their own candidates.
There is more of the Croaker's d.
agnosis, but these are the principal
points. 1t is easy to see that he is an
echo not of Republican fears but of
Democratic hopes. No Republican
would be alarmed by the array Of bug,
bears which he coniures up with
which to frighten himself. John G.
Thompson long ago ceased to be a
bugbear to Republicans. He is simply
a wind-bag. As the flood Of Demo
cratic money, that signifies nothing:
Ohio is not purchasable State. Ii
the Democrats actually have the mon
ey, it will simply be distributed among
the lean and hungry of their own
kind. Concerning the help Of the
rumsellers and the free flow Of whis-
ky, there is only one thing to be said.
The more of that sort Of thing the
Democrats have the larger will be the
Republican vote. The late Mr.. Book
walter will bear personal testimony
to the truth of that observation. He
went through Ohio last year rolling a
barrel of money and barrel of whisky
side by side. He passed out the mon
ey with one hand and "set up" the
whisky with the other. When the
ballots were counted on election day