The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-08-15

| 1--WE power Tor lllegtttmate, corrupt pO-
litieal purposes. raf
Resolved, That the arbitrary exaction
OF money from one class of business,
singled out at the dictatiOn of legisla-
tive bodies, is unwarFanted and tyFan-
meal, the more the assessed business Is
unprotected and made liable to suppress
sion by township trustees and munich
palities.
Resolved. That the Scott bill, not be-
ing recognized as a license OF tax meas
ure, has no basis on which any assess
ment can be made; that the attempt to
press the assessment upon the grounds
that 1t was measure for the regulation
against the evils from the liquor traffic
Is absurd, puerile and m0nstrOus, be-
cause the bill contains not one regula-
tive provision, nor would the taxation Of
money from the traffic be in anywise or
to any extent considered as regulation
against any of the evils resulting from
the traffic.
Resolved, That such mutations Of the
principles of Individual rights as COM
mitted by the Scott and Russell bills are
not matter merely affecting the class
OF people directly assessed or of the per-
sons directly interested in the manufac-
ture OF sale of spirituOus liquors, but all
citizens are interested, that such unjust
and demOralizing class legislation shall
not be tolerated, or they surely will un-
dermine the democratic institutions of
the country and eventually destroy
| them; that equal justice and equal
rights shall not be denied even to the
most humble Of our fellow -citizens.
| Then
Whereas, The Republican party has
in6Orsed all and singular the principles
of the Scott and Russell bills, not iden-
tifying itselt Herewith, but elevating
the extOrtiOn and option principles to
the main issue of the present campaign /;
and
Whereas, The Democratic party, an
tagOnizing the Republican party on the
Scott bill issue and other important is
| sues, have III their platform of princi-
pies assumed the correct position in ia
Voring judiciOus and equitable license
system; and
Whereas, In other respects said Demo-
cratic platform meets our heartiest ap-
prOVal and expresses our views of genu.
inc democracy and good government;
therefore be it
Resolved, That we cooperate with and
strenuOusly support the Democracy in
the coming campaign, believing that
the present and future welfare of the
people demands such a course whereby
the Republican tendencies to override
even the constitutional barriers that ex-
ist against arbitrary Legislation aud the
most palpable abuse of governmental
power may be rebuked; that we appeal
to our fellOW-citizens who are not will
ing to have any longer their sacred
rights and their highest interests tram
pied upon by the cOrruptiOns of the Re-
publican bosses and their followers, to
join in the patriotic work by their bal
lots to defeat that party.
Resolved, That we regard it as an in
deceney for candidates aspiring to the
bench of the Supreme Court to sit in
Judgment on law that practically con-
stituteS the platform on which they
stand appealing for votes to re-elect
them to Office.
Resolved, That we esteem it start
ling innovation on the traditions held
not only by all our courts, but by our
wisest statesmen, heretofore, for judges
appointed by political parties to over
turn the theory that the prOhibitory
power ts vested in political majority
Of the Legislature.
OPPOSITION TO THE AMENDMENTS.
We oppose the first proposed amend
ment for the following reasons among
others:
First-It recognizes the Legitimacy of
the traffic in Intoxicating liquors, by
providing that the Legislature shall
regulate the same only 80 as to provide
affatnst the evils resulting therefFOm,
and in the same amendm ent 1t Is pro-
Vtded that the power of the General AS
sembly to levy taxes or assessments on
the traffic shall not be limited by any
provision of this constitution, thus over
ruling the wholesome cardinal doctrine
of taxation recognized in section 2, ar
ticle IL, of the constitution, to wit:
Laws shall be passed taxing by an uni
form rule all moneys, credits, etc.
SecOnd-In investing the General AS
sembly with unlimited power of taxa
ton, the amendment cOntraVenes the
fundamental principles of equal and
just taxation, grants powers transcend
ing the legitimate legislative authority
of the state and authorizes the General
Assembly, under the pretext of taxation,
to absolutely prohibit the traffic, and
thus defeat the only object of taxation,
namely, revenue. .'.-'I
Thirdly granting such powers to
the General Assembly and making the
subject of specially taxing and prOhib-
iting the liquor traffic matter of con-
tinned and varying legislative action,
an issue Is drawn in our annual cleo
tiOns that should be kept out of politics,
but that will thereby become the abb
sOrbing question at tho polls to the ex-
clusfOn of great and vital questions of
government that should be determined
at the ballot box.
We oppose the second proposed amend
ment for the reasons herein stated.
STATE ORGANIZATIONS.
The gentlemen appointed to select the
Central Committee reported as follows:
First-The State Central Committee
shall consist of seven members; all of
these to reside in CuyahOga county, and
we appoint the following to constitute
the aforesaid committee: Hon. Jacob
Mueller. chairman; William Backus,
John II. Farley, Charles Knecht, Charles
MissaT, N. A. FOran, Leopold Elnstein.
Seeond-It shall be the duty and pro-
vince Of the State Central Committee to
appoint sub-eommittees in the several
counties Of the state, consisting of such
persons as may be recommended by the
associations.
Third--Ws also recommend that the
number of members constituting the
subcommittee be fixed as follows: Gin
cinnati, five; Toledo and Columbus,
three each; Dayton, two; Sandusky, Ak
ron, Mansfield, Canton, SteubenVille,
Springfield, Lima, Youngstown, Xenia,
Defiance, CarrOllton, Marietta. Circle
vile, Wooster, Hamilton, Warren, Iron
ton, Salem, Norfolk, Oak HarbOr, Buoy