Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-10-04
The Election in Ohio on Tuesday.


ated their candidates, and only few
days remain until the people of Ohio, to
the number of over seven hundred thou
sand, bring in Il verdict that shall voice
the sentiment of one of the first States
OF the Union.
The telegraph, the press and public
speakers. Notwithstanding the brief time
that has elapsed since the nominations
we're made and the active canvass open
ed, have enabled the people to under
stand the issue
First, there is a contest between the
two great parties Republican, and
Democratic. The deeds of these are
known to voters. old and young. Thelr
records are part of the history vi the
country. The Republicans point with
pride to what they have accomplished
in the twenty-three years in which they
have been in power. 1t will be twenty
three years next month since Abraham
Lincoln WAS elected President of the
! United States, and it Is about twenty
three years since the rebellion for the
iperpetuation of human slavery and the
destruction of the Union was begun.
! Under Republican management, with
the aid of patriotic DemOcrrts, and in
spite of the opposition of the Democrat
ic party as all organization, the Union
WAS saved and slavery was abolished.
The Republican party, too, in the face
! of Democratic opposition, sustained the
credit of the Government until now il
is second to no Nation on the face of
! the earth. When James Buchanan, the
! last Democratic President, retired from
office, the United States paid equal 10
twelve per ceut. for money. Now its
three per cent. bonds sell at a premium,
and notwithstanding the pensions paid
to patriotic soldiers who fought the
battles of the Union, or their survivors,
the war dett is being steadily reduced.
| The currency, too, Instead of being ire
deema5e and deprecated, is as good as
coin, aud is equal to gold not only in all
parts of our own country, but in Eng
! land, and France and Germany. Home
Industries have also been protected to
an extent that maintains wide gap be-
tween the wages paid in Europe and
America All this is what the Republi-
Can party has accomplished for the
country, and all this is what the Demo-
cratic party tried to prevent. Looking
back over the twenUy-three Years of war
tand peace, it is easy to see what the
country would be to-day if Democratic
opposition to the war, to the honest
payment of the debt, To the use OF III
honest currency. and to the reasonable
protection of home industries, had been
successful. II is no wonder, then, that
the Democratic party is ASHAMED of its
record, while the Republican party
points to its course with pride. Looking
at the contest from a National stand
point, which party is to be tTusttdp The
party that was persistently and cUnttn-
uouSly wrong, or the party that in AL
the features of a National policy WAS
right? Both are to be judged BY per-
Ifurmances The future uiust be
measured in the light IF the past.
n In non. mating a candidate .IOr Cover
nor of Ohio the Democratic pr al
mitted its error by selecting a candidate
who opposed all the leading features of
that party through four-ftths OF his pO-
litical life. Every measure, the support
of which made Judge H"a1.y distin-
guished as politician, Was vigorously
opposed By the party of which he is now
the leader ir Ohio. Either Judge Hoad-
ly has changed or the party he repre-
sents has changed, and if either has
fchanged il is al admission that the past
was full OF errors. Judge Huadlg will
not go back ON his record, OrcAuse 1t Is
the record which proved to he right.
TIE Democratic purity goes back ufT-its-
record to the extent of asking that it be
not referred TO, at least not until il re-
gains the power that it lost, because it
was unfaithful to the couAtry. Is such
4 party to be trusted?
On the other hand, the Republican
party has presented candidate who
was first Il soldier and always RGpub-
lican. He did not purchase his Dcmina
ton. There were no scandals connected
with the Convention that made him the
standard bearer OF his party. He is not
called upon to explain his own record OF
to disown that of his party. lie was
always for the reasonable protection of
home labor, and he is for it now. He
stands with his party against reducing
the wages paid in tie United States to
the pauper scale that prevails in Eu-
rope This is what protection means,
and in this sense Republicans are Pro-
|tectionists, and Judge Foraker agrees
with his party and fairly represents it.
In 81 ate affairs Judge Foraker favors
the Scott Law, passed by a Republican
Legislature, and squarely indorsed Try
Republican Convention. 1t is one of the
planks in the platform upon which he is
a candidate, and all the candidates
stand 1t is a fair adjustment Of the Ii
qvor question. Under it the traffic is
trXed TO the extent of more than two
million dollars il the State. That which
had for thirty years been virtually free,
now bears share of the tax burden.
However people may differ abOnt the
use or abuse of Intoxicating liquors, |
there are few who do not believe that
as traffic it is fair and reasonable to
tax it. Yet Judge HOadly opposes this |
law. He would have it repealed. He |
talks about license which is impossible |
in Ohio, and every time he talks that |
way he means free trade, and free trade
means an increase in the taxes paid by |
everybody except liquor dealers. Under |
Republican management taxes have re-
duced So 81 on $1,000, and in every
county in the State almost there has
been propoTtionate reduction. Yet
Judge Hoadly would restore free trade
In liquors and thereby increase the tax
es on all indus tries, including farmers.
And this policy the people of Ohio are
asked to indurse on tie 9th of October
Every vote cast for Judge Hoadly will
be accepted as vote in favor of repeal
ing the Scott Law, while every vote cast
for Judge Foraker will be accepted as
vote in favor of maintaining it.
The constitutional amendments are
not partisan measures. They are sub
mitted to the people without prejudice.
The people have clear right to say
what shall be in the Constitution. They
are the source of all power. Upon these
questions, therefore, every citizen will
vote according to his conscientious con
victions, as he has a right to, and no
party would be justified in throwing OBJ
staeles in the way of an honest express
sion of public opinion. The majority
n.,r, nat ba r,rlnh in that waV Ihn mi |