The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-12-08
SECOND REVELATION.
Matters in Which the Citizens of
Canton
Are All Interested, and Which they Ought
TO COnsder-Read il
Carefully.

ED. DEMoCRAT-Ob Observing that First
Revelation" met with public approval
and encOura cement, / am constrained
to discourse little further upon the
subjects therein presented and such 9TH
ers as by their kindred relations, may
seem pertinent to the object of these
letters. To revert to the city building
scheme: / was told the other day by an
ex-COuncilman. who sat in the Council
at the time the matter of providing
site for these buildings was under con-
sideratiOn by that body, that he had
been approached in an equiyOcal man
ner, and rendered pecuniaTy cOnsideTa-
tiOn to vote in favor of locating those
buildings upon their present site. To
use his language. II was asked, How
much will you take TO vote in favor of
locating these buildings on the city's
grOund?" Being a man of the strictest
integrity he spurned the proposition,
and said, 'My vote is not for sale" Now,
said this X-COuncilman, when the
matter came up for final disposition l
found members voting for the adopted
site, who three hours before the session
had said to me they were positively OPP
posed to placing the buildings upon
that gTOund;" and, continued he, Just
before we went into session | was told
by the same parties who originally had
intimated they would pay for my vote,
we don't need your vote, we're fixed
without it," Now, in view of the fact
that this ex-COuncilman had then been
substantially rendered bTibe, Jne lues-
tiOn seems in order, What was the rea-
sOnlng power that altered the positive
declaration of the members he refers
tO?" Are not the facts above Tecited in di-
rect keeping with the attitude of the
champions of this city building project
down to the present timer If they would
purchase votes to secure a location, did
they not purchase votes to secure the
adoption of the original scheme by the
people, and would they not continue to
purchase essentials to further the inter
ests of the job, and to fill the purses of the
iObbeTs from the Golfers of a cTedulOuS
and seemingly lethaTgiC people? Look
at the interest manifested by the con
tractor, the eX-COmmissiOneT (fTOm
whose quarry came the stone used i'll
constructing these city buildings and
other city and county jobs, not only
few in uumber) and the two alleged
Democrats, in securing the election of
the Republican candidates for the COun-
ell from the 4th and 9th wards at the
late special election. Was 1t anticipated
that those candidates would lend
their support to the "ring?" Was it
intended that those men, elected by the
people (by what means Is an open ques-
tiOnl to represent the people, should
vote away the peoples money regardless
of value or consideration? If the inter-
est manifested by this distinguished CO.
teTie and their Republican allies in the
Council, in the matter Of that special
election, sprung from any pure and hon
est motive, will they tell us, please?
Why, the well known honesty, pTObity
and integrity of the Democratic candi-
dates would not have answered their
purpose just as well in the Council
chamber, as would the taken-fOr grant
ed virtues of the successful candidatesP
1t is far from the purpose of this or my
previous revelation to reflect one jOt of
discTedit upon the candidates elected;
but the questionable motive of those
who, by whatever means, secured their
election, must needs make these gentle
men objects of suspicion and criticism,
which they only can relieve by
adopting, in the Councils de-
libeTatiOns, an attitude of in
dependence wholly in the interest
of the people, and by their votes indi-
cate that the ring" were deceived in
the quality of their metal. Such course
will elevate them in the estimation of
all honest and we'll disposed citizens,
dispel the unfavOTable aspect attached
to their characters, by reason of the in
terest manifested by the ring" in secur-
ing their election, and make them feel
in their hearts that the trust repOsed in
them by the people has been kept inviO-
late. Let them consider the fact that
already this same cOterie are securing
the seven wards of this city, in an eff
fort to secure their candidates to stand
for election to the Council at the COM
ing spring election. In some wards
perhaps a Democrat, in others a Repub-
lican is selected, and given the assur-
ance of ring" support, provided he will
allow his name to be associated with
their manifest interests Notice is here
served upon this element that the peO-
pie are alive to the issue; that every can.
didate, be he Democrat or a Republi-
can, who is champiOned by this cOmbi-
nation of politicians, contractor and eX-
Commissioner, will be objects of sus-
piciOn before the people, and the pOpu-
lar seal of condemnation visited upon
them at the polls; neither money nor
unhOly alliances can thwart this re-
suit, the time will have arrived for de-
cisiVe action, and the people will be
equal to the emergency. The city
Council of Canton must be so cOnstitu-
ted that observance of law shall be its
tasi5 of action, and no man can here
after be chosen to that body who reasons
that the subterfuge of necessity" is an
tACu6t lOl NluldbAh x tAAO ia Alh oBllC VI
the fact that even distinguished law
yer now sitting as a member of the pres
ent Council has been iudiscreet enough
to provide such an example, in the
matter of the west Tuscarawas street
improvement job. We find this same
legal authority voting in favor of pay
ing the seven hundred and seven dol
lar engine house pavement bill because
it is contract" In the West Tusca-
rawas street job, necessity impels him.
In the engine house pavement bill "a
contract" constitutes his apology. In
connection with those two propositions
an illustration suggests itself. Imagine
two thieves concluding that necessity"
has driven them to it, enter into a
contract" to waylay one of this West
Tusearawas stTeet-illegal-cOn
building-engine- house pavement -extOr-
tiOnate-bill combination, and rifle his
pockets. Suppose the thieves succeed in
the job and are appTehended, would
any of that combination hold the thieves
not amenable to law because f0rs0Oth
necessity" and "a contract" constituted
the defense2 Queer reasoning that
wOnld be for lawyer in criminal