The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1884-01-24

veyors. postmasters, letter carrl-
ers. numbering IN the aggregate
more than O.. hundred thousand
have been supplied from the one
party, while nine-tenths of that
; arty and the entire Democratic
party have been and are now alb
solutely prescribed and debarred
the public service. During this
period money by tho thousand
millions has been collected and
disbursed. and tie books kept by
these partisan agents, furnishing
an opportunity and a temptation
for peculation. fraud and conceal
ment to which / should dread to
expose, even the iron clad integ-
rity of Democrats. Inevitably,
corruption and great abuses have
crept in and have been covered
up; favoritism, protegeism, ne
potism. imbecility and senility
have obtained secure Judgement;
Generalization has followed, and
the public believe that fetid
mass exists. permeated with rot
tenness and gangrene. Now, can
this service be reformed, and by
what process l answer, yes
And the process is: First, by
electing a Democratic President
and that is assured the present
year, unless unwisdom and mad
ness from the gods are permitted
to block the way. Secondly, by
a pitiless and radical overhauling
and purging Of the present SER
vice. An Augean stable cannot
be cleaned with a tooth brush I!
You must turn on the hose, ply
the hickory broom and scrub
brush, disinfect the premises and
give them a wholesome atmos-
phere for honest incumbents.-
Then let care be taken that none
but such as bear the Jefersonian
stamp of 'honesty and capacity"
be llowed to enter, and those
only from the Democratic party
until It's full ratable share enter
to guard and protect the public
interest. Ifpublic Office be sac
ri6cial burden, all citizens should
be compelled 10y conscription if
need be) to share their portion.
If, on the other hand, as most be-
lieye, it is a privilege and bles-
sing, one-half Or three-fourths of
the whole population should not
be excluded from enjoying their
Just and fair share of it. BY this
means reform is practicable and
until accomplished no stable set
tlsment of the question can be
obtained. Secondly,
THE TARIFF.
One year ago I ventured TO
make public some opinions in re-
gard to the tariff, recognizing the
divergence of views in the Dem
ocratic party and declaring that
such divergence was the chief
obstacle to the success of the par
ty. At the State Convention In
June those opinions were consid-
cred, condensed and chrystalized
into what has since become we'll
known as the "Ohio Platform.
1t was unanim ous]y approved by
the convention. 1t distinctly re-
jects a "high tariff or ''protec
ton for projections sake" on the
one hand, and the equally mad
missable doctrine of free trade"
or tariff for revenue only" on
the other. It sought to find a
compromise basis intermediate
between the two extremes, which
beng equitable and just would
challenge the consent and con-
currence of all fair minded men
and measurably remove it from
the arena of partisan politics.
Let me illustrate its excellence
by an application to the interests
Of Ohio. For several decades
Ohio has held the third rank in
the classification of States. I'm
! til The last her main dependence
for growth was in the develop
ment of her agricultural wealth.
There were public lands to be
entered, improved, populated &
created into new counties there
were vast tracts of valuable tim
ber, the building of canals, facll-
ilating transportation to market,
| and later, a system of railroads
increasing these facilities and
expending annually in their con-
struction many millions of mon
ey. But now these aspects are
greatly changed. There are now
no more lands subject to entry !;
there are no more new counties
in reserve; the valuable timber
has been marketed; The canals
have ceased to be tributary, and
the railroad system 10 practical
IL completed. The soil has been
considerably impoverished, the
cereal crops are less bountiful.
while the great improvement of
agricultural impiementa,w with the
consolidation of small farms has
greatly reduced the demand for
farm han 5. Even her wool sta
pie is in peril of severe and inju-
. riouo aftspk Islt not the Epfy