The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-08-28

OHIO A DEMOCRATIC STATE.

tfrom secretary NewInans Portsmouth speech'l
Does anyone doubt that Ohio has for
years been drifting into the Democratic
eolumnY This great central State, OF
whose proud history and commanding
position among her sister states We may
ali feel an honest pride, has been grow
Ing Democratic with the years, Thls
increasing strength has not always Deeh
manifested Mt the ballOt'bOx, for years
OF defeat had discouraged many into
the belief that TO vote was vain and
useless thing, bnt our strength was
nevertheless developing among the pe0'
ME, and ID Only needed 20 b0 brought out
70 carry our flag In triumph and unfurl
n over the Capitol. The last two years
verify H. II any one d0ubta let him
study the lgure5 and be convinced, !
have taken occasion TO prepare u table or
the change Of population and the vote
OF thirty counties, fifteen Republican
and fifteen Democratic, and " proves
lust what IL claimed. These
counties haze not been selected
10 make special showing. ! nave
taken fifteen Republican counties In the
northeastern portion OF the State, em-
braclng the Western Reserve. II IL, az
you know, the strong Republican por-
lion OF the State, where they have at
,ained their heaviest majOTities, II IL an
old, settled portion OF the State. II has
advanced comparatively little In p0pu'
latIOn, some OF tho counties having
actually decreased during the past
twenty years. Hence Republican ma
lorltles have not grown during that
period In fact they have fallen on, az
khe figures In the table show. An In
efease,ln the comparative strenglh ofthe
party In the majority, while decrease
will, on the same principle, cut down
the majority. Then turn to the North
west, which has been Democratic from
It's earliest history, and select lfteen
eOuntles. take them as O group, Just AZ
they are found on the map, and what do
you fnd. That young ana vigorous
Northwest has grown nearly hfly per
cent In population during the past
twenty years. Some counties increasing
aearly three.fOld, Democratic majorltles
nave likewise increased andsthat North
west can more than Offset the Republi'
tan majOrltles OF the Western Reserve,
Take aS an Observation-Disclosures aud
Geauga counties in the Reserve have de-
siiaed In population In the last two de-
eades, while Republican majorltles have
fallen of from 3,l3l In 1868, TO 2,4b3 In
1883. Then turn 10 the little counties OF
Ottawa and Henry, their population has
more than doubled while the Democratic
mai0rlties In the former has run from
SO In 1868 TO | l,4i6 In 1883, while In the
mtter II increased from 6i3 10 LII.
These gains, es others shown In the
northwestern counties are healthy and
permanent, Why the differenceY II Is
aasily explained, The northwest is the
new growing agricultural portion OF the
State. Thirty years ago II was almost u
wilderness, much OF II swamp land. II
has been ditched and drained by the In
dustrlous pioneer and his boys, until II
has become one Of the garden spots Of
Ohio. Its population has sprung up
Ike magic. and the strength OF lis De.
mOcraCy las grown with Its sturdy,
enterprlsing people. What does this table
ahowp That In the northeastern cOnn.
ties the Republicans have since 1868
lost nearly 1000 Of their majority, while
IN the northwestern the Democratic ma
lorltles have increased over 0,000-a
change OF 1900 which Ia more than the
average Republican majority In Ohio
during the past seventeen years. Why,
my friends, do you know that the aver
age Republican majority In this State
during that time has been less than
5000, and yet with 10000 majority In
Opr favor TO start in with, some people
talk about II being Republican State,
Not this year; some other year, perhaps.
II my Democratic friends will examine
this table, they will And much TO give
them solid comfort and encouragement
They are ngures that speak not Of
mOnrnful numbers, hut point the way
20 victory In the Buckeye State,