The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-05-21

"Vinton" | think it was written by
Hon. Homer c. Jones, one of the
shrewdest politicians in the State.
1t is sound political doctrine, no mat
ter who the writer may be.
D. M.
The commanding position that
Ohio holds in the Union, makes her
action of conspicuos Importance in in
dicating the pulse of the people upon
questions Of national moment
1t is this fact that makes the COM
ing Republican convention a matter
of far more consequence than the
mere filling of the various State
offices, which makes the State ticket
this fall.
There Is a question that is forced
stubborn, disagr cable facts into the
foreground of the mind of many
thinking aud anxious patriots and
which overshadows all others: and
that is: Shall we suffer the continu-
ance of open and notorious frauds at
the polls that is carried on by violence,
blood shed, oppression and tissue bal
| lots, that with the exception of per-
haps Tennessee. has been the rule for
years in all the late rebellious States? ?
So long has this work gone on un-
rebuked and unrestrained that it is
looked upon by our Democratic south
ern brethren, as having the sanctity
of an acquired right These meth
ods are not seriously denied by those
who profit by them. They excuse
their use upon the ground that bet
ter results are obtained than by a fair
expression Of the ballot.
The unfalrness Of this rule to the
Stat IS where no such methods are
used, is manifest. The power in the
hands of few in the rebellious States
al led with any party Of the north will
does now-rule the National
Government
The question is how long shall this
course continue; and has not the
time come to serve notice upon the
over-bearing, ruling class Of the
South, that it must positively stop?
To wait until 1888, to make this issue
will be an acquiescence in wrong. that
may be fatal to the integrity Of the
American ballot-box.
Already we have the sad example
of prominent members of the Rppub-
lican party. who seemed during the
war foremost for the right and filled
their public utterances with burning
words of patriotism, permitting with
out rebuke nay, joining with the
people who are the authors Of these
ontrages and helping tlem into ma
tional supremacy, Curtis, Shurz,
Beecher, and others of that kidney
the Benedict Arnolds of the progress
i've young Republican party, are nota-
BILE cases.
They were the first to grow sensi-
tive about the cry of bloody Shirt
and the supine influences Of their
cowardly utterances were felt from
centre to circumference of the party
which saved the nation.
Wrong went on rife. People in the
late Rebellious States, were mobbed
in every attempt to give expression
to Republican sentiment. They were
shot down if they voted with the
party of Lincoln, their homes invaded
by armed assassians at midnight
hours. and recklessly fired into, and
stitute for these methods. Yet if the
attention Of the northern public (no
one was hardy enough to mention it
in the south) was called to these facts,
by any one in speech or paper-he
was so denounced as "waver Of the
bloody shirt" and hinderance to
friendly relations with our southern
brethren, that our public men became
towards, and failed to warn the peo-
pie of these wrongs. They would
talk State-craft, finance and tariff. |
and say never a world about that
which shuold have been held foremost
"a plain statement of these facts in
all their responsiveness and pointing
out a remedy. Had they done this
and given the southern question a
little heroic treatment, the blight |
that fell upon this nation, Novem-
ber 1884, would have never come.
But ON the ramparts OF the Repub-
lican party ever active, ever fighting,
one exception was found in the ranks
who never tagged, in his efforts to
make this the question OF the hour, |
and had he been allowed to lead and |
to carry into active discussion his sem
the terrible wrongs upon the
right of free speech and free ballot
would have long since been things Of
the past, and to-day the face Of the
American patriot would not have been
shamed to the blush by the rubbish
that is now filling the important