Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-10-18

No MAN in his right mind disputes the
proposition that the use of intoxicating
liquors is great evil; and, although
drunkenness and liquor drinking is not
so general as thirty years ago, and will
lessen each succeeding generation, as
the masses of men become wiser; and
while all right thinking men agree that
all the restrictions and safeguards that
the wisdom of man can devise should
be thrown around the traffic, still there
are some other questions before the
country beside looking after what ones
neighbor eats and drinks.
The chief question the people of the
country have to determine this year is:
Have we country? In all that part of
it South of the Potomac and Ohio rivers
the elections are not as free as in Great
Britain or France. In more than half
the States of all that vast region the mi
nority of voters, after systematic butch
cries extending over more than twenty
years, have obtained control of the State
governments, elect members of Congress,
and electors for President and Vice
President. To-day the South has TWEEN
ty more members of the House of Rep
resentatives than she would have if rep
resentation was based upon the votes
cast for members, instead of upon the
census. This is not disputed. Those
twenty members enabled the fraudulent
and murderous Democrats of the South
to organize the House, and to pass the
mischievous Mills Bill. 1t is constant
menace of the peace and safety of the
country.
Since it has got too cold to blackguard
men and blaspheme God at camp meet
ings, Sam Small is parading the country,
at a stipulated price per day, a shocking
example of reformed drunkard, abus-
ing men who never had any occasion to
reform, and under the cloak of religion
trying to persuade others to forsake the
flag of their country and unite with his
brother Georgians in further trampling
under foot free government in the South.
Mr.. Small was at one time connected
with the most influential newspaper of
Georgia. That paper then and to-day
justifies this fragrant wrong, and so does
Mr.. Small, who is paid to tramp over the
North in the vain hope the bloody South
will get another lease of power.
Another question that touches our
national independence and the pockets
of all the people is Protective Tariff.
This is pressing upon the people, and
must be settled at the coming election.
1t can not be postponed. Two weeks
from next Tuesday the people of the
country must determine its fate.
There is no pretense in any quarter
worth seriously considering that Con-
gress has the power to pass prohibito-
ry law. That is matter wholly under
State control, just as are all other do
mestic matters. Then why should any
good man, having at heart the peace
and prosperity of his countrywide does
not believe that while an average of
$4,000 voters of the South may choose a
Representative in Congress, the average
in the North must be about 10000, or is
opposed to breaking down the industries
of the North and beggaring its people,
throw away his vote in such an emer-
gency as confronts the people to-day?
Benjamin Harrison or Grover Cleveland
will be elected President next month.
Votes cast for any other candidate by
men who do not agree with the bloody
Southern methods to a certain extent
count for the murderous notification of
the Amendments of the Constitution,
and for the destruction of Protection.