The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-09-14

this State in the cities OF the State; because wo
denounce the construction OF the so-cnllcd For
alker boards, you hear n cry OF this Kind You
read the Commercial Gazette, oil OF you, sup
pose; perhaps some of you have not fallen quite
to that level, but you find every day column
after column, calling upon the people TO rally
because the Democrats propose to wipe out the
election laws; that is their logic. Because we
oppose boards, boards Of public affairs police
boards, boards OF election or any other kind OF
boards appointed by the Governor they say:
"Why,you propose to wipe out all election laws"
No, we do not propose that Our platform reads
this way while favoring all laws that pro-
tect the sacredness OF the ballot-box or the
honest voter we demand the enactment of laws
that shall enable people to choose their own
servants, and to control their own AFFAIRS
[Cheerng.1 Now, that Is the language of our
platform: and what does It moans Docs it mean
that we propose to wipe out all the machinery
by which elections are composed, and the sanclty
of the ballot-box securedy BY no means. But
IL does mean this, and upon this we stand, that
those boards, election boards or any other,
shall be elected by the people, which is the
source OF all power, and not appointed by one
man to perpetuate his own power lRencwed
cheering So far as the election boards
themselves are concerned. we have no
grievance. We have an Election
board down in the city of Ham
lton, which is composed OF first-ratc men.
ways done, when he deserved 1t. have pras-
ed him time and again; once when he succored
the people ut Charleston, and again at Johns
town; and am willing to give him credit for
every thing that he has done fairly and Justly,
and l will say that in the appointment
of the election board in the city
OF Hamilton he has appointed board of excel
lent citizens. IL is not the board that opposci
it is not the board that the Democratic party
opposes but it is the right OF one man not Nv
ing in the city of Hamilton to say who shall
control and supervise our elections! so in CO.
lumbus-so everywhere. When you take the
right of the people to guard their own ballot
boxes away from them. you take the very heart
out of liberty. LApplausc.l
Now, my fellow citizens, did not intend TO
talk even us long as have. The Chairman oil
this meeting very justly said to you that there
is u great subject before this people, great
subject outside of State politics, but one which
confronts us as q part of the great army
that is lighting the national battle
one of the great divisions in the National Dem
ocratic party, and that subject was the revision
and the reform of the tariff lGreat cheering. j
Now, | shall not deliver you u lecture upon the
tariff on hot night like this, when there are
other gentlemen much ablcr TO do so, who are
to follow me, except to say this, that whatever,
for all men and doctrines ana
theorists, more or less, upon every
political subject, tho tariff, like all
| others, that whatever shades of opinion less or
| greater there may be upon doctrines, or hair
splitting logic the Democratic party is II unit
| upon the question of cutting down and reform
ing the tariff. [Applausc.l We all agree that
| taxation has been perverted and strained and
| overdone, and that it is time that the Demo
| cratic party, which alone is competent to take
up and carry on tho work. that the Democratic
party shall revise the tariff [Applause.l
Now gentlemen, 1 am through. What have
said in relation to the affairs of this State have
said impersonally. l have said in just precisely
| the same spirit of criticism that l expect and
| ask to be used against me when shall move
over there pointing to the State House) next
| January. [Grcat applausc,l