The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-10-12
Before Assuming to De.
nounce Other People
as Democratic
Gangsters."
General Beatty Arraigns the For.
aker Disciples in an Unan.
swerable Manner.
And Cives the People an interest
Ing Article.

1--WE have appointed non partisan
board of public affairs for the city of
Hamilton. and in addition to that we
have appointed one Republican board of
affairs for Cincinnati. i.'-Foraker at
Xcnia.
Tho boards that Governor Foraker
has appointed in the State have all done
excellent service; only one of them is q
partisan board. that is our board of pub
lie affairs in Cincinnati. 1t has trans
formed our streets, spent millions of
dollars, etc. ."-Iialstead at Wilmington.
If non-partisan board of public af-
fairs is good thing for Hamilton, why
should it not be good thing for Gin
cinnati?
Ii Republican board of public affairs
IS a good thing for Cincinnati why
should it not be good thing for Hamil-
ton?
Why should the expenditure of mil
lions OF dollars in Cincinnati be entrust-
ed to partisan board. while the ex-
penditure of Il few thousands in Hamil
ton is put in the hands OF non-partisan
board?
Which kind of board is best? Why
not adopt the best? Why this discrimi-
nation between cities? Can the partisan
board be defended without condemning
the non-partisan? Is not every word
which Governor Foraker utters in justi-
1ication Of the one Il condemnation of
the other?
If q partisan board of public affairs
IS good thing for Cincinnati,
why should not partisan police and
election boards be good things
also? Ia it not utter folly to attempt in
the same speech to defend two opposite
and antagonistic systems on the score of
honesty, consistency and principle.
Would any one but a pretcntious and
impudcnt ass vino assumes that his
hearers are deficient IN ordinary common
sense undertake to reconcile and support
such hotch-potch legislature?
in his Amelia speech the Governor
Gays in defense OF his non-partisan
boards that, ale lCampboll) did not
seem to know it was impossible to ell
ect twoDemUcrat3 and two Republicans
at the same time. Laughter.)
Docs anybody know it to be i'm
possible? No. Governor Foraker may
think il impossible, but he can not know
it, for it il not only possible but the
simplest and easiest of things to do. If
there be four members to elect let the
General Assembly authorize each Elec-
tor to vote for the two men OF his choice,
coupled with the provision that the four
persons receiving the largest vote shall
constitute the board. You will thus OBJ
tain in every city Of the State, not only
t.,,t n,l
posed of honest representatives of the
Two great parties. There are other meth
DDS By which similar ends may be
reached, bat shall not stop to discuss
them. Tho declaration that the only
way to secure non-partisan boards is to
put the power to appoint them in tho
hands of an unscrppulous partisaa,is tho
essence of foolishpcss.
Election boards a,,d boards of regis
tratioH in the hands OF honest, compe-
tent men may he made 10 serve a useful
purpose: but under the control of the
ambitious partisan they are quite sure,
soon or late, to be prostituted TO bad
ends. Whom certain of the Southern
States abandoned hu-l<lux methods they
had immediate recourse TO boards of
election and registration, and through
those accomplished b. fraud what they
had heretofore done by violence. In
South Carolina for instance:
"The registration officers are appoint
cd by the Governor who also appoints
the commissioners OF elections for each
county, who in turn appoint the man
ayers OF elections for each election pre-.
cinct. The whole machinery OF
registration and voCing are. therefore, in
the hands OF that party, whose 'letermin
alton to perpotuate its power by any
means, however foul IL not only mani
fest, but openly agowed The election
of 1880 was carried by frauds OF every
ima'.inGhle kind. and was probably one
OF the grossest outrages and farces ever
perpetrated in tho name of free and
fair election. "--General Green g. Raum.
The Republicans of Ohio can not af.
ford to copy substantially the election
laws and endorse the election methods
of South Carolina. even to please Gov |
ernor Foraker and Senator Halstead.
The Democrats OF Cincinnati and
Hamilton are not ail saints. but we can
not justly disfranchise whole commune !
ties because a few men Of one or two
precincts forged tally sheets. The Gov
ernor's skin cane Is altogether too slen-
der support for great party. The
proper thing for the people TO do Is pun
Ish the guilty, NOT tlc jpnoecnt, and "