Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-03
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE rsrArcH.I

COLUMBUS, o., August IA public
meeting under the auspices of the Thurman
Club, Democratic organization, was held
here tonight to protest against the passage
of the Lodge Federal elections bill. For
several weeks the club has been engaged in
drumming up the faithful Bourbons, and
they endeavored to make it more than local
in its character by securing the attendance
of gentlemen of national reputation, but
this was a signal failure.
There was a crowd at the meeting, many
who were present out of curiosity to hear
what the speakers would say. 1t had been
intimated that some of the speeches were
loaded with dynamite. and this, with the
sensational circulars that had been dis
tributed through the city. resulted in bring
ing out fair-sized audience.
THE OLD ROMAN ILL.
Judge Thurman was announced as the
presiding officer but he sent letter stating
that severe illness confined him to his house,
and he could only dictate briefly his views.
His place as president of the meeting was
taken by Mayor Bruck. Referring
to the bill Judge Thurman. said,
have endeavored to study the bill carefully
and 1mpartially, and the more have studied it
the more obnoxious 1t seems to me. do really
believe that 1t is the worst measure on the sub
Ject of elections ever introduced into an
of purifying elections it provides an
elaborate machinery by which the will
of the people may be oyerthrown and
be made by set of hreling and Irresponsible
Federal officials, chosen without any agency of
the people, and acting under the orders of
superior set of dictators, whose terms OF oftce
will practically be without Limitation as to
time, and who will of necessity be body of ir-
responsible partisans. and to support this ma
chinery an immense fund, which 1t is said may
amount TO millions, Is to be created to be
drawn from
THE PUBLIC TREASURY,
that is from the pockets of the people. and to
be used as bribery or corruption fund to per-
petuate the rule of the party in power. Then
the bill, if enacted into law. will serve to in
tensify and perpetuate sectionalism ahd race
prejudices, and to undo much that may have
been done to put an end to those deplorable
evils. The doubtful constitutionality, to
say the least, of some Of the most important
provisions of the bill, and the immense and un-
precedented stretch OF Federal power involved
in it cannot fail to strike every student of the
Constitution and alarm all who believe in the
teachings ana the practice OF the fathers. am
not without hope that the bill will fail in the
Senate.
Ex-President Cleveland sent regrets at
his inability to attend and alter the usual
formalities, says:
I desire to be entered, however, as one of the
protestants. l wish the indications were not
so numerous that we have reached stage of
Congressional recklessness in which the pro-
tests of the people have little weight.
A MIssIvE FROM BRICE.
Senator-elect Brice, of New York and
Ohio, could not be present, but he sent a
letter from the East saying:
While regret cannot be present heartily
approve the object of the meeting and beg TO
assure you and your association that share
your indignation and regard the proposed law
as repugnant to Democratic ideas and full of
danger to the republic
Ex-Congressman Converse and Captain A.
E. Lee made the principal speeches of the
evening. Mr.. Converse's argument was
mainly devoted to an effort to prove that
the bill was unconstitutional. Captain
Lee, Minister to Frankfort under President
Hayes, and one of the kicking Republicans
of last year, held that the bill was not called
for BY the people and expressed the opinion
that it would rekindle sectional antagon-
isms.
Much was expected of the speech of Gov
ernor Campbell, but it was a very mild
affair. He claimed the bill to be con-
spiracy to destroy the States that compose
the United States of America The pro-
moters of the measure, he said, would not
TRY TO ENFORCE THE BILL
if it should become law in Columbus.
This would be done only where it was
deemed safe. No member Of Congress from
the North would dare undertake to enforce
all the provisions of the bill in his district
1t would not, he said in substance, be safe to
attempt to appoint National Supervisors,
non-residents of the districts, to conduct
elections in Ohio or other States north of
Mason and Dixon's line.
Regarding the recent publication that
Campbell would employ the State militia in
opposition to the enforcement of the Lodge
bill in this State. he said the whole state
ment was a falsehood and that was all he
had to say about it.
NJ D. Harter, of Mansfield, nominee for
Congress, addressed the meeting briefly, and
resolutions of protest were presented by
Allen w. Thurman, and adopted, as
follows:
WHEREAs-We, citizens of the State Of
Ohio, regard local self-government and the con-
troll of our own elections as one of the cardinal
and distinctive features of free people, and
believing it was never intended by the trainers
of the Constitution Of the United States that
attempt to regulate Congressional elections,
when such regulations had already been made
by the States.
A RESPECT FOR PRECEDENT.
Whereas, We believe that any such interfer-
ence by Congress with the customs of our peo-
pie that have remained unchanged for a GEN.
tury will be frsught with the greatest danger,
calculated to lead to the most alarming and
dangerous consequences, inevitably tend to
diminish the belief of the people in their power
to govern them elves aud thereby endanger
the stability and the permanency of our insti-
Whereas, We believe the Lodge bill, lately
passed by the National House of Representa-
lives and now pending in the United States
Senate, has incorporated In the provisions all
Of these dangers;
Whereas, We believe that instead of insur-
ing fair elections and an honest count. that it
is a measure under which the most outrageous
and barefaced frauds as are certain to be per-
pet1ated to promote and perpetuate party
ascendency; and
Whereas, II enacted into law and enforced
its provisions cannot help but interfere with
and put under control of partisan United
States appointees all of our local elections,
promote sectionalism, and not correct, but
only intensity election frauds. and thereby be
subyersive of free institutions; and,
Whereas, We believe that the appointment
of United States officers to control these cleo
tions. whose tenure of Office is for life, and
who are not in any way responsible to the peo-
ple. Is such radical departure from the tradi-
officers should simply be considered as servants
of the people. that this provision OF the Lodge
bill cannot be too severely condemned; and
NUN rTrpv ppOurcr0D