Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-10-02
DANIEL J. RYAN.

URBANA, Sept. 22.-The following was
the speech of Hon. Daniel j. Ryan, Re
publican candidate for secretary of state,
delivered il this city Saturday night:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND FELLOw-CITIZENS-
We are entering upon a political canvass
that is of great interest to the people of
Ohio. 1t is o. dual Importance and signifi-
canoe. 1t concerns the citizen 10 his rela-
ii )ns to National and state politics. 1t
calls from him an expression of dissent or
approval upon Republican principles as
administered at Washington as well as
upon Democratic government as admins
tered at Columbus. The condition of pol
itics and government in the northern
states, whether Democratic or Republican,
permits every citizen to cast his ballot
jnst as be pleases, and it is counted just as
it is cast. This right of absolute political
freedom is the right preservative of all
our political rights. 1t is this fact that
gives to political discussions in the north
ern states the charm and satisfaction of
feeling that arguments are not in vain,
and that appeals to public reason are not
useless. Under such a condition as this it
is pleasure to make political campaign
in Ohio. The party that is right and
whose record is strong; the party that has
been faithful in its stewardship, and that
has performed it well, need never be afraid
to go upon the stump and look into the
eyes of the people of Ohio, asking for the
approval of itself and the condemnation
of its opponents Political trickery, false
pretenses, demagogism and recreancy to
pledged faith will eventually meet with
disappointment and defeat. 1t may do to
win one election, but it cannot win two.
The keen and intelligent sense of the
American voter soon discovers when he is
humbugged and defrauded, and Is swift
to rebuke those who did it. In the plain
language of the great Lincoln-and he
was greatest when he was the plainest-
You can fool all the people part of the
time and some of the people all the time,
but you cannot fool all the people all the
time" OF the people of Ohio it can be
specially said that they are endowed with
ABUNDANT COMMON SENSE IN POLITICS.
They can always be trusted after full
discussion of public question, and an
education upon its merits and influences,
to arrive in their conclusions upon the
right side. We have the past to warrant
US in this faith. When the great questions
growing out of the war were placed be-
fore Ohioans, and their patriotism and
C mmon sense appealed to, they never
failed to give their verdict for the side
that repres snted patriotism and National
unity. When the grave questions of
finance were argued before them they lis
tened to and absorbed the arguments of
honest money and fallacious greenback-
ism, ard in the end recorded their judg-
ment upon the side of National financial
integrity and the maintenance of good
currency And later still, in a contest be-
tween free trade and protection, they pa
tiently gave ear to every argument of the
fro traders and at the polls pronounced in
favor of the system that would preserve
the home market to the farmer, good
wages to the laborer and trade to the bus
iness man. 1t is this thought that fills me
with confidence in the success of Repub-
licanism in this canvas. and l am here to-
night to give you the reasons why in my
judgment the Democracy should be de-
feated in Ohio. At the coming election we
will elect members of congress to repre-
sent us in the National legislature and Off
GERS of state to represent us in local af-
fairs. The significance and weight of the
choice of congressman Is National in its
cha acter, wide in its influence and i'm
portant in its results. l shall not at this
time enter into an extended discussion of
the National Importance of the election of
Republican congressman, but l shall con-
tent myself with reference to state affairs
and leave to another occasion those Ma
tional questions. The election this fall in
Ohio, in so far as it pertains to officers of
state, is strictly impersonal and political.
1t matters but little to the people of Ohio
hot inAixyi61alc alaptad Of
state, Judge of the supreme court or men,
Der of the board of public works, so they
are honest and competent. There is,
therefore, no strength to be acquired in
making personal pleas for candidates, or
placing their election ON personal grounds.
So fur as my respected opponent and my
self are concerned, we stand in this con-
test as the Representatives of diverse
politics and principles, and not OF our in
dividual ambition or success. L ask for
Republican victory this fall for broader
and more cogent reasons. Il is important
in the influence which it shall cast upon
the future more than in the value Of the
offices which it may win for the present
1t is vital in determining where Ohio shall
be written in the political list of states
Let our state, with pronounced major
ity, give her vote to the Republican party,
and it places her Enthusiastically where
she belongs-in the Republican col
umn: let her give Democratic
majority and it gives the future
shade of uncertainty which may well
inspire the Democracy with hope for
next year and the great presidential
contest of the year 6fter. But if there
were no other reasons but simply the de-
sire for party success, we should be un-
worthy of n victory. Unless we have back
of our appeals to the people, arguments
based upon good reasons and facts in the
interest of good government, we should
not win. | shall, therefore, undertake to-
night to present such a comparison of Re
publican and Democratic government in
Ohio in such a way as TO demonstrate the
utter unworthiness of an Endorsement of
the present Democratic administration
from the people of our state. Every ad-
ministration that assumes power i'll Ohio
is confronted with three important do
mestic questions, viz: The financial
management of the ,tate, taxation and