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

cities. 1t was not even printed, but was
rushed the house at railroad speed, and
so greedy for the exercise of power were
the Democracy at Springfield that they
act -ally did not wait for the law TO pass
but undertook to carry out its provisions
before the cOnsummation of lis passage
by signing. y commission to act under this
proposed law, as well as their line of ac-
tiOn, was apparently agreed upon and Il
proclamation was issued to that eff
feet before this measure was a law, and
it required a decision of the supreme
court of this state To ston this high-handed
effort OF Democratic home rule by de
clSlon declaring the action of the Spring
field pIrtisans null and void.
In view of such circumstances as | have
recited, what 1aith can the people of Ohio
have in the Democratic parry? What an
swer can that party give for its conduct
i'll the face OF its pledges of the last cam
paiSn What explanation can be given
for this Change of base, this reyulsion of
sentiment and this contradiction of
action, | am sure that you will await
with some degree of interest the answer
which the spUkesmen of the Democratic
party Will make III this campaign, and
especially will we watch 1or the eXplana-
ton that will be offered by the governor
of ONO for this wholesale breach of party
faith and abandonment Of party platform
10 whlcl he Is Il party. If this be home
rule" II is \ uelusIon and snare, a politi-
cal trick played amid sounding brass
and Ilnklns cymbal," and it Indicates
serious and reprenensive phase of dis
honesty iii yolItIcs which deserves to be
condemned 10y the honest people of the
state regardless of party predictions.
The political auuacity, the recklessness
and bo.duess which has charactiZed the
Democratic party i'll the state alter its as
sumption OF power upon the platform of
It's last campaign, is certainly enough to
prevent any approval from the citizens of
the state. If there be no honor in politics,
II party promises and pledges are To be
made SIMPLY rs preteXt To obtain power,
with 10 intention to redeem them, then it
is ali right, and it will go uncondemned
But if the people OF O.hO believe i'll fair
play, be,ieve III great party redeeming
lis promises, II they Will adhere to the be-
lleI that political promise should be held
sacred persona one, then l am sure
you Will all agree with ME that the Demo-
cratic party Is noJ worthy OF tne conli-
dence OF our people, and deserves no III
dUrsenIent from their naEds.
My GeiloW-cIJ,Zens, II Ems indictment of
a violation OI llISuted IaIth could be
ended here, it would DC alone sufficient to
defeat tine Democracy III ONO, but they
u.d not stop aJ tuese Lhidg5 that have
spOAen OF until Jhey reached the very eli
lI:tX oi poll itlcsll InIamy III tie disTran-
ClllSGllltAl vi JOllGl VI ILC NOiClS VI
this stale. L re.er 10
THE PARTISAN ACT OF CONGRESSIONAL RE-
DISTRICTING,
which is populariy known in politics as
the Democratic ~.serrynander." 1t is the
duty OF tie general assembly, after each
decennial census, 10 district The state lor
purposes. This legislation
Results from both constitutional anu tut
utOry law, and it is the contemplation of
law that the apportIonnent o1 congress
nren should be based upon the population
Oh the state, giving as near as possible an
equal representation, that Is, conf iormlng
us near as may be to the required lopula-
tion of appUrLlonnIent.
1t is the undouD.ed purpose of the Fed
erai constitution and the law that this
shall be made but once in
ten Years, and thag, Immediately succeed
ing each census enumeration. This con-
gressiOnal apportiOnment has never been
made by the Republican party at any
O.her time. Let NE refer, i'll order that
we may have a clear idea upon this sub
ject, to the history OF ''gerrymandering"
Ill Ohio, and let ME state as historical
fact that it has always been practiced by
the Democratic party and no other party
in this state. The first time that the
decennial apportionment was overthrown
WAS in 1878, when the Democratic legisla-
ture of OHIO SO gerrymandereI the con-
gresSlonal apportlounleat OF 1877, so US to
return seventeen Democrats and three
Notwithstanding tht Repub-
li"a;Iis at the prior congressional election
lad carr led the state and twelve out of
the twenty congressman that our state
was then entitled to.
What was the result of the gerry
OF 1873? 1t resulted just as
every such Infamous piece of Legislation
will result. 1t gave defeat to the party
/ i.nfh n I'D isl. rah for lf.tn
..,d instead of three Republicans being
-iected aS the Democratic act Of gerry
n:ander" had contemplated. the Repub-
cans elected their state ticket, and car
led nine Republican congressman instead
Jf their allotted three. That was the first
attempt of the kind practiced in Ohio and
i met the fate that 1t deserved. In 1850
IA the following Legislature the Repub-
leans restored the districts to the original
of 1872. In 1882, in what
vas the first Legislature succeeding the
iecennial appOrtiOnment, the Republicans
passed the regular decennial redistricting
aw, as they were required to do under the
This was the time and that was the leg
stature to do this act. That law should
lave stood for ten years, but in 1884 the
Democratic general assembly again over
brew the regular act of congressional ap-
ortionment and passed their second ger
ymander IA Ohio politics, with the
vowed purpose and arrangement of elect
ng seventeen out of the twenty-one con-
ressmen that this state is entitled to.
What was the results Why, the Repub-
leans instead of electing what was al |
Otted to them, returned ten congressman
5 a substantial rebuke of tSis system of |
e. islation. In 1886 the Republicans hav-
ng regained power in Ohio, returned as
hey did befare to the regular apportion.
nent of 1882 which remained undisturbed |
ntil the present Democratic general as
emily came into power
And we behold, as result of their labors, |
state with 20,0C0 Republican majority. |
S decided by the presidential election of |
SSS, redistricted so that the majority of |
oters of one political school in this state
re given but five congressional districts,
While the Democracy of Ohio apportione
o themselves sixteen. Three times within
he last twenty years h>'e witnessed this
ystem of unfair and atrocious congress
iOnal apportionment. Twice have the |
eople of this state cast back in the face
f the originators their defiant answer to
And as sure as fate, my
riends, the answer will be given this fall
o this third Democfatic attempt by return
ng to congress from this state at least
ouble the number of Republican repre-
that they intended we should
ave.
A4.e apparent love of fair play among
he Am, rican people will bring down
upon political trickster
very time, and that love of a fair show,
ven for political opponent, will prompt
he people of Ohio to set their seal of con-
emnation upon this scheme. The reac-
ion in public sentiment which always
OllOws great outrages will be fully real
zed in this campaign, and the very plans
1hich the Democratic general assembly
aid to capture the congressional delega-
ion of Ohio, will be the means, in the
nd, of defeating the plot of the perretra-
Ors, and in maintaining fair and equita-
lie representation in Ohio politics.
The truth of the matter is that the leg
Station of which am now speaking is i'll
erfect keeping with the radical and par
san reorganization which they accom-
lished in other respects in response to
he mockery of 'home rule" The last
eneral assembly of Ohio did nothing fair
There is not n single green
pot in its history that can be pointed to
5 indicating anything like high-minded
or honesty in dealing with
he political affairs of the state. And If
his proposition is true in regards to mat
ars of a political nature, IL is dOubly true
hen we consider the Democratic admin
,tration of this state in reference to the
reat
UEsTIoNS OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
AND TAXATION.
These questions, which are far more inn
ortant to the farmer and business man