The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-09-15

| was accepted by all The powerA We may
get 2nly hope for, but expect, highly bene
Viii nov soon assemble When the result
| Of tbe conference 10 known we shall then
b able, iptalligently, to readjust our flnan.
Gal Legislation to any new conditions.
IN my last annual message to congress ]
ead; Unjust yet entertain the hope that
ie possible TO secure a calm, patriotic
| consideration of such constitutional or
etaeutory changes as may be necessary to
secure the choice Of the officers of the gov.
}nents apd free elections. I believe It will
| be possible to constitute commission
non-partisan In its membership and com
| posed OF patriotic, wise and impartial men,
! to whom consideration Of the questions
| OF the evils connected with
Our Elections Systems.
And methods might be committed with
good prospect Of securing unanimity in
some plan for removing or mitigating
those evilA The constitution would per-
init the selection Of the commission, to be
vested In the supreme court, II that meth
y This shond q be dRSaraed
| with the duty OF inquirtng invo the whole
subject Of the law Of elections as related to
the choice Of officers of the national gov
ernment, with view to securing to every
elector free and unmolested exercise Of
the suffrage, and as near an approach to
an equality of value In each ballot cast as
is attainable- The demand
that the limitations of suffrage shall be
found In the law, and only there, Is just
demand. and no just man should resent or
| resist 1t"
! 1t seemed to me that an appeal to our
! people to consider the question Of read
1usting our Legislation upon absolutely
i've response Many times have had occa-
sion to say that laws and election methods
designed to give fair advantages to the
party making them, would sometime be
used to perpetuate in power, a faction Of a
the people. OF this we seem to have an
ILLUSTRATION In the recent state election in
Alabama There was no Republican
ticket in the field The contest was be-
say they were refused the representation
Boards and that, when the courts by
mandamus attempted to right this wrong
an appeal that could not be heard until
after the election made the writ ineffeo-
tual
Ballot boxes were thrown out for alleged
irregularities or destroy ed, and it is as
serted on behalf Of one-half, at least, of the
white voters Of Alabama that the officers
to whom certificates have been given were
not honestly elected There is no security
for the. personal political rights. The
power OF the states over the question of the
qualification Of electors is ample to protect
|
depraved suffrage and the demand that
every man found to be qualified under the
law shall be made secure in the right to
cast free ballot and to have that ballot
honestly counted can not be abated.
Our old Republican battlecry, "a free
ballot and fair count, comes back to us not
only from Alabama, but from other states,
and from men who, differing with US wide
ly In opinions, have come to see that
parties and political debate are but a mock
cry II, when the debate Is ended the judg
ment Of honest majorities is to be reversed
by ballot-boG frauds and tally sheets manip-
ulation IN the interest of the party or party
These new political movements in the
states and the recent decisions Of some Of
the state courts against unfair apportion-
ment laws, encouraging the hope that the
arbitrary and partisan election laws and
corrected by the states the law made equal
and non-partisan, and the elections free
and honest. The Republican party would
rejoice at such solution as healthy and
patriotic local sentiment is the best assur-
ance OF free and honest elections 1 shall
again urge upon congress that provision
be made for the appointment Of nom
partisan commission to consider the sub
tect OF apportionments and elections in
their relation to the choice of federal
officers
The Civil Service System
he's been extended and the law enforced
with vigor and impartiaity. There has
been no partisan juggling with the law in
any of the departments or bureaus, as had
classified service have been made impair
TALLY from the eligible lists. The system
now IN force in all the departments has,
for the first time, placed promotions
strictly upon 9a,1 the asi basis of of merit as ascer
Of the force thereby greatly increased
| Schools.
The approval so heartily given by the
convention to all those agencies which con-
tribute to the education Of the children of
the land was worthily bestowed and meets
my approval, as does also the declaration
as to liberty of thought and conscience,
and the separation of church and state.
The safety of the republic is an Intelligent
citizenship, and the increased interest
cheerfulness with which the necessary
taxes are paid by all classes, and the re-
newed interest manifested by the children
10 the national flag are hopeful indications
that the coming generation will direct pub
lc affairs with increased prudence and pa
triotism. Our interest in free public
schools open to all children of suitable age
Is supreme, and our care for them will be
Jealous and constant.
The considerate attention of the farmers
Of the whole country is invited to the work
done through the state Of agricultural de-
partments in the interest Of agriculture
Our pork products had for ten years been
not only excluded by the great continental
nations Of Europe, but their value dis
credited by the reasons given for this ex-
clusion All previous efforts to secure the
removal OF these restrictions had failed,
but the wise legislation Of the Fifty first
congress, providing for the inspection and
official eertifcation of our meats, and
giving 70 the president power to forbid the
Introduction into this country of selected
products Of such countries as should con-
tnue 70 refuse our inspected meats, en-
abled us to open all the markets of Europe
to our producta
pricea, by providing new markets for our
surplus, but to add fifty cents per hundred
pounds to the market value of the inspect
ed meats. Under the reciprocity agreements
cultural products, and our exports Of such
products have been greatly increased, with
sure prospect Of further and capid in