The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-02-18
By THE PEOPLE FOR
THE POEPLE

We have just finished reading the
full text of Gov. McKinley's grafton at
the Lincoln banquet in Columbus, as
printed in the Toledo Commercial. We
have already published a synopsis as
prepared and sent out by the Columbus
agent of the American Press Associa-
tion. The Grafton was evidently pre-
pared with great care, and it gives evil
dence of studious research. As will be
remembered Gov. Mckinley in pro.
nouncing this Grafton, stood facing a
large portrait of Abraham Lincoln,
with the following immortal sentiment,
in large letters underneath:
"GoCeJnment Of the people, by the peo-
pie Gnd for the people"
This is part of sentence from the
oration of Lincoln delivered on the bat
tie field of Gettysburg, and which has
passed into an American classic as
"Lincoln's Gettysburg Grafton" Gov.
Mckinney seems to fully imbibe the
spirit and doctrine of Lincoln in this
the greatest oration of LincOln's career,
delivered in the midst of the greatest
struggle for free representative
government in all history.
And now what do we see. In Gov.
McKinley's home town of Canton, a set
of men claiming to be McKinley's
friends were sitting around that
banquet table in Columbus, one with a
bill TO murder free government In Can
ton in his coat pocket. And all the
balance of the delegation from the
home of the orator of the occasion were
in full cahoots with the outrage.
What a spectacle is this for the con .
temptation of God-fearing men and
patriotic citizens. Mckinley as the
Governor of Ohio, lauding Abraham
Lincoln, rs the great commoner of the
people, as a mau who always trusted in
the people; in the very presence of a
venal gang of conspiraJorS armed with
the weapons to kill popular govern
ment by law, in Mckinley's home city.
And yet this Is an exact statement
OF the situation at the Lincoln
banquet Before the lax on to-
days News DEMOCRAT is fairly
dry, bill will probably be put
into ne Ohio Legislature to rob the cit
liens of Canton of the elective fran
chise-place all our municipal affairs
In the control of a partisan Board, ap.
pointed by some Republican official not
elected by our citizens and entirely be.
yond their control, or even influence
In the whole history of Ohio, running
back almost one hundred years, no
such violent measure to rob the citizens
of municipality has ever been enacted
into law.
We challenge the production of 9
single parallel case.
There have been cases where good
citizens and tax payers have met and
prayed for lelief from the rule of pub
lie robbers, but not single case on rec
ord (as we are told by high authority
in ONO, where scheme like the one
proposed for Canton has ever been en-
/ acted into law,
Without any petition in its favor;
Without any public discussion;
Without even charge of corruption
| upon which to base it.
And concocted in a secret caucus a.
night by men who are under cover anC
known to be only interested in vena
politics and the spoils of office.
And now the citizens and Taxpayers
of this city (and good many Republi
cans) are asking the question:
Can it De possible that Coy. McKin.
ley is in with this gang2
1t is said by some Democrats that HI
is, because his organ is in it, but we ar,
not yet disposed to believe it.
If he Is, the assassination of free
representative government in Cantor
will be contaminated.
If he is opposed, the scheme will be
killed.
Gov. Mckinley will be consulted by
the committees on municipal affairs il
the General Assembly and 1t will not bt
very long before every citizen of Can
ton will know just how the Governor
stands now, on the question of tht
elective franchise and popular govern
ment.
Let us wait for the result, in the firm
faith that government of the people
by the people and for the people, will
not perish from off the earth;
Even in Canton.
We have no knowledge of how Gov
Mckinley stands on this matter, 81
vital to our interests, but we predict
that he will not favor it, as he know
full we'll now the Ripper business killeC
Foraker. Mckinley is usually on tht
alert on political points.