The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-09-14

bers voted against any amendment 70
the Wilson bill, that would recognize sis
yer In any form. OF course Mckinley
knew all that. He did not mean . word be
said about silver and OF course he knows
that the Republicans In Congress are
,umblinq over each other in an effort TO
repeal their own legislation and serve the
shylocks and gold bugs OF the east. Still
the Governor had she audacity to In
dulae In such weak, yague and ascertain
sentences about silver, OF course he
omitted 20 state how the Republicans
proposed 20 utilize silver, and of course
ne knows they don't propose TO utilize tt
at all. IL is conceded that his speech on
the money question IL weak, wabblinR
and dishonest, and those who know
how very little the Governor knows about
the money question expected nothing
better.
A large part Of the Governors speech,
which follows his money discussion 10 on
the tariff. listened to this part OF bis
address without much interest, as have
heard IL 30 often. So far as can discov-
er he said nothing new on the tariff. IL Is
the same old tariff speech revsmped,
warmed over with few new extracts,
and fred of with the same dramatic pose
and fervor.
As Gov. Mckinley 10 the Governor OF
Ohio many expected he would discuss
State issues, and say something pleasant
about the Republican State .Administra-
tion, and the Republican legislature. But
In his whole two hours harrangue, he
omitted to discuss the only real issues OF
of the campaign.
He dare not do ~.
He is afraid of his own record,
His talk on the pension question was
characteristic of his talk on silver, linsin-
cere, hypocritlcsl, untrue, and unpatri-
otic. quote Just what he said:
"rhe Administration has been unjust to
the pensioners OF the country, The sus-
pension of n soldier once pensioned legal
ly without notice or hearing, 10 unpreced'
ented as we'll as unlawful. Such course
IL unworthy great Government which
was preserved through the services and
sacrifices of It's Volunteer Army. There
is no good citizen who desires that an un-
worthy person shall have place upon
this honorable roll of the Nation, aud
while this is true, there is no good citizen
who will not condemn the striking down
upon ex parte testimony OF any soldier
who has been judiciously determined by
previous Administration worthy of mis-
place there. Every soldier on the pension
roll today is there because In the judge
ment OF the Commissioners OF Pensions
and the Secretary of the Interior he has
fully met every requirement of the law
granting pensions TO soldiers. Once there
he IL entitled to remain until IL 10 shown
have an opportunity TO reply. that he 10
there by fraud and has no place among
the honorably disabled soldiers OF the
war. No man should be condemned with
out hearing. No soldier should have the
taint of fraud put upon him without an
opportunity to meet bis accusers.
"The simplest and most fundamental
PRINCIPLES Of justice require that man
should have an opportunity TO confront
his accuser and the witnesses who testify
against him. / understand that In the
cases suspended, the suspended pensioner
has no access to the testimony or the let
teTs, or the Information furnished by
of the pension. All that is denied him.
He simply is advised that his pension Is
suspended and he is required to show why
he should be restored to the roll. The
Government should be required In the
first instance to show why his name should
be dropped from the roll, and II should be
by clear and unmis tax q abe and conclusive
evidence. The pensioner is dropped, and,
without knowing why he 10 dropped, he 10
required to show that he ought not to have
been dropped, and he 10 required to show
that the judgment heretofore had In his
case by an authority as competent as that
now passing upon his case was justified.
l do not believe In the system which
permits the Government to thus treat the
defenders OF Its flag. l condemn, with all
the earnestDess of my nature, system
that puts this stigma upon my comrades
In that great war which preserved the
Union. More than 800 of the old Ohio
soldiers paid from the pension Office at
Columbus have been thus summarily Drop
ped and disgraoed before the eyes of their
fellow-citsens and the civilized world
on average Of twenty to county, aud the
work OF the executioner still goes ou
How long 10 this injustice to continue 2"