The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1895-08-21
MANHOOD VS. MONEY.

In these days when the v ants of
men are so great, and one might
say when the want pf manhood in
politics is so great, We cannot re-
frain from calling the attention Of
the people to the good old days
when manhood and not money
ruled. In the earlier days Of the
republic men were selected for
high positions because of their
manhood. because of their ability
and fitness for the position. In
these degenerate days men are
selected too often for high positions
because they have money and be.
cause they are willing to spend
their money to secure the Offices.
Again we repeat that the evil Of
the hour is the use OF money in
election. How crying is the crime
is apparent to any thinking man
when he considers how utterly de-
moralzing ii is for II man to buy a
position of trust, and especially a
legislative Office. Wha. respect
has the poor man for law when he
knows that he sold his vote to the
man who is to make the law? 1t
matters not whether this position
be bought by hired delegates that 60
about the city or the state manipu.
lating saloons or leaders of organi-
zations or whether the money is
paid directly to the voter. A bribe
is bribe, no matter to whom 1t is
given. If men who have been ap-
pointed to Office are to receive their
salaries and use their time and
ability in favor of the man who ap-
pointed them, 1t is a misappropria.
tion of public money and should be
condemned. The government
does not hire its servants for the
purposeof making them political
agents of candidates for office.
A man is not to be condemned
because he has made money or has
the ability to make money, but he
is to be condemned for using the
money which he has made to in
fluence votes or to secure public
office. A vote should be purely
voluntary, it should be an expires.
sion of an intelligent opinion.
When great public questions are
before the country, like the money
question of to-day, every vote cast
should be an honest opinion, not a
blind following of an individual,
and above all it should not be the
act of man whose services have
been bought and paid for.
In this great money question is
liberty, freedom and prosperity or
there is slavery, falling prices and
a still greater ABSORPTION of the
wealth of the country into the
hands of the few. "Choose ye this
day whom ye will serve, God or
Mammon," manhood or money.
If the Democratic Earty in the
State of Ohio could once more be
true to itself and nominate for
office men of high character, men
who are unable to purchase-and
who would not purchase if they
could-a single vote, then tho peo-
pie of the State would flock to the
standard of Democracy, because it
would be truly the standard of
manhood.
Why not select some honest
Democrat to be the standard bear
er of the party as governor of the
state? Why not call some Will
lam Allen to rise up and go out for
the people as their leader, any good
true citizen of the state
who does not seek the Office ?
Such man the interests of the
party and the state demand Let
him he the antipodes ofthe Repub-
lican nominee. Then let the party
express an honest, candid and wise
opinion in condemnation OF the use
nf money in politics, and against
the selection of candidates simply