The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-10-15
DEMOCRATIC HOPES.
They Are Centered In the Con-
troll of the Legislature.
TICKET Is SAFELY REPUBLICAN,.
Why the Republicans Must Be Up
and Doing to Keep Control of the
General Assembly-Its Importance.

Why the Republicans Must Be Up
and Doing to Keep Control of the
General Assembly-Its Importance.
There is no Democratic leader in
the state who hopes to elect Kill
bourne and his state ticket. They
are working for a far more valuable
prize. They are striving might and
main, but with as much S. crecy as
possible, to elect Democrats to the
state senate and house of representa-
tives, in every doubtful district and
county in the state. Should they gain
that, it would be worth infinitely more
to the Democratic party than the
election of Kilbourne and the other
Democrats on the state ticket.
Why? Because this winter the Ohio
general assembly will choose an Unit
ed States senator to succeed the gal
liant Foraker. The general assembly
will also redistrict the state for con-
gressional purposes. Now, of the 21
representatives in congress from
Ohio, fifteen are Republican and but
six are Democrats. Elect a Demo
cratic legislature, and it will gerry
mander the state so thar the Repub-
licans will have fewer congressman
than they should; and this gerryman-
der will have to stand for the next
ten years-until 1911.
Can you wonder that the Demo
cratic workers are ''tramping grass"
all over the state in the effort t. win
a majority in that body? With an
United States Senatorship and a half
dozen seats in congress for the next
ten years as the prizes of success,
to trade off Kilbourne and the re-
mainder of their state ticket for votes
for Democratic candidates for the
legislature?
Ohio is leading state in the Union.
Especially is she prominent in the pol
;tics of the nation. When Ohio
speaks the states listen. And should
she, on November 5 next, by her vote,
elect the Democratic ticket, the Dem
ocrats, the Populists, the Bryanites,
the elements everywhere of protest
and dissension, would howl for joy.
For they know that it would be ac-
cepted, the country over, as verdict
against the Republican party; against
its national policies; against protec-
ton, against reciprocity, against pro-
gress along those lines which have
made the nation prosperous since
1897.
More than that. Should Ohio go
Democratic, it would retire Senator
Foraker and deprive the highest coun-
ell of the nation of his wise states
manship. This would disgrace our
state in the eyes of Republicans ev,
erywhere. And similar disgrace
would attach itself to her for allowing
| the Democrats to grab number OF
seats in the house which they are not
entitled, and thus, in both branches
of congress, deprives President Rose
yelt's administration of a measure OF
| the support it should have in the ma
| tional legislature.
But why should any Ohio Republi-
| can-why should any Ohio citizen
| who voted for William Mckinley last
| year. cast his vote for the Democratic
| party this year? Ohio Democracy
| has not changed. 1t has written free
| trade" on its banner this year, and
| boldly declares for a return to its old
| vicious tariff-smashing ideas. Are
the people willing to repeat their ex
perience under the Wilson bill? DC
they wish to have another panic? dc
| they want industrial plants shut down
the country full of idle workmen, ano
a repetition of all we endured from
1898 to 1896?
| A Democratic victory in Ohio this
fall would revive the hopes OF thai
party in every state. Its worker:
would take fresh courage, and redou
| BILE their efforts to stop the country
progress by trying free trade and 9th
er follies to which that party is com
mitted. Its Ohio emissaries are prat
ing of state taxation, and endeavorin:
to create the impression upon the
voters that the Republicans have dom
something terrible with the finances o
the state. What are facts?
Ten years ago, the revenues of tn
state were not adequate for its needs
1t was a necessity that more none,
should be raised. There were but tw'
ways of doing this. One was, to in
crease the rate of taxation for stat
purposes, and make the burden OF tn
| people heavier. The other was, t
find new subjects of taxation. Tn
| Republicans decided to take the latte
course. They first thought of taxin
, the franchises of railroads, expires
!, companies, telegraph, telephone an
electric light companies, and SO OF
| But it was found that the constltutio
of the state does not allow the taxs
ion of franchises. So the Republica
legislatures imposed taxes on the bu
mess done by these corporations,
various ways. The result has bee
) an increase of the states revenue b
one-third. Not only has this furnishe
. abundant money for governmental e.
+ penses. but it has reduced the stat
: debt by more than a half-million do
u. lars. Only a few state bonds yet r
main, and were they due, they coul
be paid out of the surplus in tn
state treasury There is no ground ft
: faultfinding in what the Republica
g party has accomplished.
d Tom Johnson of Cleveland is co
scious OF this, and so he raises the ci
n that the railroads are not taxed h.e
4 enough. If that be so-and, bear
mind, 1t has not been proved-ti
fault is not with the legislature NJ
the governor. The auditors of all Il
IS counties through which each railws
runs meet annually and fix its taxab