The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-09-26


q most degrading effect on the character
Of community or commonwealth. and
unless. stopped. the corruption Will per-
meate every possible avenue OF society,
and avarioe and personal Rgerandize-
ment, personal gain or supposed prefer
ment and honors. will be used as so
many enticements to tempt the weak TO
deliver up their condolences, their good
characters and their good names. This
loss ot character In community can not
be measured by gold: Its value Is above
money; II Is above all price.
For IL years the chains have bsen forg-
ing about the liberties Of the people.
During large portion OF this time the
bosses have controlled both branches Of
the general assembly, and while the
great majority OF the members have been
honest men they have been dominated
by the bosses and by party caucuses con-
trolled by the bosses. and have enacted
laws against the interests of the people.
They have virtually given away fran
chses OF untold value I'm Cincinnati
Cleveland and elsewhere. They have In
creased salaries Of officers, some of whom
were already overpaid for the duties per-
formed. They have multiplied Offices for
party henchmen at the expense Of the
taxpayers. They have rewarded mem
bers OF the Legislature by granting re-
quests for special legislation, involving
In many cases the expenditure Of the
public funds. In order to secure their
votes for the boss. f--
1t Is, however, during -the last few
years that this bosslsm has become, so
pronounced and so unbearable as to
awaken general revolt. There has been
complete loss OF liberty in Cincinnati
and other cities, and in many Of the VIII
lagos and counties Of the state. Until
recently the better element of the Re-
30 ettiI haA fogt L.
pie, In themselves, and In their influence
and power to overcome and strangle tho
monster OF bossism that was sapping
their liberties and overthrowing all their
plans for the welfare of their party and
the interests Of the people.
The repeal Of the right of the people
to have spring elections, whereby they
could elect men on account of their merit
and honesty without being biased by
partisanship: the vicious legislation to
rob the state Of Its canals in order to
make millions Of money for the boss and
his friends; and the crowning act Of in
fanny In the governors forcing legislation
taxing not only the living but the dead
In order to secure enough money to make
good the extravagant appropriations for
state purposes, thinking that the half
million or more thus obtained would not
show on the tax duplicate, and that
therefore the people would not cry out
against what has proven to be the most
extravagant. II not the most reckless,
legislature that ever assembled In Ohio
these are some Of the crimes in the long
catalogue chargeable to bosses and boss-
ism In Ohio. But the grand elimination
came when the convention held at CO.
lumbus, May 25th last, gave conclusive
proof that George B. Cox dominated it's
actions and dictated its nominees, and
that his empire had taken In tho entire
n Ia 80 a.. n l. =
In favor OF some OF the candidates named
by that convention. and therefore he was
not the boss. Is there a man in the state
OF Ohio who does not know that the can
didates for governor. lieutenant governor,
attorney general, supreme court Judge.
treasurer and member Of the board of
public works could not have been nomi-
mated and would not have been nomi-
mated had he opposed their nomination?
Did any Of the prominent msn of tho
party dare to aspire to be q candidate
for any office before that convention un-
less he first had permission from tho
boss? II any further evidence was nee
essary to establish his kinaship. II was
shown in his influence in securing a
member Of the cabinet, an illustrious oit-
lien of Clio, to register in an official way
the commands Of the boss. Thera was
not self-respecting member Of the
great Republican party in the state who
did not know when the sun went down
on that 26th day of May that a battle
royal must be fought to win back their
liberties as citizens and as members OF
that party, and II Is to their credit as
patriotic citizens that many OF them will
join with US In redeeming the state from
the thralldom OF bosssm, with It's at
tendants, graft and corruption In the
words Of q Republican editor, "They
realize that the party in Ohio has fallen
under the domination of a corrupt and
disreputable boss. who prevents any free
expression OF the party's will. and has
used and Is using the party machine to
thwart the will Of the people and fasten
pernicious legislation upon the state.
Respectable Republicans" in the Ian
guage OF the editor. hang their heads in
shame when they think that the Repub-
lioan legislature and the state officlals.
from the governor down, are compelled
to submit to the dictation of a boss"
People Should Regain Their Rights.
In order to regain their rights and lib
critics, the people OF Ohio should exercise
their sovereign constitutional privilege.
When say the people, mean the whole
people, Republicans as well as Demo-
Gratis, and all others of all parties, be-
cause no matter who may be In possess
sion Of the offices, men of all parties suf-
fer the penalty Of bad government and
extravaganza. The proper way to de-
throne the bosses is by the ballot box;
the proper time to dethrone them is now.
The Republican party in the past has
had as its representatives such men as
William III. Harrison, Ulysses 8. Grant,
Rutherford b. Hayes, James A. Garfield
and William Mckinley; such men as
Governors Corwin, Chase, Dennison, Tod,
Brough. Waite, Senator Sherman and
many others.
Citizens without regard to party took
pride In the luster reflected on the state
OF Ohio by these great men. What is tho
shameful contrast today under the
blighting, whitening influence OF bossism
and corrupt politics! Statesnianship 10
at discount; mediocrity at premium.
The best men of the party are being
thrust aside to make way for the COM
monplace product OF machine politics.
A few men Of prominence in their respec-
tive counties and congressional districts
still survive. but they are fast losing
their influence It Is true there are Com
gresham Theodore IL. Burton Of Cleve-
In a fax 81 ~