The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-10-29


in Athens county wi are holding th,
republicans of the county tight and
say to them, You are holding office
you dictator and you chairman of the
Republican County Committee; you
are holding office as my gift and
through me. | demand that you give
to the republicans of Athens county
an opportunity to elect central com
mittee and that you give them an OPP
portunity to know when the election
is and that you give ample time and
ample opportunity for a full consdera-
tion of the Importance of the occasion
and that new committee furnished
from the people be now selected
''In this way, and in this way only,
can Mr.. Douglas meet the demands of
conscience and fairness. If he will do
If he does not do it he must bear in
mind that he will not be heard to com
plain when the consequences of which
he has been warned are upon him. The
result in the congressional district two
years ago, which registered loss of
nearly ten thousand votes to the head
of the ticket, is quite sufficient warn
ing to an intelligent man that the peo-
pie of this District are not to be trihed
with upon matters of this character
"There is one remedy for this sys-
tematic usurpation of political power
and this persistent overthrow of pop
ular rights, and that remedy will be
in the hands of the voters at the elec-
tion next November, and it is better to
execute the power of the voter, even to
the disorganizaton of the party upon
the question of the election of a Con-
gressman, than it is to bow down and
cowardlike submit to the treatment that
the Republicans of this district have
hitherto submitted TO"
What are our Republican friends GO
ing to do? Since this editorial was
written and widely circulated, condi-
better. We are within month of the
election and if the statement of the
Messenger is true, and no one has dis
puted it and no one will dispute it, then
the Republicans find themselves on the
brink OF presidential election without
any candidate for Congress bearing
valid nomination in this district.
Why is it that our Republican friends
are thus forced into a situation that
must necessarily be embarrassing, if not
suggesting defeat? 1t must be apparent
to every one who has had full knowledge
while Mr.. Douglas pulled through by
greatly reduced majority two years ago,
he has ever since refused absolutely to
permit any vote to be taken anywhere
in the Congressional District upon the
question of his nomination. His nomi-
nation two years ago was secured by
the abandonment of all suggestions of
popular endorsement, as it was possible
for it to be, and the best evidence of it
is that he has given all the patronage
that he could command to the men who
detied popular sentiment and secured his
Not only so, but he has
succeeded in establishing reign of
terror among the persons holding gov
ernment positions of local character
in the District, and they are as COM
pletely his slaves and abject tools as
though they were owned under the old
law of slavery He might very well
have been dictator and boss under the
days of slavery, as he might be sue
cessful manager of politics under the
pretended freedom of choice in this
District.
OF course with Douglas in Congress-
two or three men in Athens county will
dictate the distribution of any particle
of patronage, and if he can be elected
io", He van NC ciccIcu III always anu
forever, 1t doesn't make any difference
how much wailing and gnashing of teeth
there is thereafter, it will be too late to
raise the question after submitting to
his present domination. The old man of
the sea who rides astride the Republican
party in this county for all local pur-
poses, can never be shook off until
Douglas shall have been shaken off. The
instrument here is just as strong as the
power there and no stronger
and if the Republicans of this District
desire to again be respected and respec.