The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-02-11
MR.. AVERAGE VOTER HAS HIS
EYES OPENED


votion to the wheelsman of the state,
but for ENLIGHTENMENT
Like many others, he had been
swept into the maelstrom of specious
innuendo, canting hypocrisy and reck-
less deceitfulness which in 1914 seeth-
ed around a certain professor in Ada
and later elevated him to the guber-
Material chair. He felt that he had
been duped, but charitably he offered
his manipulation the chance to make
good.
The state of Mr.. Average Voters
mind Tuesday night was very much
like that of a man who has been in
veigled into buying panacea for all
ailments from befrocked and bejew-
elled peddler on the corner and who
later discovers the medicine will cure
nothing except trusting mind. Mr..
Average Voter admitted he had been
deluded in 1914, that the millennium
had not been ushered in and that he
had failed yet to receive q compre-
hensive definition of the word "de-
centralize."
He sought the why's and wherefores
of the misadministration Of 1915 and
1916. He sought an apology to him
self for the blunders committed at ev-
cry turn. He sought to disabuse him
self OF the steadily lurking feeling
that not one whit Of good had come
| out of the Willis fiasco. He sought ex-
plantations that were his just and hon
| est due.
Mr.. Average Voter, while awaiting
| for this return for the dollar he had
given up, could not help letting his
mind run back to a like gathering
three years before on the occasion of
the anniversary of the battle of New
Orleans and in honor of the seventh
president Of the United States and the
patron saint Of Democracy, "Old Hick-
ory" Jackson, when men of a differ
ent political persuasion gathered in
the same spot to pay homage to a
man whose past record of brilllancy
and whose future prospects were so
transcendingly bright that Democrat
ic success In the oncoming election
was assured. He remembered his
feeling of pride that he later voted
for this man who became the admira-
tion of all Ohio on account of promises
fulfilled and an administration of ex-
emplary progress. AS he brought back
to his minds eye the deeds of this
great man, he was panied with the oft
recurring feeling that he had been
deluded enough to be drawn away
from this mans standard and he began
hotly to resent the Vaccinations of the
forces surrounding the man whom he
had come Tuesday evening to receive
apologies and explanations from.
The dinner finished, Mr.. Duped In
dignant Voter drew back his chair AMI
waited. He waited and he waited and
on Wednesday, was still waiting. He
heard a defense, but not the eXplana
ton due him. He heard congression
al oratory which few years back
was heard only when franked out
but he did not receive the apologies
he felt were his. He heard persiilage
intended to obscure and deceive, but
he failed to recognize any real vindi
cation of the misadministration. And
most important of all. he did not heal
single, valid reason why the speak
er had deprived 80 many people o
their share of chicken gizzards at {
certain gathering in Ottawa count,
, several months ago.
T. Mr.. Average Voter left the room 1
{ disappointed man. True, he had re
D ceived a good dinner and had enjoyed
J. the socability of the crowd, but hi
o primal purpose-that for which he hat
relinquished his dollar-had been de
n feated On rumination, he decided
:. that he had expected trihe too much
I In other words, he came to the conclu
sion that there COULD be- no justitica
l.
It supineless acts, or better yet, doings
n Of the Observation-Disclosures of the pas
e two years.
% What Mr.. Average Voter sought an
'e what he failed to receive any enligh
n enment on we're such things as these
e. Why had efficiency been sacrifice
In civil service appointments in ordC
% to pay political debts?
% What had been so superior abol
le the willis administration as to be $
ID infinitely more expensive than the a.
[, ministratlon of Cox?
he Why, In view of Willis alleged d
III testatlon of political machines, had re
III lgnations of efficient men been force
le on all sides?
rs Why had lawyer been appointC
va head OF department of which he Ia
IN no knowledge and then allowed to r
n. min there after dlsgracGtul d
|