Year: 1869

y
OF woman who runs up bills at the
grocery, the store Of the bakeshop
or who indulges fancy in any par
ticul.r on credit, you will be most |
happily independent. !





The Fifteenth Amendment and


the Canvass inOhiO.


The Republican party is squarely
committed to the Fifteenth Amend
ment 1t was originated and adopt
ed by a Republican Congress; it has
received the unqualified sanction of
a Repu blican President; it has been
ratified by more than a score of
Republican Legislatures. From
beginning to end it is Republican
measure There is nothing about it
that is Democratic, except the prin-
cipal of political equality, which it
embodies and that is sufficient to
secure for it the hostility of a party
whose chief busines, in its day of
power, was to preserve inequalities
among men, and shield under the
protecting agis of the States a form
of despotism more outrageous than
any ontgrowth of teudalism.


The Republican party is morally
bound to maintain the Amendment
until it shall have become a part of
the supreme law of the land. 1t is
as logical result Of emancipation
as emancipation was logical result
of war wagel in the interest of
slavery against the Union. The
complement of citizenship is the
ballot. There can be no permanent
halfway house between the grant
of civil rights and the franchise that
protects them. Defeat of measure
intended to abolish political dis
tinctions, based upon race and color
means simply protection of agi
tation. Empedocles will not be
quiet while the mountain presses
upon him. Either we must go back
ward to the enslavement of the
emancipated, or forward to thei.
political enfranchisement.


AS a practical question in Ohio.
affecting the numerical strength of
parties, the enfranchisement of her
colored citizens is of small conse-
quence. In 1860 the entire colored
population Of the State was but &c.
673 against 2,3O2,SOS whites. OF
this comparatively small number
but 1921 were males, and but 8,
O92 over the age of twenty. OF the
males eight thousand were mulattoes
one half of whom at least were al
ready voters The enfranchisement
of the remaining adults would not
have added five thousand to the
voting population of the State. 1t
is doubtful whether it would be in
creased to that extent were every
adult negro made voter to day
Practically, therefore, the Limitation
or extention of suffrage in Ohio is,
as partisan measure, an inconse-
quential affair. The twaddle of
politicians about the Afrieanization
of TIE State is lnsufferable nonsense.


But the question must be consid-
cred in its larger import. 1t rises
to the significance of a national is
sue, which must be decided by the
several States. Their assent is re
quired to the principle of the
mendment before it can be incor-
porated into the Constitution of tue
United States. The Republicans of
Ohio can not escape this issue ii
they would. 1t is upon them. They
can no more remain neutral in such
contest than Kentucky could re-
main neutral in the war. Let it be
conceded that the Amendment will
be ratified without the assent OF
Ohio; does that relieve the Repub-
lican voters of their responsibility
If ratified without the vote of Ohio,
well and good: but if ratified with
her assisting voice, well and hetter.
1t is the seal of the third State in
the Union to principal that her
children will wonder was so long
unrecognized.


The Republican State Convention
must come UP to the mark. TO ig
more this, almost the only issue that
can be raised, would be a confession
of moral cowardice that ought to
condemn the party to over whelm-
ing defeat. 1t can better afford to
lose office than abandon it's colors.
If it is attempted to confine the can
vass to local issues, as has been in
timated, what are they? The ex-
| travafrapoa f,f tho 1ato coricl lot,rra
the general character of it's legisla-
tor the location of the Agricul-
tural College? y? the establishment OF
a new penitentiary ? the enlargement
of the Toledo canal? the Morgan
raid claims? What local issue, in
short, is there about which there is
sufficient interest to make a decent
canvass? ?


But let us suppose that the Con-
vention does ignore the Amend
ment, and seek refuge in affected
neutrality. Is there man in the
State so stupid as not to perceive
that in determining the political com
plexion of the next Legislature, he
is determining the fate of the
Amendment so far as Ohio is con-
cerned? ? The issue will be before
the people. whether it is in the
platform or out of it. In every dis
trict of the State the candidates will
find it thrust upon them, and they
will not be permitted to take refuge
upon a platform so deli cately con-
Al