all the
animation of youth and innocence, while the old people, looking
on, were chatting and joking and drinking their native wines, and
I could see no wrong in all this.

"But there were other scenes in these and other countries: Ginshops
and haunts of vice where the hand of authority was seen and felt.
What I contend for is that the lawmaking power shall be authorized
to make the distinction between innocent and harmful amusements
and the places and habits of life which eventually lead to
intemperance, vice and crime. Surely we can leave to our general
assembly, chosen by the people and constantly responsible to them,
the framing of such wise regulations, distinction and taxes as will
discriminate between enjoyment and vicious places of resort.

"It is a reproach to our legislative capacity to allow free whisky
to be sold, untaxed and without regulation, at tens of thousands
of groggeries and saloons, lest some law should be passed to restrain
the liberty of the citizen. What we want is a wise, discriminating
tax law on the traffic in intoxicating liquors, and judicious
legislation to restrain, as far as practicable, the acknowledged
evils that flow from this unlimited traffic."

This speech expressed my convictions in respect to temperance, and
how far this and kindred subjects should be regulated by legislative
authority. This was a delicate subject, but I believe the opinions
expressed by me were generally entertained by the people of Ohio
and would have been fully acted upon by the legislature but for
revenue restrictions in the constitution of Ohio.

After I closed Governor Foster and Speaker Keifer spoke briefly.
The general canvass then continued over the state until the election.
As the only state officers to be elected were the secretary of
state, a supreme judge and a member of the board of public works,
the chief interest centered in the liquor question and in the
election of Members of Congress in doubtful districts. I spoke in
several districts, especially in Elyria, Warren, Wauseon, Tiffin
and Zanesville. I spent several days in Cincinnati, socially, and
in speaking in different parts of the city. The result of the
election was that James W. Newman, the Democratic candidate for
secretary of state, received a majority of 19,000 over Charles
Townsend, the Republican candidate. This was heralded as a Democratic
victory. In one sense this was true, but it was properly attributed
by the Republ