The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-26
No Word Yet for Free Speech.


From the NJ T. EUeniag POST
There remain only nine days from now
till election day.
Only nine DAYS remain in which the D.
mocratio leaders have the opportunity to
sneak out in favor OF free discussion, aud to
cond, mn the outrages upon Republicans,
which increase daily in frequency.
Will not the Democratic leaders say one
word only Are they really SO lost TO their
duty as citizens, 80 lost to shame, so forgetful
OF what is right, and SO blind to their own
interest, as TO remain silent when the whole
country reads daily official accounts of the
murder of Republican sherifs, judges, aud
other officers for no other reason than that
they are Republicans
The right of an American to hold whatever
political or religious opiuions he thinks proper
and to express and defend them to auy one
who chooses to listen to him, is surely the
one right which he ought to possess in peace
wherever our flag flies. The exercise of the
right of free discussion is too important to the
whole people, too nearly connected with the
preservation of our liberties, to be stopped or
interfered with. General Hampton, OF South
Carolina, the author of the revolutionary
plank in the Seymour and Blair platform, is
an admirer of what he calls the 'one-party"
system which used to obtain in South Caro-
lima; but pretty much everybody else knows
that the strife of parties, the clash of argu
ment, the free discussion before the people, of
two or more opposing policies, is the best and
the necessary political training for the people,
and that strong opposition in legislative
bodies is the safeguard OF liberty.
Yet here, in six or seven States, the attempt
is deliberately made to crush out one party.
It's meetings for discussion are broken up; its
speakers, and public officers elected by it, are
murdered; in at least one instance, Republi-
cans have been shot down, and those who fled
,o11rs1od nv hloodhOt1n nHl hooanaa fhau
dared to hold Republican meeting.
All these outrages ON free speech have been
committed; the history of them is certified by
official reports; and yet the Democratic leaders
in the North and West are silent. They have
not word of reproach to their Southern
allies; not a word of remonstrance, not word
in favor of free speech.
But this is not all. These Northern Demo
cratic leaders have been loudly called on by
the press and by public opinion to speak out
for free speech; to condemn the Camilla and
other outrages and murders; 70 clear their Wn
skirts of participation in and approval of these
crimes against lawful liberty. 1t is known
that the Northern Democratic leaders have
only to say a few decisive, earnest words, to
put stop to the violence of Southern Demo-
Gratis against Republicans. But they have
refused to say a word for free speech. The
Democratic committees issue addresses-but
no word in them urges peaceable and orderly
discussion. Mr.. Seymour make speeches
but he has no word for free speech. Mr.. Blair
is on the stump-but is silent on a question
which agitates the whole land.
What are we to understand? That these
Democratic leaders care nothing for free
speech? That they have no more regard for
Republican lives sacrificed in defense of this
right in the South than they had for those
who fell before the New York rioters?
That seems to be the case. But the Ameri-
can people like free speech; they will have it;
they hold, with General Grant, that "such a
degree of peace and tranquility shall exist in
this country that man may speak his mind
in any part of our great land and that with
out molestation or hindrance." The attitude
of the Democratic leaders, their suppression
of free speech in the South, and their refusa :! q
- s~y ..y trIfng rVr IL III the North, make IT
prudent for all Democrats who love free speech
to support Grant. He is the candidate of free
speech. He believes in the right of an Ame-
rican citizen freely to speak his mind on politi-
cal questions; and he has not been afraid to
say so.