Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-05-01

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"I did not expect to make speech.
In a conversation with Mr.. Melendy
and AIR. 0rdway, AN observation or
two was made on the fact of the great
number of voters who stayed at home
at the last election. Mr.. Melendy
spoke about calling out Mr.. Ordway
to make a speech, but I did not ex-
pect to be included. 1t is worth
while to look at the neglect of our
voters for moment. BY the census
report, there are over 3, 1000 voters in
this county, but the poll last election
showed that something like ] 800
stayed away. OF this number. it
is fair, to say that at least 1000
were Republicans. Had this vote
been polled we would have had a lar
ger delegation In the Congressional
Convention. Instead of fifteen, we
would have had twenty-five, and
could have made any nomination we
choose. BY the neglect of our voters
we'are now left in our present condi-
ton. The canvass we are entering
upon is one of the most important
ever conducted in this country. The
Democrats are at work with deter
mination and will. You are aware
that the Convention of that party at
Dies Moines, was the largest conyen-
ton ever held by them in this State.
They are determined to increase their
vote in this State by all possible
means. You will find that they win
have their meetings in every town
ship. They will work hard and be
vigilant. You must do the same.
The fight will be neither easy nor
short. Not only this. suppose ynu
are aware that there lis Registry
law. The object of this Is to register
every mans name who Is entitled to
vote, and no others. These names
must be registered several days before
the election. This will require the
attention of every voter. Tho duty
of every Republican is to see that ev.
cry other Republican is registered.
These things viii require care and at
tention. 1t will make work, which
we should all be willing to do. As q
party, we have been neglected. of oul
true interests. There can not only
be neglect i'm having our votes
properly registered, but ] presume
every Republican is aware of the i'm.
portance of having oil our electors al
the polls. 1t is my opinion thai
there has never been an election be
fore i'm this country, the issues o.
Which were so combined. 1T is i'm.
| portant that we be prepared tolmeei
these issues, and you must he aware
that numbers control elections. Tits
not talk, 1t is hard work that tells al
the polls. To make q good count we
must be vigilant and industrious.
have one more thing to say here, and
I say 1t with al Difference to any
opinion of any Republican here
There are issues that must be mel
like men. One of these is the ques
ton of negro suffrage. AS Republic
cans, we have to meet this question
Your representative from this coun
ty i'm the last Legislature thought thai
we must meet it. / think he knew
what was proper to be done when we
agreed to submit this question to the
people of the State. We believed il
was right and we do not regret 1t.
We are determined that the whole
force of our party shall be brought
up to the work. I believe every citi.
zen of the State, who has not forfeit.
ed his right to vote by the commits.
sion of some crime, has right to
vote, and this right We cannot justly
infringe or curtail. Relieving in this
opinion, we stripped the question OF
everything else. The question as II
came to us from former legislature,
/ Isl E.
was Joined to another propositts6
that we deemed improper to hang to
SO important a measure as this. We
threw it aside. During the war, ma
ny men to avoid military duty left
the State. They refused to perform
the obligations imposed upon them
/ by their relations to the State, and
joined with the proposition for the
adoption of negro suffrage, was that
of DISTINGUISHING deserters. The for.
mer wps too vital to the interests OF
the Republican party TO be risked
with another. the reason of which
had almost ceased. Two years ago,
we thought that every man who left
the United States to avoid the draft,
should be denied vote. We strip
ped this from the other question, and
submitted that whether every man
who is a citizen has n right to vote.
Now / do not believe in a nation,
where the principles of universal lib.
erty do not underlie the foundation
of government. say that / do not
believe that I, as citizen, have a
right to vote where you are citizen,
and am allowed the right OF suf-
frage and you precluded. Now are
you and ! equal, If / say what
laws are to govern you and you not
have any voice in their making
If / shall say who shall be your
members of Congress, your represen-
tatives, your judges, your sheriils,
and your township officers, and you
as citizen, be precluded from hav-
ing any choice In the matter, are we
equal as the spirit of American insti-
tutions suppose us to be? | know
good Republicans-men in high sta
tion--who say that men have not the
right to vote, but only the privilege,
i deny that. say this is not the
correct principle in q government
where the people are judged supreme.
] know Q great many Republicans In
the legislature, and great many in
the State who say that we are afraid.
ofthis question. They say we are OPP
posed to making the negro our equal.
Ia A.