The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-09-09

LAOH gOOQ Wnlcn no pubic OnCef has
a right to use for his private benefit,
land whoever does so is a greater
scOundrel than he who misappIies
funds in his trust, because the official
trust is more sacred and the wrong
done more difficult to detect and
measure.
Whoever obtains votes under false
pretenses is a baser kuave than he
who obtains goods under false preten-
ses, and, on account of the greater
difficulty Of detecting and measuring
the evil done, deserves severer pun
i5hment and reprObation,
Regarding all officers as servants of
the people, and trustees of power for
the common veal, Democracy favOrs
such modes of appointments and ten
ures of office, as reason and experience
show best calculated to secure good
conduct and efficiency in the public
service, without regard to private in
interest, public customs, or individual
pretensiOns.
Reason and experience alike con-
demn frequent and needless
changes of public officers, and the
generally prevailing practice of ma
king them for private benefit instead
of the public good, is acting in great
matters of the State and nation, on al
principle which would ruin any pri-
vato business, and, unless corrected,
will bring the administration of free
government into deserved contempt.
1t is essentially opposed to the princi-
pies of Democratic government, and
it behOOves the Democracy of the
United States to make war on thel
practice without truce or delay, re-
turning to the JefersOnian standard
of official qualifications, "is he honest,
/ capable and faithful?"
6. The immense increase Of Ma |
tiOnal Executive patronage, placing
upward of one hundred thousand Off |
ces, besides numerous minor posi-
tiOns Of emolument, at his disposal, !
and the habit of changing the incum-
bents to secure or reward Executive
partisanship, have become dangerous
to the liberties of the country and de-
mand prompt and efficacious remedy. |
The remedy, at least in part, and
numerous important national advan-
tages, may be found, by providing
that no President shall be eligible for
more than one term; without a joint
/ resolution of Congress, passed by al
tWO-thirds vote in each House, previ- |
Gus to the election, declaring the
same; and further provision, that
the Presidential term shall be extend !
ed to six years.
7. The Democratic doctrine ofI
suffrage requires distinct reafirma-
ton.
Democracy has always held that |
suffrage is not Il natural right ofevery |
human being, nor of a particular sex or
race, but a political privilege, and who
should exercise it is a question to be de-
cided by what will produce the ''great- |
est good to the greatest number" and |
tn erefOre, as far as possible, to be de-
ter mined locally, where lays the great |
body of the rights of the. people.
But in these local discussions the
Democratic idea favOr5 a broad rather
than a narrow basis of suffrage. 1t is
not unmindful or regardless of the
rights of women, of minors, of proper
ty and inferior races; but seeing other
effective or advantageous ways in
which these can have their indu-
ence on all legislation affecting their
interest, at present it prefers giving
the right of voting to manhood, and
qualifications which will tend to- ere
ate bonds of political brotherhood be-
tween the rich and poor, based on
mutual interest, and to avert conflicts
between capital and labor.
The caucus system, invented by the
Democracy as a practical way Of find
ing out who Is proper person to be
voted for where a constituency is too
large to know each other personally,
and, in spite of its glaring imperfec-
tiOns and corruptiOns now adopted by
all parties, should be improved by the
Democracy and carefully regulated by
wise provisions of law.
These views [ believe to be explic-
lily or inexplicity held by three
fOurths of our voting population and
only require distinct Democratic enun-
citation to elicit substantial response
from the people, who well know that
neither public policy based on pass
ions nor radicalisn per SO can long
rule without running the country and
would be glad to combine, for the
public good, on grounds that would
restore our State aud national admin
strations to the spirit and practice OF
democratic republican simplicity.
Should there be Democrats whose
mental organization or temper does
not permit them to recognize existing
facts, or canfOrm their action to great
popular changes, let them, for the
public good, abdicate leadership, and
leave the energies of the people free
to act in the line of life and progress.
The exceptional political condition
of parties, and my desire to recall
well-known fundamental principles,
and indicats some of the logical con-
sequences and applications, in my
Judgment vitally important to the fu
ture of our country and the cause Of
free government, must be my apollo
gy for the length of this letter.
Thanking you for your cordiality
and kindness in communicating my
nomination, and begging, through
YOU, to thank your constituency for
it, 1 remain, gentlemen, very truly,
your friend, w. s. ROsECRANs.
To Gen. G. w. Morgan, Gen. Dur
bin Ward, Hon. J. H. HeatOn, Hon
H. Putnam, Hon. Lewellen Ba-
ber, Committee, Columbus, Ohio.