The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1870-07-08
ADDRESS To THE COUNTRY.

The Democratic Senators and Repre-
sentatives in Congress held a meeting in
Washington, Friday night, and agreed
upon the following address to the friend
of constitutional government throughout
the United States:
TO our fellow-citizcns Of the United States,
friends of constitutional, economical and
honest government:
The undersigned beg leave to call your
attention to the peculiar Importance Of
the elections which take place this year,
and respectfully to submit some sngges-
tions for your consideration. BY the
State Legislatures to be elected nearly
one-third of the United States Senate
will be chosen. Nearly all tho mcm-
bers of the next House of Representa-
tives arc to be elected next fall. Upon
the coming elections, then, depends the
question whether the Democratic and
conservative element in the Senate shall
be increased and whether that element
shall have majority in the House of
Representatives and, as O consequence,
whether we shall have constitutional,
economical and honest government, or
continuance of revolutionary, extrava-
giant and wastcful partisan rule; whether
we shall have general, uniform, just
and constitutional legislation, with lea-
sonable taxation and frugal cxpcndi-
turc or unconstitutional, partial, unjust,
class Legislation, with oppressive and
unequal taxation and wastcful cXpendi
ture.
That we have strong reasons to hope
for favorable result is plainly APP
parent. The elections already held
clearly show that the tide of reform
has set in with power that cannot be
resisted if no bIundcrs be committed
by the friends of reform. If they do
their duty and act wisely, ifthey throw
off all apathy and act with vigor and
stcadfastness there is every reason to
hope that their efforts will be rewarded
by success. Let there be no dissentions
about minor matters, no time lost in the
discussion Of dead issues, no manifesto
ton of narrow or proscri ptive feeling,
no sacrifice of the cause to crafty per-
sonal ambition or resentment, and let the
best men be chosen for candidates, and
we may hope to see our country redeem
cd from misrule. And, in this connec-
ton, we beg leave to say a word to our
fellow citizens of the Southern States.
Do not risk the loss of Senators or Rep
resentatives by electing men who cannot
take the test-oath, or who are under the
disability imposed by the Fourteenth
Amendment.
Whatever may be said as to the vail
dity of that amendment or of the test
oath act, you may rest assured that SEN
ators elected by the votes of members
of Legislatures who are held by the Rad
icals to be thus disqualified will not be
permitted to take their seats, and that
members ofthe House of Representatives
thus disqualified will also be excluded.
1t is the plainest dictate of practical
wisdom not to incur any such risks. We
hope soon to see the day when all disa-
bilitics will be removed; but, in the
meantime, do not, we entreat you, lose
the opportunity to strengthen the Dem
ocratic and Conservative force in Con-
gross and the possibility, nay probability,
obtaining a majority in the next House
of Representatives, by putting it in the
power of our adversaries to overthrow
or disregard your elections.
Signed by A. G. Thurman, of Ohio;
William. II. Hamilton, Maryland John.
w. Johnston, Virginia; Garrett Davis,
Kentucky; George Vickers, Maryland;
John P. Stockton, New JerSy; I. +.
Bayard, Delaware; E. Casscrly, Califor-
MIA; Thomas G. McCrcery, Kentucky;
Willard Salisbury, Dclew are; and
Daniel S. Norton, of MINI esota, OF
the United States Senate and all the
Democratic members.