The Lincoln County herald., 1870-12-22
Political Disability.
0isT or scHUhz's SPEECH,

. 0fsT or scHUhz's SPEECH.
At LILO o'clock the senate, on motiol
OF MIR. Scurs, took up the resolution Of
fered yesterday by that senator, declarinI
+ in favor Of the removal Of all politics
disquali6cations as soon 40 the i'm psra,iv
public necessity which dictated their i'm
position had ceased. Mr.. Schurs the,
delivered an address Of unusual length
to which the senate listened with marke,
attention. Ho reviewed the history O.
the party division 10 Missouri, for whiol
be said he aud those who acted with hin
had teen denounced % traitors TO III,
Republican cause. The interference q
the solicitation of his colleague | Drake
Of the national executive, by which thi
State contest had acquired more thar
local interest; and the subsequent defea,
Of the president with ell bis patronage
by the very principles by which be had
been elected; the probabilities for ths
nation Of . new party nucleus, and th.
prospects Of reforms in the civil service
aud revenue; these were also referred to.
Commencing with an allusion to the res
olution as tho expression Of . sentimen.
which had received an emphatic iudorse
ment at the recent election 10 Missouri,
and 10 tho existing agreement between
bis colleague Mr.. Drake1 and himself
that bis own speech should be made be
fore the Withdrawal Of the latter from the
senate, Mr.. Schurs proceeded to show
that the disfrauchisement Of persons on.
gsged in rebellion was temporary expe.
dient, . measure Of safety rendered uec
essary BY the now social condition in the
South consequent on the close of the war
He held that the removal by the party
which impose them, aud while still in
its ascendancy in the government, Of all
polictical dlsquali6cations, especially from
the ballot boz, Was essential to the resto
ration Of ffaternal feeling % proving tha,
such measures had not resulted from vim
dictivcness but necessity, and as bringing
the late rebels to . full realisation OF
their share with ourselves in the institu.
tions and greatness Of the common couu
try. Such we're among the reasons
governing his course in the late move.
ment. Q1oting from the resolution of.
fered by himself in the national republi
can convention Of 1868, declaring the
republican party in favor Of the removal
OF political disabilities as soon % COM
patiblo with the public safety, and oil
welcoming back to che Union the loyal
people among the late rebels, who would
accept the new order Of things. He
said this was part Of the platform on
which Gen. Grant was made president
But how had that promise been carried
out 10 Missouri Only by victory over
the Republican party, instead Of upon it.
good faith and by its assistance. When
the party resisted enfranch chisment after
party honor commanded them to grant il
what hope could Republicans have Of
winning over to their ranks the rc en
franchised? The principal opponents Of
the movement within the Republican
ranks wero those whose whole stock in
trade consisted Of tho battle cries Of the
civil war, who would forever roll the
word "rebel" as . sweet morsel under
their tongues, and that class Of politi.
clans whose whole end Of political life
was to mouopolize local Offices.
Mr.. Schurz denied as not in accordance
with the fact the assertion of his col
league in his printed speech circulated
in the senate that the opposition was not
so much to enfranchisment itself Is
against constitutional amendment as
the method of effecting it. He referred
to some 6fty or sixty newspapers which,
led by the central organ at St. Louis,
directly protested against the thing itself
In order to prevent the Endorsement Of
the enfranchising amendment to the con
stitutlon the Republican State convention
was manipulated in advance by giving to
the colored voters of the State . repre-
sentation double that allowed to the
white population, and so disc;plining
them that that race against whom so
many prejudices were still alive should in
Missouri cast their virgin franchise to
continue the dsfranchisment Of Others
The speakers unsuccessful efforts 10 the
convention 10 behalf of the enfranchising
amendment, until he and his friends went
out from the convention, carrying with
them % he claimed, tho honor, the prin.
ciplc, and tho banner Of the Republican
party, we're SUCCESSFULLY referred to. AZ
also the sweeping character Of tho politi.
cal disquali6cstions in Missouri, where by
the provisions Of statutes and the State
constitution persons could bs disfrau
chised not only for disloysl acts. but for
sympathy expressed or implied even Of
tho remotest kind. Consistent Union
men Of life long devotion to the govern.
ment, for merely expressing the hope
that their relatives ia the rebel army
would return home safely, we're disfran
ehised for sympathy with those engaged
in the rebellion. He (Schurs) knew
scores Of men who had served three and
four years in the Union army aud had
been disabled in the service. who had
been disfranchised for harmless language
uttered either before they donnod tho
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