The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-06-30
Address of the Democratic congressman.

Address of the Democratic Congressman.
The Democratic members and Senators in
Congress have issued the following address to
the citizens of the United States, in which they
direct attention to the great Importance of the
elections next fall, both for members OF the
Legislature and members of Congress. Ihe
address indicates strong reasons to hope Tor
favorable result, and advises the friends of re-
form in our national affairs to throw off apathy,
and enter the canvass with energy and vigor.
The Southern people are urged to incurno risks
by the election of persons unable TO qualify un-
der the existing laws. 1t is wisely suggested
that "there be no dissensions about minor mat
ters no time lost in the discussion of dead issues,
no manifestation of narrow and proscriptive
feeling, and no sacrifice of the cause to crafty
personal ambition or resentment" The address
is signed by eleven Senators and sixty-four
members of the House of Representatives, and
is as follows:
To oar Fellow Ctizcns Of the United States,
friends of Constitutional, Economical and
Honest Government:
The undersigned beg leave to call your at
tention to the peculiar Importance OF the cleo
tions which take place this year, and respect
fully to submit some suggestions for your con-
sideration. BY the State Legislatures to be
elected nearly one-third of the United States
Senate will be chosen-nearly all of the men,
bers of the next House of Representatives are
to be elected next fall. Upon the coming cleo
tions, 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 a consequence whether
we shall have Constitutional, economical and
honest government, or continuance OF revolu-
tionary, cxtravagant and wasteful partisan rule /;
whether we shall have general, uniform, just
and constitutional legislation, with reasonable
taxation and frugal expenditure. or unconstitu-
tional, partial unjust class legislation, with op-
pressive and unequal taxation and wasteful eX-
penditure
That we have strong reasons to hope for a
already held clearly show that the tide of re-
form has set in with power that cannot be re-
sisted if no blunders be committed by the
friends of reform. If they do their duty and
act wisely, and if they throw off all apathy and
act with yigor and steadfastness, there is every
reason to hope their efforts will be rewarded by
success.
Let there be no disscnsions about minor mat
tiers, no time lost in the discussion Of dead
issues, no manifestation of narrow or proscrip-
tive feeling no sacrifice of the cause to crafty
personal ambition or resentment, and let the
best men be chosen for candidates, and we may
hope to see our country redeemed from misrulc.
And in this connection We beg leave to say Il
word to our fcllow-citizens of the Southern
States Do not risk the loss of Senators or Rep
rcsentativcs by eecting men who cannot take
the test-oath or who are under the disability
imposed by the fourteenth amendment What
ever may be said of the validity of that amend
ment, or of the tcst-oath act, you may rest as
surcd that Senators elected by the votes of
members of legislatures who are held by the
Radicals to be thus disqualified will not be per-
mittcd to take their seats, and members Of the
House of Representatives, thus disqualified,
will also be excluded. 1t is the paincst die
tate of practical wisdom not to incur any such
risks We hope soon to see the day when all
disabilities will be removed, but in the mean
time do not, We cntreat you, lose the opportu-
nifty to strengthen the Democratic and Conser-
vativc force in Congress, and the possibility,
nay probability, of obtaining a majority in the
next House of Representatives, by putting in
the power of our advcrsarics to overthrow or
disregard you: elections.