The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-06-30
AnDR:rSS

OF the Democratic Members of Congress
to the People-Advice to the Southern
People.
WAsHrsGToN, June "a, 1870. (
The Democratic Senators and Mem
bers In Congress, at a caucus held
last night agreed upon an address.
which was to-day signed and issued,
as follows:
To our fellow-citizens of the United
States, friends of constitutional,
economical and honest government: :
The undersigned beg leave to call
your attention to the peculiar impor-
lance of the elections which take place
this year, and respectfully to submit
suggestions for your consideration
By the State Legislatures to be elect
ed, nearly one-third of the United
States Senate will be chosen. Nearly
all the members of the next House of
Representatives are TO be elected next
fall. Upon .he coming elections then
depends the question whether the
Democratic and Conservative element
in the Senate shall be Increased, and
whether that element shall have ma
jority of Representatives in the House
of Representatives, and as q conse-
quence whether we shall have a cont
stitutional, economical and homes
Government or a continuance of rev.
olutionary, extravagant and wasteful
partisan rule; whether we shall have
a general, uniform, just and constitu-
tiOnaf legislation, with reasonable tax
alton and frugal expenditure, or mn
constitutional, partial, unjust class leg
islatioD, with oppressive and unequal
taxation and wasteful expenditure
That we have strong reasons to hope
for favorable result is plainly appa-
rent. The elections already held
clearly show that the tide of reform
has already set in with a power that
cannot be resisted. If no blunders
be committed by the friends of re-
form; if they do their duty and act
wisely; if they throw off all apathy,
and act with vigor and steadfastness,
there is every reason to hope that their
efforts will be rewarded by success
Let there be no dissentiens about mi
nor matters no time lost in the dis
cussions of dead issues; no sacrifice
of the cause to crafty personal ambi-
tion or resentment and let the best
men be chosen for candidates, and we
may hope to see our country redeem
ed from misrule; and in this connec-
tion we beg leave to say to our fellow
citizens of the Southern States: Do
not risk the loss of Senators or Rep
resentatives by electing men who can
not take the test oath, or who are un-
der the disability imposed by the
Fourteenth Amendment. Whatever
may be said as to the validity of that
amendment, or of the test oath act,
you may rest assured that Senators
elected by the votes of members of
Legislatures who are held by the
Radicals to be thus disqualified will
not be permitted to take their seats,
and that members of the House of
Representatives thus disqualified will
also be excluded. It is the plainest
dictate of practical wisdom not to in
cur any such risks. We hope soon to
see the day when all disabilities will
! be removed; but in the meantime do
not, we entreat you, lose the opportu-
nifty to strengthen the Democratic and
Conservative force in Congress, and
] the possibility, nay, the probability,
of obtaining a majority in the next
House of Representatives, by putting
it in the power of our adyersaries to
overthrow or. disregard your elections.
The address is signed by the Demo-
cratic Senators and Representatives
in Congress. rs -,
A committee consisting of two
Senators and one Representative from
each State represented by Democratic
or Conservative members was ap-
pointed. %