Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-08-07
Speech of seaatOf Morton.

A'Nih NiO AOltOWAhB 10 tAbidtbCus
The Democratic party Is out Of power and
is struggling to regain u. IL Is the Oppo-
sition, and ayalls itself Of every popular dis
content, every local prejudice, TO injure the
Republican party IL tpresents no policy for
the administration OF the Government and
makes no attempt at consistency, IL feels at
liberty to profess in one. locality what 1t
denies In another, and to take any position
In one State without regard to the attitude II
assumes upon the samelssue In another state
II does not hesitate 70 use any weapon Of as
sault, knowing that the minority has no re-
sponsihfity similar to that attaching TO a
party In the majority and in control of the
p0vernment In Maine, the Democracy Is
for free trade; in Pennsylvania, for high
tariff, and in Indiana for "a tarifffor revenue
onlyP on tbo temperance question the po-
sItton Of the party IS Is tsried as the circum-
stances surrounding 10 I'm the several local
ities. II may be generally said to 90 as far
IN favor Of the tnrestrained traffic in intoxi-
eating liquors as it can, not 10 forfeit entirely
the respect and support Of the friends Of tenn
pcrance.
RESOLUTIONS against corruption are the
cheap clap-trap OF PARTIES MI parties pro-
fess to be opposed to corruption, and are
ready TO expose and punish 1t in other paFties
than their own. The true test Of an honest
party Is determination, and the exposure
and punishment Of corruption in its own
ranks. Tried by this test, the Republican
party Is distinguished before any other party
In the history Of the nation Nearly all that
is known of Republican corruption has been
revealed by its own dilgent examination and
fearless selfexposure. Nobody believes the
Democratic party Is particularly sensitive
about corruption. When in power 1t was
noted for the skill and industry with which II
covered up the peculations Of its members.
The two parties seem to have proceeded upon
opposite theories. The Democratic party
sought to protectitsef against public opinion
by cOncealing the delinquencies of its own
members, while the Republican party has be-
lieved the prompt exposure and punishment
Of its rogues to he the best guarantee
for its continuance In power. There are good
and bad men in both parties, and in all
parties; and the bad will ultimately corrupt
the whole organization, unless repressed aud
exposed. The Investigations into frauds Of
all sorts-Credit Moblicr, District of Colum-
bia ring, the Sanborn contracts, etc.--while
they may show, here and there, a diseased
member, clearly reveal the healthy tone Of the
mass Of the party. The Republican party is,
by Its nature and principles, progressive, and
the friend Of freedom as against slavery; of
the people against monopoly; of labor, free
schools and intellectual and moral progress.
1t Is qualified to grapple with every new is
sue that is presented, has its face to the fu-
ture, and holds that the work ofreform is its
normal and necessary condition.
For years to come the contest will be be-
tween the Republican and Democratic parties,
and between them there is no room for third
party, and every one that Is organized will be
feeble and ephemeral. These parties repre-
sent different ideas, tendencies and modes Of
thought, which are in irrepressble conflict.
In its seventh resolution the Democracy
went upon its knees in its prejudice against
color. The passage of the Civil Rights bill
by the Senate is made the occasion of q
special attack against Senator Pratt and my
self. They think to make few votes by ap-
pealing to the prejudicess and fears of the
white npnnlp nhOnf In
and communities where the children of each
color are numerous enough to be formed into
separate schools, there will be no trouble ON
the subject, and there has not been. But in
districts sparsely populated, or neighborhoods
In which there are few cOlored children, and
where their proportion of the school fund
would be wholly insufficient to maintain sep
arate schools, and their parents are not able
TO maintain private schools for them, if they
are not admitted into the public schools they
must grow up i'll Ignorance and without edu-
cation. And what harm would these children
do in the public school? They would inter
rupt nobody, though in many places they
would be the victims of insult and oppression.
The man who would say that, under any cir
cumstances, these colored children must grow
up without education, to be poor, ignorant,
helpless and perhaps vicious throughout their
lives simply because it would be offensive to
have them go into the same school-house
with white children, himself needs educa.
ton in the principles Of our common human
ity.
The Democrats arraign Senators Pratt and
Morton for an attempt "to take control of
the schools, colleges, churches, hotels, rail-
roads, steamboats,, theaters and graveyards,
for the purpose of establishing negro-equal-
ity, and enforcing it by enormous fines and
penalties" 1 arraign the authors of this
resolution for gross ignorance of the pro-
visions of the Civil Rights bill The bin does
nothing of the kind here charged; it leaves
the control of all these things precisely
where it is now, but simply declares that
negro shall not be deprived Of an equal share
in them by reason of his color or race. If
colored children receive an equal benefit of
the commons school system of State, it is a
compliance with the Civil Rights act and the
control of schools is left with local officers
precisely as at present. The Fourteenth
Amendment makes all persons born or
naturalized within the United States citizens
of the same and of the State wherein they re-
side The Constitution of Indiana declares it
to be the duty of the General Assembly to
provide general system of education and
system of common schools wherein tuition
shall be freSand equally open to all. This
decision is even more explicit than the Civil
Rights bill; and it has been decided that, un-
der the operation of the first section of the
eighth article OF the Constitution Of Indiana |
colored children have equal rights with white
in the public schools, and could not be
enjoyment This decision was made |
by Judge Perkins, distinguished |
Democrat, and for many years a men, |
Der of the Supreme Court of the State. The |
school, hotel, and graveyard questions are |
about the last and best hold fthe Democracy,
and they should make the most of them. In |
the South the idea of the Democratic party is |
opposition to the civil and political rights of
the negro. If the party in the South has any
other principles than this they are wholly sub |
ordinate, and would be sacrificed at any time |
Democracy in the South means a conflict of |
races, and has no use for the Democracy in the |
North, except so far as it recognizes this race |
conflict. And here is presented great and |
vital issue between the two parties. The Dem
OcIatlc party is pledged by its constitution, |
its history, affiliations, and hopes of the fu-
ture, to undyng hostility to the negro race.
The Republican party is pledged by its histo-
ry, its sacred principles, to stand faithfully by
the 5,OOO,OOO of newborn freemen, and must |
continue to be in the future, as it has in the
past the party of liberty, equality, justice, and
The indissoluble union of the States
The impression has been cunningly made i'm
.he South that the President would veto tine
Civil Rights bill. No word or act has given
'ise or color to this suspicon; and | repe
With indignation the suggestion that the Pres
dent will prove false TO the principles Of the
republican party.
Senator Morton then argued at length the
light OF Congress to regulate and supervise
inter- State commerce, and the control of each
state over its purely internal commerce. 1t
would be impossible, evidently, for Congress
o pass general laws establishing rates of
reight and passenger fares over all the lines ,
II road; these must be subject TO constant ,
hange and the operations of local influences
1ut ii seems TO me to be clearly within the
'ower of Congress, and to be practicable, to
stablish Boards Of Railroad Commissioners,
o be vested with certain powers, to be gov
rned by general regulations, within which 1
hey shall have the power to supervise and {
pOn Interstate railroads, so as to prevent !
MUST determinations between different To- /,
alities or classes of persons; to prevent com
nations between railroad corporations and
ther persons to put up the prices of freghts
r passenger fares; to prevent railroad corpo-
ltions from taking advantage of the OBJ
Lruction of lakes, rivers and canals by frost
hAt t.A L