The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1874-09-03
THE OHIO CAMPAIGN
The Issues Fairly Presented.
Speeches by Senator Sherman, Gov.
NOyes, and Gov. Morton.
TIL e PLATFORM.
SPEECH OF HON.. JOHN SHERMAN
Delivered at Columbus, Sept I'd, 1874
PENDING OuEsr1oNs NATIONAL,

fENDN9 QUESTIONS NATIONAL.
FELLOW cIrEEEs; The two great parties have
now By their State Conventions in Ohio nominated
their candidates and announced their principles The
people OF Ohio have rejected the new Constitution and
thus have postponed for the time all questions OF state
policy. No Governor Is 10 be elected. The officers to
be chosen are purely ministerial or judicial and no
local question be decided. The people Of Ohio are
now called upon TO choose between the only two ex-
isting national political parties and at an election
when their immediate Representatives in Congress are
70 be chosen. Il Is therefore, national election.
The Issues and results whatever they and may be-
affect the whole people of the United States as much
as the people OF Ohio.
And, fellow citizens, am bound TO say that at no
period Of political history have the people Of the
United States been nee from embarrassment in
the selection Of Larties than at this moment All the
great overriding, fundamental questions that have
given rise to political parties are practically settled by
the progress Of eyensmby popular acquiescence and
Judicial decisions. The Federal and Republican
parties of Adams and Jefferson grew partly out Of the
tendency Of the Federasts to aristocatc forms and
usages and partly from differences as to the powers
d the General Government The strength
1 IN ine ,d0aPan dksPGSIca1 party OF Jefferson was
The ideas and habits which came to our ancestors
from England tended 10 keep alive distinctions be-
tween citizens These were encouraged by the Fed
al party, but were swept away by the success OF the
republican party On the other hand, the powers of
the General Government, held by the Federallsts
were established by successive decisions Of the SUI
preme Court and though disputed from time TO time
supreme authority Of the National Government over
national questions, and the exclusive authority of
slate Governments over local questions are now ad-
mtted by all, and the boundary between the two has
been carefully defined.
The questions that gave riseo the formation of the
wing and Democratic parties OF Clay and Jackson
were economic neutrality-suspicious. about national
oank-the public lands and tariffs. These again have
been settled. No one thinks Of a national bank.
Ihe public lands are no longer regarded as source of
revenue, but by common consent are now held for
settlement under the homestead and pre-emption
laws-and the tariff question is purely matter of de-
tail in which revenue Is regarded as the primary OBJ
ect, aud the encouragement Of domestic industry the
necessary and proper incident.
REPUBLICAN POLICY INDICATED.
The great and may say the only, question that
gave rise 10 the Republican and Democratic parties Of
our day was the slavery question. Under Democratic
management the political power Of slavery had supreme
control OF all departments OF the Government 1t
was violent arrogant, and insulting, and finally re-
pealed the Missouri Compromise, and undertook by
force and fraud to extend slavery the Territories
and threatened II resistance made to dissolve the
Union On this question the Republican party had
Its birth and took its stand. The successive stages of
this controversy were but the natural
and unavoidable development of an ire
pressbe conflict We declared against the extension
OF slavery. This led successfully to local conflict In
Kansas-the election Of Lincoln-the civil war-the
abolition OF sayery-and the citizenship of an enan-
fipated race. In this conflict the Republicans won
clear victory They gained possession of all the pow
Judicial, Every promise they made was faithfully
performed. There political creed Is ngrafed in the
Constitution Of the United States. The general sum-
mary OF results is 50 well stated in recent address by
the National Republican Committe that 1 will ven
ture TO read II 10 you:
"At home and abroad the Union was proclaimed to
be dissolved in 1851. The Union is restored now
"Nine States then claimed to have left the protec-
tion Of the Constitution forever They have all re-
turned To that protection now. Those that thou gayest
me have kept, and none Is lost said the Saviour of
men. The Republican party has preserved more than
the States you committed TO its keeping It has found
those which were lost.
"In 1851 the Confederate States of America so
called were clamoring for admission into the family
Of nations There Is no longer any such pretense.
Each one Of those great but misguided communities
now has honorable recognition an integral part Of
the United States.
"a race numbering millions has been raised from
the condition OF chaels to the state Of man. Human
rights have gained the sanction of three new chaDers
added TO the National Constitution Murder Organized
In several States, bearing the name OF Ku-Klux,
wearing the garb and plying the trade Of ends has
been exposed, convicted, punished. m
"Fellow-citizens, when you committed the Union
to the keeping Of the Republican party il seemed on
the verge Of dissolution Many hoped and some feared
Il had received an ineurable wound We present the
at peace throughout all her borders she is at peace
with all the world. Her rghtful authority Is dis
Pqted nowhere; her opinions are respected every
where She stands in the very vanguard OF sovereign
States. We challenge history to produce another in
stance OF country raised from such humiliation TO
such grandeur in so short time. And this trans.
has been wrought not merely without the
aid o. the Democratic party but in spite of its utmost
hostility"
Such feow-citizeus are the admitted results Of the
last great division OF parties in this country Our
policy has been approved, our principles have tri-
umphed. -.II-1
And now the question remains, Shall we abandon
the Republican party and seek either In the Demo-
cratic party or in parties representative Of our
Vin hon aUHa aanfWa fnnN Al. 81 Il.
rountryR II is to this inquiry now invite your con-
bderate attention. 77o
1 said that all the fundamental questions that
gave rise to the Republican party are
settled, so far as the guarantee Of the
can settle them; but there are
guarantees not YET enforced, and unless
wasted energy. One is the guarantee made by the
amendment which secures to all citizens
equal rights and privileges and the equal protection of
the laws, The same amendment gives to Congress the
power to enforce by appropriate legislation This has
been done to extent by securing to all citizens
white and back-native and naturaized,
and be sued to testify, and to acquire and hold
property, but il Of the States the right to travel
on railways to stop at inns and fairly to share in the
dement's OF common schools has been denied. These
rights are common incidents Of citizenship, which all
can enjoy without impairiIg their enjoyment by
others And especially the right 10 enjoy equal fac-
ites In The education Of children is right OF primary
Importance, not only to the Individual but to the
whole community The education Of youth il by far
the most costly object Of local taxation freely borne
because 1t is essential to the maintenance of repub-
liean form o. Governments In the old Constitution Of
Ohio as well as in the new which has been rejected,
tits provided that "The General Assembly shall
make such provision by taxation or otherwise as with
the income arising from the school fund.- will secure
thorough and efficient system of common schools
throughout the State"
Our system Of common schools has, in Ohio been
iarly secured to all alike-unless voluntarily re-
lected from PRIDE creed, or prejudice. It is onu-
tility. ff -'' |
In popu!ous communities where the number Of |
coiored cnidren Is sufficient for separate school IL is
oiten preferable to form separate school by local
autnorty but where there are few such children they
30 70 tne same scnooi with white children and take
part In the same class am assured by some of the
Oesl leacners IN the State that practically no difficulty
wnsn Wnite ana black are In the same class and
scnoo and that very often the colored children ara
rom their general good humor. fayorites with tbs
children The difficulty is not In the school or with
the scholars, but with the parents In the blind nm
reasoning spirit OF caste, the debris Of slavery and Ia
strongest with the most ignorant and yicions AN
AT all events the blacks are citizens Of the n;tea
States armed with the ballot and equal rj0bts and
privileges to equal immunities and sdvan.
ages and II Is not for us as Republicans to denv them
any oil tneir rights essential to their manhood from
ceiling OF caste or prejudice arising from race or cio
,r aiton. They have borne their part IN fhs cr
ests through which we have passed. and we must not
hrink from fairly enforcing the guaranteed we bav
iven them. The Republican party IA the onlv ono s
constituted that has the courage and dspostion In an.
orce this guarantee, and owe IL To our honor a.
veil as TO the logic Of the lofty principle that has