Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-06-16
8. b. BuRDETT, Commissioner,


a uoble speech BY Jua6S Taft 81 Ohio
At the close Of the Ohio Rebublican
State Convention, Judge TAFT, the de-
tested candidate for Governor, made
the following noble speech:
The coavention which has Assem-.
bled In Columbus to. day represented
the great patriotic Republican party
. party which In the course of the last
fifteen years, while It has welded the
power Of the National Government,
hes filled the earth with the glory Of
the American Union, which fought
good fight and kept the faith; tho Re-
publicsn faith, whose creed has ever
been liberty and union, now and for
ever, one and iaseparable, which has
maseEialized the Declaration Of Inde-
pondenco, and made all men FREQ and
equal bsfoFe the law; which has a.
ready paid one-half OF tho war debt,
and provided for the resumption of
specie payment within fixed, resona-
bic time . party which has ever stood
fest by our system Of popular oduca-
tion. The rscoed Of this party, which
ID In power, will be Rad hereafter as
tho most brilliant period Of American
history. The pest At least Il secure,
but its work 10 mot d0ne. The remain
iug half Of the debt u to be paid. The
N>w for resorninG 20 specie pAyme1A 10
to be carried out In good faith, with
out in1lation. And here, at home, not
TO enumerate national Objects, the Re-
psbiissa party Il bouad 70 $50 that our
system OF popular education receive
no dctriment. There are those who
would divide tho school fund. To
any such measure the Republican par
~ 10 unalterably opposed, and 20 am l..
Gentlemen. without any disrespect
or any reproAch for those whose ante
cedents Of birth and education may
have tended 10 bias their opinions in.
favor of such Q measure, am opposed
10 II In every form In which it has
been or can be suggested. Popular cd
ucation is tho cornerstone offs repub.
lie. Ignorance is the luost fruitful
source of danger. Not Ouly is it the
parent OF crime, bat it deprives the
ballot Of ito value, and makes il even
dangerous, and to remove or reduce
ignorance 10 the fret and most impera-
tive duty of the State. In q free repub-
lie, the great, the divinely.appointed
means to accomplish that end is the
c0mm0n-school system, supported by
impartial, uniform taxation. To en-
trust any portion of the fund, thus
raised by taxing all, to any church,
would be palpsble union of Church
and State, equally unwise and uncon.
stitntionsl. Ii the Constitution were
changed 30 as to permit Il, every church
would take its qnota, if IL could be as
certained, until each church would be-
running little school system OF its
own on tho public funds. The unity
and strength Of the common schools
would be broken, and the taxation for
such corruption and coafiict OF
schools would no longer be borne. The
result would bo that the whole subject
Of education would be remanded
to voluntary contributions. The great
eat duty OF the State would be aban-
doued, and ignorance would triumph.
The division OF the school fund would
be - destructive Of the system of COM
mon schools ~ the dissolution Of our
political union would be destructive
Of our political power. Without the
common sohpols. liberty would bs
dangerous, and tho hAllol.box would
b. daAgeeons. With them We can al.
ely have the broadest civil and politi.
cAl liberty, and unlimited suffrage.
trust that the tune 10 not far distant
when Ill the churches and al the peo-
will acquissce and rejoice in sustain.
Ing them, and that they who now
would aak division Of the school
funds will sooner or later yield to the
genius OF Rspublicanism, and be sat-
isfied TO give religious instruction and
enjoy religious worship in the family
and In the church, while the State,
with sovereign impsrtiAlity, shall per-
form its great duty Of making educa-
tion universal through the best sys-
tenn Of common schools the world
over sAw.
Having regard, then, to the deatinies
Of my own great State and the United
States - we'll - TO tho duty and chas-
acter Of the Republican party, let our
motto be, "Unlverssl liberty end nni.
versal suffrage, secured and made safe
by universal education"
Judge TAFT wound mp his speech by
. complimentary allusion to Gov
ernor Hayes. he spoke OF him as .
man OF integrity. honesty and ability /;
congratulated The Republicans upou
having selected 90 excellent Q STAND.
ldard.kearer, and essnred them that he
wonld give General Hayes his hearty
and earnest support