The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-04-29

face to face with our duty to protect b.
every constitutional means this class 0
citizens and the only .queation her
to-day 10, will we perform this duty Q
will we.shirk it? WILL we Gsrotect thes
Gaen OF will we leave taem to be over
borneand butchereI Thate sir, is al
there is of it. Il we will not or canno
protect them, then let as say 60 ,Let,u
edaait that our systesaa of .governmep
breakdown at this vital point; bat lie
JUS pratesno more about the "equal pro
tection' Of all men under the law; lie
rs talk no longer Of the glories of frec
Institutions if, under them, unoffendina
citizens can be more cruelty perseeuted
shan in AEstria or Russia.
This bill seeks to guard more effect.
fually thespErity of the ballot~box. II
pro ection cannot be afforded in this way
how can it be? If the sacred right OF
choiee tarough tAe ballot-box may be
rutRlessly tFampled under foot, what
vestige ofefzee government remains il
tins country which is worth preserving?
Sirsl haVe heard much saidabout the sac
redress of constitutions and the danger
of familiarizing the minds of the people
with the suspension of the writ of ha5eGs
corp@s upon>sidght pretext OF danger, and
| have felt the force Of all this but back
or all concentrations, back of the great
writ of personal liberty, back of free in
stitutions themselves, stands this sacred
right Of the citizen to the free, unfetter-
ed expression of his choice az the ballot
box. Thls Ia,cf the essence Of things !;
these others it's form and product. Tam
per with this, and you poison the stream
at its source. A mob cannot set up a
republican government. Any scrivener
can draughta constitution republican in
form, but until the will of the people
has moved upon it and breathed into 1t
the breath Of lie, there is no vitality in
it and to give it vitality, this will must
be free, not expressed under intim;da-
too, force. or frara; SO tree, that not
only will the boidest feel secure, but the
most tiniid realize that he is protected
In the free declaration Of his choice.
Pardon me, Mr. Speaker, if | say
think 1t is not so much the familiafizlng
of the minds of the people of this coun-
try with the fact that the writ of hdbe1S
corpus may be suspended In order that
violence, robbery, and murder shall be
put down that is enda1gerlng our coun-
try as it is the lesson so rapidly being
taught the people that men may tamper
with the ballot box, intlmidate he voter,
mutllate and forge returns, and "count
IN" their man regardless of the choice OF
the electors, and if by ANY means he
shall procure certificate of election, his
party friends will sustain him, no matter
Low accursed the process by which he
sapping the foundations of representa-
tive government in this country. I do
not say that dc facto State government
irregularly established and sustained
more or less by force or fraud may not
some times be recognized as necessity
or in the interest OF peace, especially
where the power of the General Govern
ment to interiors is doubtful; but do
say hat whenever this occurs there is a
triumph OF the mob spirit and direct
invitation to repetition Of the offsnse,
the frequent recurrence of which is only
necessary TO Ansettle all constitutional
government. 1t is to remedy these
things ard to throw around the ballot
box additional guards and guarantees
that the present bill has been proposed
and brought forward. AS to the neces~
sity OF its passage or the fact of the exis-
tence at intimidation, outrage. and vio-
lence in the South, there is and there can
be no doubt. That the better class of
southern people either irstigate or APP
prove Of these atrocities / neither assert
nor believe on the contrary, I am vel!
convinced that in many instances they
deplore them. But such is their firm
belief in the natural inferiority of the
negro and his un6tne,s to participate in
public affairs, and such their accustomed
habit of exacting from him instant and
unquestioning obedience. that whenever