The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-10-05
HENDRICKS.
Speech Of Governor Hendricks
at Hamilton, O., Sept %,

called the meeting to order, and intro
duced Colonel L. D. Campbell as Presi-
dent of the Day. Colonel Campbell, af-
ter brief speech, introduced Governor
Hendricks, who spoke as follows:
My FELLOW CITIZENS; hope this af-
ternoon to be able h. make my address
to you very brief, and before speaking
on other questions, perhaps in this local
ity it il proper that | should refer to
question somewhat confined TO the State
of Indiana. speak of the Temperance
question, rs it has presented itself in that
State. On the first session Of the Legis-
lature after my Inauguration as Govern
or, the Legislature passed what was
known AS the Baxter Bill, a bill very dis
agreeable TO some portions OF society, a
bill which did not approve of in many
of its parts, and some Of my friends were
dissatisfied when signed it. But, upon
careful consideration, | thought it was
constitutional, and since that time the
Supreme Court has decided that it was
constitutional. 1t received he consid-
Grafton of both branches of the Legisla-
ture very fully land deliberately, 50 that
knew of no proper ground upon which
| might veto it, and therefore signed it..
As Democrat do not think that Il veto
power ought to be exercised simply be-
cause OF a difference OF opinion between
the Executive and Legislature upon a
question Of eXpediency. But II is proper
for me to add that atterward | gave my
influence as a Democrat, and also i'll my
message to the Legislature as Governor
of the State, in favor of a repeal of that
bill and to substitute a bill based upon
the license system. That bill has been
repealed, aad law on the subject en-.
tirely satisfactory to our faith has been
substituted Tor it, and this is all need
say, as ! suppose, upon this question.
Now, my fellow-CitI2ens, there are one
or TWO questions which propose to dis
Cuss before YOU and the first is | ask
you what is your duty in respect to the
Southern States? Are you content, you
people of Butler county, are you content
with the policy which has been pursued
by the party in power toward the South
ern States? A voice, mo, no." Atthe
close OF the war every good Cillzen de-
sired that there should be an entire res
toratiOn, That there should be harmony,
that there should be union in heart us
well as form, every good citizen desiIed
that first our institutions might be stable |
and enduring. and secondly, that the |
South might return TO prosperity and aid |
all the other portions Of the country in |
maintaining our institutions and III car
rying our burdens How has it been? |
Why, they say there is discOrd in the |
South; they say there is strife and blood |
shed between the white mau and the |
Colored maitland why is that? There |
is no strife in the Southern States except |
in two States there is no bloodshed to- |
day in any Of the Southern States be.
tween white and ColCred men except in
South Caroline and ouisiana. In Ar
kansas. in Tennessee, it is as harmonious
between the two races as in this city Of
Hamilton. Can you tell me of negro
suffering death because of political con-
troversy in any State where the Demo-
cratic party is in power? Every day you
hear of bloodshed and trouble in the
States of South Carolina and Louisiana
In those two States every power of Gov.
ernment is under the control of the Re-
publican party; every officer of the Fed
eral Government is Republican, and
almost every State officer, the Judges,
the Sherhs, the Clerks, and all the ma
chinely of Government is under the con-
troll of that party Now, my country.
men, will you be good enough TO tell me
why the Hamburg massacre occurred in
South Carolina and not in North Caro-
lima Will you be good enough TO tell
me why negroes are killed in Louisiana
and not in Kentucky? -Four years ago
| suppose you reColleCt it-iour years
ago, in the State of Arkansas, there was
the worst Government perhaps in the
world perhaps no where in the world
was there worse Government than in
Arkansas under Clayton as Governor.
Authority was maintained by keeping up
bands OF armed men; law was not re-
speCted; life and property were not Sc.
cure. But then, under the Providence
of God, the people of Arkansas were al
lowed an election. The people of Ar
kansas amended their constitution, and
| recollect very well that the Indiana
Constitution, to very considerable ex-
tent, was adopted as a model. / was
written to by delegate in the Arkansas
Convention for copy of the Indiana
Constitution, that they might have it to
some extent as guide. They not only (
amended their constitution, but they
elected good men to fill the places, hon
est men for the Government, and worthy
men to fill the other positions Of the {
Government, and let me tell you, my Re.
publican friends, not single negro has
been killed in political controversy
since that day in Arkansas, and they were ,
by the score before that. 1t was strife
and bloodshed in every country, but ,
since the day that the Democrats OBJ
tained control in Arkansas, let me tell 5
you, not single death between the races
resulted from political discussions or con-
troversy. A year ago this fall in the State
of Mississippi, the Democrats carried the |
election for the first time. They filled the
with Democrats, there was {
more than two-thirdsin each branch, and
when they metlas winter, the laws enact
ed by that Democratic Legislature were {
so fair, so just, 80 humane, as between
the races, that not single objection has
been made since that day. Applause.
Have you heard any Republican ques-
tion the fairness and the justice of the
legislation in Mississippi? Not one.
And have you heard Of negro being
killed in Mississippi since the day the
Democrats carried the election? | stop
for an answer. One single negro that
was killed in Mississippi in a political
since the day that the Dem
ocrats carried the State last all2 1t was
often enough before.
Now, my countrymen, we come to the
question, why is it that in the States
where the people have acquired the pow
er of government themselves, there is no
strife between the white and colored men,
and that in the two States of Louisiana
and South Carolina there is bloodshed
week after week and month after month";
When you have answered that question
you have solved the Southern question.
| will answer it for you. God Almighty
hos urittan ~ Iara - A A. A. |