The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-08-30
The following address has just been is.

After mature deliberation we have de-
cided that ii is our duty to ask you to unite
with us in the condemnation Of policy
which we solemnly believe will, ii sus'
tanned by the people of the North, rem
der the late constitutional amendments
vslueless, disfranchise eight hundred
thousand Southern voters, and frally en-
danger the liberties Of the whole people,
North and South
The most valued principles for which
the Republican party has Contended is
set forth in that clause of the COnstitu-
ton which declares that no State shall
deny to any citizen the equal protection
of the laws. BY this and other provis'
ions of the Constitution, the nation guar.
anteed to the citizen liberty, equality and
suffrage, and obligated itself to protect
him in Che peaceful enjoyment and exer-
else of these rights.
For sixteen years the Republican par.
ty of Ohio has upheld this doctrine.
For this our people went to battle, to
prison and to death; for this millions Of
money were expended, and thousands OF
lives sacrificed.
We are now called upon to abandon it
by sustaining and indorsing an Admins
tration which has deserted it.
We do not propose at this time to refer
in detail to the fallacious arguments and
ingenious subterfuges by which the
friends of the President seek
to defend his conduct, and deceive
the people as to the disastrous con-
sequences which must eventually fol-
low as its necessary result. We point
you to the fact that "a President, the cho-
sen representative of q party whose life
and inspiration in every hour Of its exist
ence, has oeen political justice and free
dom for all American citizens" has pro.
we'd reCreant to every consideration of
gratitude, humanity, honor and official
obligation, as well as political principle,
and has given the support Of his high Of
fee to deprive American citizens of their
sacred rights, and deliver them, crushed
and humiiated, into the merCiless hands
of personal and political enemies.
10 the fact that the will of the MAORI
ty of the voters, in at least two States Of
this Union, has been disregarded, the
rightful appeal Of their governments for
protection against insurrection and do
nestic violence denied; and thus, and
with the knowledge and consent of the
Federal Administration the legally con-
stituted authorities were thrust aside by
the mob, and the Offices of those States
seized and held by lis leaders;
To the fact that the Administration
has practically consented that the later
Constitutional amendments may be dis
regarded in the South;
To the fac; that freedom of speech and
expression of political opinion is no lon
ger permitted;
To the fact that the Republicans of six
teen States of this Union, weary of q
struggle in which they have had neither
the sympathy nor support of the Admin
istration, are compelled to abandon their
party organizations, and relinquish all
the political rights and privileges dear to
freemen in the effort 70 preserve to them
what may remain to them Of life and
property;
To the fact that the Administration
has, to all intents and purposes, adopted
the Democratic doctrine that "there can
be no permanent partition of power, nor
can any peaceable joint exercise of pow.
eramOng such disCordant bodies of men
as are found in the South;
To the fact that it is doing its utmost
to fulfill the prediction in 1872 Off Dem
ocratic committee of the House of Rep
reeentatives, that "nO government can
long exist half black and half white;
those whom God has separated let no
man Join together" "In time public
opinion will vibrate back to the old CON
dition, as it existed prior to the wal; and
when this occurs, it will be the political
death of the negro on this continent"
The endorsement OF such policy by
the Republican party of Ohio is total
abandonment of vital prinCiple-is sui
eide.
1t is manifestly the imperative duty of
every true man to oppose, aud, If posi-
BILE, avert such result.
How then may we check, how manifest
our disapproval Of this dangerous and
deadly policyP
There is, apparently, but one course
left, that of withholding our vote8 from those
gh0 stand upon theplatfOrm lchich indor8e8
ii.
We do not wish to divide or in any de.
gree impair the old organization by put
ting new ticket in the field. 1t is the
party in which we have been enrolled
for twenty years. Its heart and brain
are honest. Temporarily it has been led
astray; time and Christening will bring it
back to principle.
No Republican should compromise
himself by voting the Democratic ticket
for the platform Of that party, so far as
the Southern policy of the President is
concerned, is no better, and indeed, no
worse than that adopted by the Cleve-
land convention.
The candidates nominated by that con-
vention are gentlemen whom we have
long known, and whom we respect; some
ofthem are personal friends, whom we
would gladly serve, but unfortunately for
them, for ourselves and the country, if
they are elected it will be claimed that
the abandonment of principle and duty by
the President was endorsed by the con-
Vention and sustained by the Republican
voters at the polls, and would be Justly
regarded as an end of the controversy
and an abandonment by the Republican
party of the principle of equality of rights
under the law, for which we contend.
"TheCe are defeats that are victories.
and there are victories that are defeats"
IA victory won at the expense of princi-
Pile is an irretrievable defeat"
The necessity which impels us to the
step We propose to take is not our seek.
ing-it has been thrust upon ue, and de-
Cision can not be avoided. We are con-
scious our motive will be misrepresented
our acts misconstrued; the bitter malig.
nancy of party hacks end trucking poll
ticians will be poured upon us. Every
conceivable falsehood will be employed
to annoy and injure by the supple tools
"who fawn and seek for power, by doc.
trines fashioned to the varying hour;'
but we are certain we would be untrue
to our own manhood, false to our convic.
tions OF duty, recresnt to great princi.
pie, and to what we conceive to be the
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