The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-03-29


the Constitution so amended that the
| Electors of all the States shall meet on
certain day in the City Of Washington
and count the vote themselves; to allow
that body to be the Judge Of who are
Electors, TO allow il to choose a chair
man, and to allow the person so chosen
( to declare who is the President and who
is the Vice President of the United
/ States. Applause The Executive is
/ then entirely free from the Judicial De
/ partment, and | tell you it is a public
calamity to have the ermine of the Su.
/ preme Court Of the United States touch.
ed or stained with political suspicion
lApplause.
In this way, as 1 said before, the elec.
| tion of President and Vice President
would be purely political matter. The
Executive would be to that extent per.
fectly independent Of all other depart
ments of this government, That course
will avoid future complications; that
course may avoid future civil war; that
course will give independence to one Of
the departments of this government, and
It will prevent the complications Of
lSI6-H ever occurring again in the
United States. The mode | have point
ed out, in other words, will prevent the
thing must be done, OF some time the
great ship will be dashed to pieces upon
the rocks of civil war. [Applause.
TERMS OF OFFICE SHOULD BE LESGTHENED.
Another thing which should be done is
to lengthen the term or terms of Office.
Our elections are too frequent. They in
terfere with the business of our country.
Where elections are so frequent men
make. as it were, a business of politics
IL the fail to get an Office they immedi-
ately run for another and they keep
running until the people elect them for
the simple purpose of getting rid of the
annoyance. Laughter Lengthen the
terms, purify the ballot, and the present
scramble for Office will become contests
Tor principle. Applause A man who
cannot get living-unless he has be q
disabled in the service OF his country or
from some other cause-without holding
office, is not fit for an Office. Applause.
A professional Office seeker is one Of the
rdeanest and lowest, and basest Of human
beings-a little higher than the lowest
a finals and a little lower than man.
Laughter and applause He has no |
earthly or heavenly independence; not |
particle. A successful office seeker is /
Ike the center of the earth; he weighs /
nothing himself, and draws all things /
70 yards the Office he wants Laughter. I Il
ie has not even got temper. You can
not offend him. You cannot insult him.
Shut the door in his face. and so far as
ne is cor cerned, il is left wide open, and
you al staLGing on the threshold with
mile. ex ending the hand Of welcome.
He crawls and cringes and Aatters and
les aud swaggers, and brags and tells of
he influence he has in the ward he lives
n. We cannot too often repeat that
plendid saying, The Office should seek
he Liam, not man the Office" If you
will lengthen the term Of office, il will be
% 10 z between meals that he will have
o do something else or starve. Adopt
he sys.em Of registration as / have sug-
,ested; have small and convenient elec-
ion districts, so, as / said before, the
lonest, law-abiding and peaceable citi.
en- can attend the polls, so he will not
'e compelled to risk his life to deposit
lis ballot, that will be stolen or thrown
ut or forced to keep the company Of
'sllots ca ed by fraudulent violence
.engthen the term of office, drive the
hunter and seeker Of office |
.om the field, and you will go far tow
rd strengthening and vivifying and pre-
erving the fabric of the Constitution !
must be done TO put down
he mob, whether rich or poor il matters
ot. All who seek to rise by fraud
hey constitute the mob-whether coy-
red with rags or clothed in silk and
men. Something must be done to give
S a honest ballot. Something must be
one to expel the Huns and Vandals |
rom our country. The Republican gov.
rnment must be supported by ballots,
ot by bayonets; by the hearts of the
eople, not by the fraud Of rascality and
iolence. We want neither a govern
lent of suppression nor oppression, but
government resting upon and support
d by the honest choice of a free, indie
endent, enlightened people.
Another question pressing now for an
nswe: is: To what extent can the gen
3l government defend its citizens in !
arious States2 Ii has lately been said
y some exceedingly orthodox Demo !
rats that il a State will not protect
itizen, the citizen can leave the State.
t has been said that the general govern
ient has no right to march an army
cross the line of a State to protect the
ghts Of a citizen, unless the government
{ that State, if the Legislature is not in !
Il
hat is in session, calls upon the Presi-
ent for troops. In my judgment that Is :
be absurdest kind Of secession. If the
tate OF Illinois must protect me, il l
ave no right to call for the protection
{ the general government, all ! have to
ny is that my allegiance must belong to
be government that protects me. If IL
nois protects me, and the general gov
rnment has not the power then my
rst allegiance is due to Illinois, and
Juld Illinois unsheath the sword Of
ivil war, l must stand by my State, il
hat doctrine is true. What does the
eneral government propose to give me
u exchange for my allegiance2 The
eneral government has a right to take
ny property. The general government
las a right to take my body in its neces.
airy defense What does that govern !
nent propose to give me in exchange for
hat right2 Protection, or else our gov
rnment is a fraud Who has a right to
all for he protection Of the United
,tates2 ] say the citizen who needs it
AN our government obtain information
nly through the official sources? Must
,ur government wait until the govern
nent asks the proofs, while the State
ramples upon the rights of the citizen
lust it wait until the Legislature calls
or a aisistance 70 help it stop the robbing
nd plundering of citizens OF the United
,tates2 Is that the doctrine and the
dea of the Northern Democratic party?
I is not mine. A government that will
lot protect its citizen is a disgrace to hu-
nanity. government that waits until
Governor calls-a government that can
rot hear the cry of the meanest citizen
lnder its flag when its rights are being
Ipon, even by citizens Of a
Southern State-has no right to exist.
Il is the duty OF the American citizen to
Zee to it that every State has a govern
nent, not only republican in form, but it
5 the duty of the United States to see to
I that life, liberty, and property are pro-
.ected in each State Ii they are not Il