The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1878-06-08
POSTMAsTER.GENERAL KEY.

POSTMASTER.GENERAL KEY.
An Open Letter to His Southern Friends.
WASHINGTON, May 28.-In lieu of
personal answer to many letters received
from friends in the South disclaiming SYM
patty with any effort to unseat President
Hayes, Postmaster General Key has written
the following open letter to the people Of
the South:
WASHINGTON. May circumstances at
tending the passage of the Potter resolution
to investigate alleged frauds in the Presiden-
tial election of 1876 in the States of Louisiana
aud Florida, together with subsequent dec
iticians and journalists evidence that If both
Houses of the Forty sixth Congress are Dem
ocratic the majority intend to GUST President
Hayes and inaugurate Mr.. Tilden. The title
of President Hayes was settled irrevoc-
ably by the Forty fourth Congress in an
act creating the Electoral Commission
under which he was legally declared elected
and legally inaugurated. Tie Forty fifth
Congress has no more right to dispute his
election than he has to question the title OF
any victorious contestant to his seat in that
body. The Forty sixth Congress will have no
more right to ignore him and to recognize
his defeated contestant. Mr.. Tilden, than Mr..
Hayes would have to send file of soldiers to
the House of Representatives to unseat q
Democrat whom he might consider to have
been wrongfully seated or fraudulentlye elect
ed. The leaders in this desperate attempt to
MexicaniZe our institutions rely confidently
upon "solid South to furnish the bulk of
the Democratic majority in the next House
secured. Remembering the encouragement
which Northern Democrats, in 1850 and 1861,
extended to Southern States to secede and the
manner in which their promises of aid and
comfort were fulfilled, can Southern people
afford to join this revolutionary movement
with certainty that, when the inevitable hour
sisted and alone to meet the storm from the
North once more, united by this attempt to
revive an issue whose settlement was forced
by public opinion upon an unwilling Con-
gress. In the dark days of February, 1877,
when civil war over disputed election was
imminent and patriots trembled for the safe
ty of Republican institutions, Southern men,
bers of Congress averted the danger by COM
polling the completion of the electoral count
under the law which both parties in Congress
had enacted, but now Representatives from
Southern States, with very few exceptions,
have joined a movement to subvert the re-
suits of their former patriotic action,
anarchy from which less than two years ago
it was saved by their efforts. Grant that
In permitting autonomy OF all States and in
stead OF strangers President Hayes has but
discharged his constitutional duty, does that
excuse Southern Representatives for attempt
ing to invalidate his title, which they estab-
hshed, or will it Justify them in bringing the
country again in danger of civil war in the
effort 70 unseat him and inaugurate Mr.. Til
den! The South must now face the most mo-
mentous crisis in its history since 1851. To in
dorse the recent conduct of their represent
atives is to admit the truth of the charges
that the people of the South care nothing for
the welfare of the Union, desire the downfall
of the Republic and would rejoice to see it
again involved in civil war: If their repre-
sentatives have not reflected their sentiments
as Ibelieye to be the case, then the people of
the Southern States should take care that in
the Forty sixth dn Congress they are represent
disturbers of the public peace and
prevent MexicaniZation of our institutions.
To do this they may be compelled to act in
dependent OF the Democratic party. Recent
events have demonstrated the inability of
Democratic members of Congress to resist
the mandates of caucus and the terrors of the
party lash, the one welded and the other in
spired by men who seem willing to endanger
the welfare of the country and stability of
Republican institutions for the sake of re-
yenge on political opponents and in hope of
dividing T" the spoils of victory" If the DEM
ocratic Representatives of the South could
not resist the caucus command to pass the
Potter resolution unamended and without
debate, how will they be able in the Forty
sixth Congress to resist similar command
toignore Mr.: Hayes as President and to recog
nfze Mr.. Tilden! 1t Is therefore the duty of
the southern people to afford the crown
ing evidence of their renewed devo-
ton to the Union in which they
subjected to no restrictions not laid upon
every citizen by sending Representatives to
the Forty sixth Congress pledged to resist at
mischief makers who seem to have gained
control of the House of Representatives of
the Forty fifth Congress. To this end people
In every district should meet publicly, Or
ganize and resolve to support no person for
Congress who has given aid to the mo, ement
and who will not pledge himself to sustain
the title of President Hayes during the term
tor which he was elected against ali attempts
at its overthrow. Only in this way can a
grave danger to the Republic be averted and
convincing proof be given tina. the confidence
was not misplaced which President HAYES
manifested in the South when he withdrew
troops from the State houses of South Caro-
lima and Louisiana.
i have spoken plainly and earnestly, for
feel that should be unworthy to represent
the South in the administration were / to re-
main silent now. Invited to the Cabinet as a
southern man to see that justice was done to
the South, required neither to apologize for
my record nor to disown my political princi-
pies it is my duty now to warn the people of
the South of the danger which threatens the
country. No man need hope that the schemes
OF the men who have engineered the moye-
ment to unseat President Hayes can be car
ried out without bloody civil war To avert
this danger confidently rely upon the pa
triotism and honor of the people Of my native
section.
(Signedl D.M.KEY.