The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-03-06


There is conscience in politics as in
,eligion, which it is both unwise and un
safe to offend, either in the declaration
Of principles or the character of the can
didate. Party leaders have always invit-
ed defeat and generally attained it, when,
the fact, they have gone
into battle. relying for Success upon party
discipline and the party l-.sh
THE most dangerous men in any party
are those whose political convictions are
SO loose and indefinite, and regard for
principle SO slight, that in time of dan
ger they are ever ready to resort to any
dishonest shifts, expedients or policies
which give promise of temporary success.
In the adoption of these, they not only
abandon everything which made the
party desirable, but introduce that ele
ment of disintegration which if not coun-
teracted, must speedily lead to dissolu
ton. He is the falsest of men, who uses
the confidence reposed in him, or the
power conferred upon him, by the party,
to betray it into the abandonment of the
true doctrines, and the approval of dis
honorable acts, while he is the wickest
and most pitiable of objects who stands
and witnesses this betrayal, without
raising his voice in warning, protest, and
denunciation.
"In the formation and maintenance of
parties, it is not possible to consult and
crafty the individual preferences of all.
In the party as in the church the motto
should be in essentials unity, in non
essentials liberty The affirmation of
the true doctrine in the platform and the
selection of leaders who have been faith
ful to the principles and traditions of the
party are all that any reasonable man can
expect, and as much as any sensible man
will insist upon.
"lf there be anything to which the Re
publican party has unreservedly commit
ted itself during the twenty years of its
existence, it is the doctrine, that the will
of the majority shall have free and full
expression at the ballot box, and when
so expressed shall be omnipotent in the
State and Nation. [Great applause
"In the face of the fundamental prin-
ciple of our political faith, as it is of our
Republican Government, we can not sit
idly and silently by and see large mum
bers of the citizens of sixteen States of
the Union disfranchised.
"The great question to day is not one
of finance, of tariffs, of taxation, or of
expenditure. 1t is simply this: Shall
one Southern white man be permitted to
cast two votes to Northern white man.
one, or, in other words, shall the South
have thereby representatives in the Elec-
toral College and the National Congress,
based upon the freedmen, and yet be
permitted to disfranchise the freedmen
This is the ever shadowing question, and
until it is settled-and settled negatively
your Congress will be Congress of
usurpers, its laws the edicts of men who
have no equitable rights to legislate, and
your Government false to the Consttu-
ton, to the principles of the fathers, and
to the most sacred rights of the citizen.
at is an axiom of American politics
that Governments derive their just power
from the consent Of the governed, just in
so far, therefore, as the governed are not
consulted in the selection of those who
govern, the powers exercised by the Gov
ernment are usurped, illegal, and unau-
thorized.
at requires no labored argument to
prove that, under the Constitution. moth
ing short of free and fair election, in
which every citizen may freely and safely
participate, can give to any man the
right to sit in the National Congress. In
the selection Of this Representative there
must be no threats, no intimidation, no
terrorism, no exclusion of the votes of
qualified electors, no fraud, and whenev-
er these things occur to despoil the citi-
zen of his constitutional right to vote,
and have his vote counted, there can
have been no legal and equitable election,
and any man who assumes to derive from
an election held under such circumstan-
ces the authority to represent the people,
is, and of necessity must be, an impostor
and usurper, who holds his place and
exercises the privileges of legislator in
defiance of the plainest provisions of tn e
Constitution and of every principle of q
free Government
"The Congress of the United States to
day is largely influenced. if not wholly
controlled by men who have neither a
legal nor equitable right to seats in that
body. They were sent there by force
and fraud, from States where no legal
election has been held, where majority
of the qualified electors are disfranchis
ed, where loyalty is considered a crime
and disloyalty virtue, where the later
amendments to the Constitution are dis
regarded. They are the representations
of force and fraud, of violence and blood
shed, Of prejudice and passion, and yet
they make laws for you men Of the North
vote on questions which affect your prop
erty, your liberty, your honor your lives
their power to tax gives them control ot
your property, their power to make wal
power ovec you, therefore, is absolute.
But it may be said there is no way to
remedy this condition of affairs, no way
by which the Constitution may be en-
forced, no means whereby free and fail
election can be secured. 1t is false, but
admit for the sake of argument that pre-
sent laws are inadequate. Then what i.
our plain duty? Is it not to create a
public sentiment which shall declare the
enactment of proper and sufficient laws
for the protection of loyal men in the
exercise of the constitutional rights p
Applause. Shall we not agitate, speak
write expostulate, demand fight, if need
be, until this wrong is righted. until fair
play is recognized, until loyalty stands
upon an equality at least with treason
Great applause
I'm the presence of such fagrant deni
al to citizens of their constitutional rights.
of such gross injustice, of such iniquitous
usurps tion, we. of the North, must not
sleep. The Republican party has been
too long sleeping. 1t has failed to exer-
else the old time vigilance. 1t has been
beguiled oy soft words and false promises
into folding arms to rest when it should
have been up and doing, armed and
watchful-
TOO many of US impatiently concluded
that the Republican party had fulfilled
its mission, and therefore permitted its
principles. ends, and aims to drift out of
sight. We have accepted words for acts.
Nav we have insanelv believed the word 4
when they were contradicted by the acts.
We have insisted that there was peace
when armed men were controlling States.
We have been guided by sickly, slob-
bering sentimentality when we should
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