Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-06-18
The Issues Before the People.

1t is important that voters should
thoroughly understand the full bearing
of the issues which have been raised
between President Hayes and the Dem
ocratic majority in congress. A good
deal of the political legislation proposed
by the Democrats is fundamental, and
radically changes existing statutes,
which have been maintained in some
form since the foundation of the repub-
lie. The people must determine at the
next election whether these changes are
wise, and whether the repeating statutes,
demanded by the Democratic caucus, are
for the best interests of the whole nation.
Charles Foster, The Republican candi-
date for governor of Ohio, recently made
speech at Columbus in which he
groups together and crystalizes the issues
in 80 clear and forcible q manner that it
will require but little effort to under
stand the full bearing of what the Demo-
Gratis are striving to do at the extra
session of congress. Relative to the
so-called military interference at the
polls, he thus narrates the historical data,
and calls to mind the names of the VEN
Grated presidents who have sustained the
laws now purposed to be swept from the
statute books:
We are about entering upon a campaign
which will be of unusual Importance, ma
tionsl in its character-one that must deter
mine whether this great nation Of ours 10 .
nation or not. It is to determine whether
state authority shall be supreme or whether
national authority shall be supreme. Our
Democratic friends, in convention ysster.
day, undertook to belittle this question by
showing. or undertaking to show, that the
recent acts in congress are measures on the
part of the Republicans to institute laws and
new regulations in reference to the conduct
of troops at elections and the preservation
of peace at the polls. This, my fellow.
citizens is begging the question. The
question at issue ID not new
laws. The issue is whether the law
that was passed under George Washington,
that was psssed under Jefferson, that was
passed under jackson, that was passed
under Lincoln, should be repealed. Re-
pealed why? Because . certain portion OF
this country denies the power Of the gov.
ernment to interfere in the conduct OF
elections and in the preservation Of
peace at the polls in certain states
The Republican party maintains that
the results Of the war shall be enforced in
letter and in spirit. II there was any one
thing settled BY the sacrifice Of blood and
treasure during four years Of bloody war, 1t
was that the national authority IL supreme,
and that the dogma Of state rights was
buried forever. We have, my fellow-citi.
zens, for the FIRST time since 1861, Demo.
cratic congress. That Democratic congress
takes up the cue whers they laid it down in
1861. They repeat their unfinished speeches
whom they left the halls Of congress-. We,
- the Republican party, propose that the
results Of the war shall be maintained, and
that those people who undertake this issue
shall be put down, not By bullets but By
ballotG. [Applause.l That, my fellow.
citizens, and all this, II the great issue, and
this win be the great issue Of the coming
campaign. National authority shAll -
supreme, and states must be subservient
thereto.
Mr.. Foster presents the differences be-
tween the two parties relative TO the
faithful maintenance Of colin redemp-
tion Of the legalstender notes with . like
felicity and vig0r. His sketch Of The
Inconsistency Of the DemoCratA II Arnt
denouncing the legal tender q 3 bastaEd
and illNgitimate currency, and Anally
dropping into the wild theory that this
currency should not beredeeInsd n coin,
ID sufficient to show ~ want ot ata4Gu
manlike ability on tie part AZ ~ Denct
cratic leaden. TIE Rspuhlicm parfy
he's iul6lled it, plsdgs lbat ~ af
tender notes should 50 na3e aGnopd -
gold, and, strange 70 aAy, ~ D6oesa13o
majority u coaerss = eoa1tantly s1ane''