Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-08-21

serve ought not to be diminished TO any
considerable degree.
Speech of Hon. Alfonso Taft, at CleVe-
land.

Speech OF hon. AllOusO Lhit' ~ SAS'S
land.
CLEVELAND. August 20.-Judge TAFT
opened the campaign for the Republl-
cans in the Globe Theatre, tonight. A
large and enthusiastic audience was
present. Hon. Amos Townsend intro
duced Jude TAFT.
Upon the subject of the use OF the
military at the polls, Mr.. Taft presented
the Republican argument as follows:
"There has been no abuse OF military
power by our government, unless 1t was
in enforcing the law for the return OF
fugitive slaves 10 their masters, or IN re-
pressing the free State men in Kansas.
The United States troops in no case
prescribe the qualification OF voters, or
Interfere with any mans right TO vote.
No instance can be found of any such
interference. 1t has been most rare, II
indeed it has ever happened, that the
troops have been present at the polls,
at all, except perhaps in the solitary case
of Kentucky i'm 1864, during the war, TO
keep the rebels from voting. Soldiers
have not been stationed at the polls. The
law forbidsit. They have had their quar-
ters away from the polls, and only been
called on, If called at all, TO keep the
peace against lawleSs violence. All that
can be truly said by the unsatistied
Democrats is, that Tepeaters and lntm-
dators are less enterprlslng II squad oil
United States soldiers happens to be In
the neighbOrhOOd or town than they
might otherwise be. know that 1t is
stoutly denied by the Democrats that
there are, or ever have been, Rifle Clubs
or White Liners, or any form OF violence
or intimidation TO prevent voters nom
exercising their right OF free suffrage.
These political denialS are OF the same
character with the phenomenon which
was observed in 1870, when the hu
KluX Klans were operating IN the
South. Political men in the South, and
their Democratic friends in the North,
stoutly denied that any Outrages, such
rs had been charged against the hu
Klux klans, existed anywhere, un-
iii considerable number OF them
had been tried in the United States
courts i'm South Carolina, and convicted
of all the enOrmitieS that had been
charged, and sentenced to the penlten-
tiarv. When the facts were thus
proved bevOnd denial and made public,
the X. X. X. were disavowed, and they
were lett 10 their fate. Some of them
ought 10 have been hung, but as the
State courts had exclusive jurisdiction
of murder, and would not try them at
all, the United States Court could only
try them for the lesser crime OF banding
together To deprive citizens of their
civil rights, of which they were also
guilty. The public were as well as
sured of their guilt before as after the
trials. But those convictions made de-
mails no longer available. There Is as
little doubt that the elections are con-
trolled by intimidation and force In sew
eral of the Southern States, so that the
election returns are not an expression
of the will of the majority OF thescltlzens.
Since the State governments of the
South have passed into the hands OF the
minority, the enforcement OF the l+th
and 18th amendments in those States
has become for the present precarlouS,
and, to a certain extent, lmpractlcable.
Nevertheless, are we ready to suffer the
elections To be made farce or trage-
dy? Are We ready TO permit In silence
the Republicans to be deprived OF their
right to vote in any part OF the country
/ sa1, no. We are as much interested in
the fairness of the Congressional cleo
tions in Mississippi or in Alabama, as in
Ohio. The duty OF the general govern
ment is not t. be measured by the eX-
tent of the wrong to the parties de-
prived of their votes, or even by the
wrong 10 citizens of the State where
such frauds occur. 1t is a grievous
wrong TO the people OF all those States
who maintain the law and hold honest
elections, that all their vigilance should
be thwarted by the lawless frauds OF a
minority in Mississippi, or in South
Carolina, or i'm any other State.
Under our system Of general and
State governments, the people are bound
together bv constitutional law, IN one
comprehensive union, with well defined
rights, powers, and duties. 4 Ptsribu'
Unttm. 1t is q system of laws, and de-
pends for its perpetuity upon their just
Interpretation and faithful execution.
The Interpretation has been intrust9d to
the supreme Court, and their execution
10 the President As in the solar sys.
tenn, by the law OF its execution, the
sun attracts every particle of matter III
every planet, and holds the orb itself IN
its orbit, so i'm our federal system, the
general government reaches every cltl'
zen, in every state, and holds the state
itself. i'm its republican form and course
Ii the State rights malcontents should
succeed in taking from the General gov
erument either the power 10 interpret
or 10 execute its own laws, II would work
the destruction Of our glorious Union
aS surely as the repeal OF the law o
gravitation would work the destruction
OF the solar system.
Carl Schurz at Cincinnati.
CNcINNArI, August 2O.-llon. Car
Srhurz addressed an audience number
ing over 1000 at the Lookout House, to
night.
Foster at Akron.
AKRON. O., August 2O.-IIon. Charles
Foster spoke To very large audience IN
| the Academy of Music tonight. Mr.
Foster treated upon the present condl
| ton of the country I'm an able aud eX
| haustive manner. lie alluded 10 Mr.
| Woods tariff hill, which failed to pass
because of the Republicans and a few
Democrats voting againstit. The speech
was brief but to the point.
-
Adirondack Murray.
SAN FRANCISCo, August 20.-The Cal
publiShes an interview with Adirondack