Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-09-18

the polls. But this remedy is, in its
nature, but temporary, and may be too
easily evadcd by hostile Executive to
be securely relied upon. Nothing sho It
oi n repeal of the obnoxious provision
VIII suffice. and the question whether
IT shall be repealed is one OF the great
questions to be decided bv the people.
lhis issue is made and sharply defined.
The Republicans in Congress, as well
as the President, are opposed to the
repeal, as their speeches and recorded
votes amply show. The Democrats and
Nationals are TO "a man in favor of the
repeal. What say your If you are
tired OF freedom and wish the ballot.
box 10 be intericred with by the bayo.
net, vote TO keep the law upon the
statute book. But if you still cherish
your liberties and wish TO cast free
and untrumncled vote, unawed by mill.
tary force, vote to repeal it. And do
not imagine, my friends. that because
you have never seen the polls in Colum.
bus surrounded by troops, therefore
there IL no danger TO be apprehended.
To say nothing of what has occurred in
the Southern States, 1t is but few
years since large bodies of Federal
troops were massed in New York City,
upon election day, for the avowed pur.
pose Of executing the law we seek TO
repeal. And If the people once become
accustomed to such an employment OF
military force, and tamcly acquiesce in
it, IL will not be long before the inter.
ference of the military will become far
more direct and effective and far more
extended. The iisrt steps OF despotism
are always stcalthy, but each successive
step becomes more and more audacious,
until at length liberty finds itself in "A
death struggle for existence. The only
safe rule is to resist despotic power from
the very outset. The trite old maxim
that Eternal vigilance is the price OF
liberty j. "A true maXim-therc never
was trucr one. Therefore IL is that /
appeal to you 10 speak out now, before
II Is too late. Let the voice that comes
from your ballot boxes while they are
yet free, declare. in unmistakablc tones,
that they always shall be free.
SATuEALizATioS ANp ELEc1ioS LAWS.
| now turn to some other statutes to
which your attention should be called
But before doing 20 it would be well 10
refer to the hostility 20 long manifested
by our political opponent, toward the
people of this country who are Of for.
eiRn birth. For il is in part owing to
their utility that these laws were enact
ed and are found upon your statute
book.
You have all heard of the famous Al.
len and Scdition Law enacted by the
Federal Congress cighty.onc years ago
~ b rah L. 4 r Il.
United States tho power TO bnnisb at
his mere pleasure any alien whom he
saw tit to Danish. The Democratic par.
ty Of that day opposed the enactment
Of this law with all its vigor and SUBJ e.
qucnily. by r mighty effort, succeeded
in repeating it. And the triumph Of
Democracy in the election Of Mr. Jciier.
son aeemcd for time at least TO have
put an end TO any attempt 10 renew
such persecution. And, 30 long a. the
Democratic party retained power no
such attempt was 10 be seriously apprc.
hcndcd. But the spirit Of hostility to
the foreign born had not died out and
hence within the life Of the present
generation sc saw the Know Nothing
party spring into existence as il were
in a single night aud threaten to obtain
possession Of nll our Governments, State
and Federal. The Democracy, how.
ever, proved themselves equal to the oc.
casion, and this new attempt 10 revive
and put in practice the spirit Of the old
Alien and Sedition Law, was Fignally
oyeTihrown. When, however, the Re.
publican party. after the first election
of President Grant. had the most abso.
las rnnFNgf ~ -. 4 -
party ever posscssed-the President
being Republican. nearly all the
Judges Of the Supreme Court and the
other Federal Courts being Republicans,
more than six sevcnths of the Senators
being Republicans and over two-thirds
Of the House Of Representatives being
OF the same party-the Radical leaders
conceived 1t possible TO once more assail
the rights of the nsturalized citizen.
This time the attack was made under
the guise of preserving the purity Of
elections. The object was TO bring all
elections under the control Of Congres-
sional law and Federal officers, and TO
use the whole power of the Federal
Government and the Treasury. too. TO
maintain the ascendency Of the Repub.
lcan party. They began by the intro
duetion OF bill professedly TO enforce
the provision Of the fifteenth article Of
amendment TO the Constitution, and
that bill, originally introduced in the
House, after being greatly amended and
enlarged, was passed by both Houses
and approved by the President on May
81. 1870. II is entitled AN act To en-.
force the right of citizens Of the United
States to vote in the several States Of
this Union, and for other purposes -
and it contains not less than twenty.
three sections. have no time to. night
to speak of this law in detail. ! can
only say in general way that il as
sumes to control the action of the cleo
ton officers Of the States when perform
ing their duties under State laws, and
TO punish them by indictment in the
Federal Courts and by numerous other
penalties for any violation Of the act,
Notwithstanding the existence Of State
laws to punish them for the same thing /: