The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-09-11

by Congress in which the six New England
| States would have ak times az much power, IN
| the Senate, In framing law relating to the do
mestio affairs OF our State as Ohio beIeSelf would
have Let no one my friends, imagine that such
a state OF things can never come to pass, | my
self do not believe that 1t will come 10 pas; but
the reason OF my belieti Is my faith in the power
| OF the principles OF Democracy TO prevent II
| Were II not for Democratic opposition, II might
| come to pass. The forms OF State Governments
| might remain. Your Legislatures might sit from
year 10 year, passing laws and levying taxes, but
their legislation " Iuld be met aud controlled at
| almost every step by the legislation Of the Con-
gEess OF the United States. ur..
The forms Of the Roman Republic continued
TO exist for centuries after every particle OF Ro
/ man liberty had been destroyed. And 30 the
4 forms Of our State Governments might continue
to exist after every substantial exercise OF local
BelfgOvernment had been overlhIOwn. Now,
mark H. my friends the doctrine Of State Rights,
/ or, In other words, local self-government, for
/ which the Democracy contend is wholly differ.
i ent from the doctrines of nullifcatiOn or seces.
sion. The Democracy OF the North never be.
| lieved In either Of those dOctriDes; they never
believed In the right Of notification or OF seces-
| siOn.And until the breaking out OF the civil
war believe 1t may be truly affirmed that
| large majority OF the people OF the Southern
States were also opposed to those Doctrines II
| Is true that when the war broke out, almost ev-
cry Southern map took sides with his section.
That was the natural consequence Of such
strife, which overwhelmed for the time almost
| every dictate OF sober reason. But whatever mBy
have been the opinions OF the Southern people
| before the war, no candid man can deny, no
honest man will deny, that the Southern people
have abandoned the doctrines Of nullidCatiOn
and secession now and forever. They have ac.
cepled the result OF the war as determined thai
no State has right to nullify the valid laws Of
Congress aud no state has a right 10 seCede from
the Union, II Is Therefore the bRldest hypocrisy
| or the most deplOTable ignorance TO pretend that
ta Aato r,fth nF dn,
Of secession. Que great cause that endangered
| the Union, Slavery has ceased 10 exist. 10 re.
establish 1t is manifest impOsslbiltty. No man,
| north or south, imagnes that II could be Te'eB
| tablished. The southern people would be sm0ng
! the hIst aud The most earnest 10 oppose such
measure. Their political power is largely in.
| creased by the emancipation OF the negro and
they ere fast coming to the conclusion that their
material prosperity is likewike improved by his
emancipation. 1t is not, therefore, fear Of &C.
cession or of the Te.estabishment of slavery that
prompts the Radical leaders to degrade and Oe'
base the States, The cause lies far deeper than
that, II grows out OF the long and DeVerending
effort Of consolidated capital, seeking special
| privileges by means of legislation; privileges
that the mass Of the people do not enjoy, The
| holder Of Government bonds desires strong ma
tiunal Government, In the belief that such
government would give greater security ana
| value 10 his bonds. The MANN railroad cor
pOratlOn, running through many States, f'els
restve under wnat 1t considers the annOyances
OF State legislation, II would greatly prefer 10
State charters or State licenses National charter
rendering II independent Of the States. The Ma.
tiOnal bank Interest with its two thousand and
odd banks, destined, II the system continue, W
| be tripled or quAdTupled In number In no long
period Of time, looks with complacency on the
legislation Of Congreas that has destroyed the
| banking Institutions Of the states aud given to
the National system monopoly OF the issue and
profits OF bank paper money. The high tariff
prOlectloniBts and the seekers OF subsidies alike
desire government Of almost unlimited power
to gratify their wishes and foster their schemes.
! In word almost q. quite every form Of conCen'
trated wealth, except real estate desires by con-
HtructiOn or otherwise to add new powers TO tho
already tremendous powers possessed by the Ma
tonal Government D. not understand me az
saying that every Iuan OF wealth desires the an
Inhalation Of the State Governments OF heir
practical overthrow There are thousands upon
thousands Of such men who are intelligent
enough to see that the preservation Of tie rights
OF the States is essential to the maintenance of
freedom aud prosperity and is one of the greatest
Safeguards that can be conceived Of tie Union
| ITSELF But on the other hand fear that there
are thousands and tens OF thousands Of men in
this country who would prefer even = limited
monarchy TO the form OF government under
which we live. They do not believe In the rule
Of the people; they do not believe in universal
suffrage; they do not believe IN the rights of the
States; but they do believe in strong central
lzed government backed by standing army aud
presided over or ruled by chief magistrate
| chosen for long term or even for life. They
! are too sagacous to expect their hopes TO be
speedily realized. They know that govern.
ment like ours cannot be subverted In day, but
they also know tLat, even II It's form be left un-
| touched, It's essential principles may be day by
day weakened or destroyed until in the end II
thall be in substance and In practice the cOnsol'
| idated government they desire. Hence they ia.
vor and applaud every usurpation OF Congress
and the President and regard with satisfaction
everything that tends to weaken or destroy the
reserved rights Of the States.
THE ARMY AT THE POLLS.
My friends have said that the purpose Of the
Radical leaders TO overthrow local selEgovern
ment is shown, among other things by numerous
acts Of Congress. To speak Of these acts in de
tell would require not one speech, but many.
cannot, therefore, undertake that task tonight
But there are some laws to which must ask
your attention, not only because Of their deeI
reaching effects, but also because they were
prominently brought under consideration at tht
last two sessions Of Congress, and are among
the most prominent iss les now before the peo
pie. And Hrst let me say few words about th(
law enacted in February, 1865, authorizing the
use of the army Of the United States to keep the
peace at the polls When that law was enacted
! Ia existence for more than three quarters of 6
century. We had passed through two war;
with foreign countries, and through civil war
Of four years. duration, and almost unequaled III
magnitude in the annals Of mankind; and ye
during all this period, nearly 76 years, neithel
In peace nor In war bad 1t been deemed proper
or even admissible, by our law makers, to use
the standing army ofthe United States to inter
fere In any manner In the elections Of the peo
Pile. But when, in 1866, the Radical leaders re-
solved to overthrow civil government in the
South, and to divide that portion OF the Republic
into military departments, to be ruled by five
Generals Of the army, and to permit no elections
unless sanctioned by those Generals and super
\ vsed by them, then this law authorizing the use
of the army at the polls was first enacted. How
| IL was executed is now matter of history, It's
| first TrOfessed object was to preserve the peace
It's practical operation was to disturb the peace
II was said to be In the interest OF free and fair
elections 1t was used as an instrument of terror
| to destroy free elections. And this com mence
ment being made III the art OF bayonet rule, we
| s0en saw wider scope TO the employment Oi
military force; we saw lawful legislatures over
thrown by the bay0net; we saw lawful State Off.
GERS kept out OF the possession Of their Offices by
| the same means, we saw usurping egisla
| and usuTping Governors installed into Office by
II
soldiers, needed on the western frontiers to pro-
tect the people from their savage foes, kept in
| the Southern States In order to carry elections
| for the Republican party and maintain Repub.
licans in their usurpations OF the State govern
ments; and all this, years and years after the
close OF the civil war; all this at q time when
not one hostile hand was raised against the Fed
eral Government from one end Of the Union to
the other. II there were any justification for this
| law while the Radical process OF reconstruction
was going on; while Congress was debating State
Constitutions and State Governments; while cleo.
lions were held under the supervision OF Gen
erals OF the army; II al a time like that the law
could be justified what justification Ia there now.
nine years after reconstruction was completed,
and when al the States are represented In the
Congress OF the Union1 My friends, there is no
justification for this law at all. It is In vain 10
say that II Is a mere fundamentally to preserve
| the peace. No such instrumentality is needed
The people OF the States have been able to pre-
| serve the peace at elections ever since the Gov.
| eminent was formed as we'll, nay better Than IL
has ever been preserved In any other country Of
popular institutions. The only effect of the law
is to enable the President TO overawe the people
who are opposed to his adm Illustration, II