Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-14
The Republican Platform.
The third resolution Of the Re-
publican platform is as follows:

laws WHICH pFOteCt inc purity OI inc
ballot box and secure fair elections. the
election of Congressman and Presden-
tial electors being clearly subject to ma.
tional control. Any attempt to throw
of that control is simply an effort to es.
tablish fraud at national elections.
Honest suffrage, equal rights, the unity
of the nation and the supremacy of Ma
tional Government in all matters placed
by the Constitution under it's control
can be maintained only by the Republi.
can party which is alone committed to
their defence.
This is the most important resolu-
tion of the series; for, although
somewhat obscure, in it may be found
the real issue between the two great
parties; besides, the real feeling and
purposes of the radical party are
stated with more than usual candor
and frankness. They declare their
"implacable hostility" to the repeal
of the national election laws. That
they are implacably hostile TO the re-
peal Of these laws, no one who watch
ed the course of their leaders during
the extra session of Congress can for
one moment doubt. The stalwarts
are undoubtedly in favor of the Fed
eral election laws which now exist
and OF others that will give to FEEDER
al officers supervision and control of
elections by means Of which they
can prevent the people from turning
the Radical party out of power.
This is the secret of their "implaca-
bic hostility" to the repeal of these
laws.
The whole of this resolution is
clearly predicated upon the PROPOSE
tion contained in it, viz: ''the elec-
tion of Congressman and Presiden-
tial electors being clearly subject to
national control" If this PROPOSE
tion cannot be sustained the whole
doctrine of the resolution must ne
cessarily fail. Is the election of
Congressman clearly subject to the
control of the National government?
Has the Federal government or any
department or officer of it, under the
constitution, the right to say who
may or who may not vote at an cleo
tion for Congressman The Dem
ocrats say, no the Republicans say,
yes. This Is simple, plain and di-
rect issue which can only be deter
mined by an appeal to the constitu-
tion itself. The provision of the
constitution upon the subject reads
as follows:
"Art. /, See. 9. The House of
Representatives shall be composed
of members chosen every second
year by the people Of the several
States, and The elestors in each State
shall haze The qualifications requisite
for electors Of The most numerous branch
Of the State Legislature"
BY this provision the right TO say
who may vote for Congressman is
clearly given to the several States,
and not TO the Federal government.
The whole power of the Federal gov
ernment cannot confer the right of
voting for Congressman upon sin.
gle individual If such individual has
not the right under the constitution
and laws of his State. Neither can
the Federal government deprive any
one Of the right of voting for Con-
gresham, If he possesses the qualifl.
cations of vote in his State. The
qualifications of electors for members
OF congress may not be the same in
any two States of the Union. Meth
er Congress nor any other depart
ment of the Federal government has
any power TO compel uniformity in
this respect.
As each individual. therefore de-
riyes his right to the elective fran
chise from the constitution and laws
Of his own State and not from the
Federal government he must neces-
sarily look TO his own State and not
to the Federal government for the
protection of this right. We be-
lieve IL to be universal proposition
under our Complex system Of govern
ment that the rights of individuals
derived from the Gtaka ara IN Ia x4ssf.