The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-07-23
The Devastating Cyclone Sweeps Over
Monroe County. Michigan.
General News from All Parts of the
Country.

General Arthur's Letter of Acceptance.
NEW YORK, July 15.-DEAR SIR: |
accept the position assigned by the great
party whose action you announce. This
acceptance implies the approval of the
principles declared by the convention.
But recent usage permits me to add some
expression of my own views. The right
and duty to secure honesty and order in
popular elections is a matter so vital that
it must stand in the front. The author
ity of the national government to pre-
serve from fraud and force the election
at which its own officers are chosen, is a
chief point on which the two parties are
plainly and intensely opposed. Acts of
congress for ten years have, in New
York and elsewhere, done much to curb
the violence and wrong to which the bal
lot and count have been again and again
subjected. Sometimes despoiling great
cities, sometimes sitting the voice of a
whole state, often seating, not only in
congress, but on the benches of the legis-
latures, numbers of men never chosen by
the people. The Democratic party, since
gaining possession of the two houses of
congress, has made these just laws the
object of bitter, Ceaseless assault, and
despite all resistance has hedged them
with restricting cunning, contrived to
battle them. This aggressive majority
boldly attempted to eXtort from the exc
cutive his approval of the various enact
ments destructive of these election laws
by revolutionary threats that a constitu-
tional exercise of veto power would be
punished by Withholding appropriations
necessary to carry on the government
and these threats were actually carried
out by refusing, not only appropriations
but by forcing an extra session of con
| gress lasting for months ending IL con
ceSsiOns
TO THIS USURPING DEMAND,
which was likely In many states to sub
iect the majority to the lawless will of s
minority. Ominous signs of public dis
approval alone subdued this ardent pow
| er into a sullcn surrender for the time
| being of parts of its demands. The Re
publican party has strongly approved
| the stern refusal of It's president to al
| overthrow of statutes believed to be sal
utary and Just. 1t has always insisted
and now insists, that the government o
| the United States is empowered and il
| duty bound to cflectually protect thu
elections designated by the constitution
as national. More than this, the Repub
lican party hold as the coordinate poin
| in its creed, that the government should
by every means known to the constitu
| IL,
| where in full enjoyment of their cIvi
and political rights. AS great party, il
its work of reconstruction the Republi
can party gave the ballot TO the enamel
pated slaves, and hence a large increas
in members of congress and of the cleo
toral college from former slave-holdin!
states was the Immediate result. Til
history of recent years abounds in evi
dence that in many ways and man,
places, especially where their numbe
has been great enough to endanger Dem
ocratic control, the very men by who's
elevation to citizenship their increase @
representation was effected, have bee
deferred and robbed of their voice an
vote 1t is true that the state statutes o
constitution in so many words neithe
denies nor abrogates the exercise c
their political rights, but the modes en-
ployed to debar are no less effectual.
is a suggestive and startling thought this
the increased power derived from the eI
reimbursement of O race now denied II
share in governing the country, wielde
by those who lately sought to overthrow
the government, is now the sole relianc
to defeat the party which represented til
: sovereignty and nationality of the Anne
lean people in the greatest crisis of on
history. The Republicans cherish non
| OF the reSe0lme0tS WHICH nave animate
them during the actual conflict of arm
They long for full and real reconcile;
, ton between the sections which wer
needlessly and lamentably at strif,
They sincerely offer the hand of goo
will, but they ask in return
PLEDGE OF GOOD FAITH.
They deeply feel that the party, who's
career is so illustrious in great and p;
triotic achievements, viii not fulfill il
| destiny until peace and prosperity are e
tablished in all the land, nor until libel
. ty of thought, conscience of action an
equality of opportunity shall not b
merely cold formalities of statute bT
living birthrights, which the humbl
may confidently claim and the powerfT
dare not deny.
The resolution referring to the publ
r service seems to me deserving of al
proval. Surely no man should be th
incumbent of an Office the duties {
which he is for any cause unfit to pc
form, who is lacking in the ability, fide
ity or integrity the administration {
such Office demands. This sentimeI
would doubtless meet with general a
quiescence, but opinion has been widel
divided upon the wisdom and practic:
bility of the various reformation
schemes which have been suggested, an
of certain proposed regulations govern
! ing the appointment TO public offic'
The efficiency of such regulations ha