The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-28
WHOLE NO. l5l6.
ARTHUR's ACCEPTANCE
THE LETTER.


sl>Si4HCu ne bN tllt NICstt liditN
whose action you announce This
acceptance implies approval Of the
principles declared by the Conven
ton, but recent usage permits me I,
add some expression of my owl
views. The right and duty to Sc
cure honesty and order in popular
elections is a matter so vital that j
must stand in front. The authority
Of the National Government to pre-.
serve from fraud and force election!
at which its own officers are choseT
is a chief point on which the TIVE
parties are plainly and intensely op
posed. Acts of Congress for teI
years have, in New York and else
where, done much to curb the vio
lence and wrong TO which the ballo
and the count have been again anC
again subiectcd-sometimes despoil
ING great cities, sometimes sitting
the voice of a whole State, often seat
ing, not only in Congress, but on the
Bench. and in Legislatures, mum
bers of men never chosen by tbs
people. The Democraticparty since
gaining possession of the two house;
of Congress has made these Just law:
the object Of bitter, ceaseless assault
and, despite all resistance, has hedg
ed them with restrictions cunningly
contrived to battle and paralyz,
them. This aggressive majority
boldly attempted to extort from tn,
Executive his approval of various
enactments destructive of these elec
ton laws by revolutionary threat:
that a constitutional exercise of thu
veto power would be punished by
Withholding the appropriations ne
cessary to carry on the Government
And these threats were actually car
ried out by refusing the needed ap-
preparations, and by forcing an ex
ira session of Congress, lasting fol
months and resulting in concession:
to this usurping demand, which are
likely, In many States, to subject the
majority to the lawless viii Of q
minority. Ominous signs of public
disapproval alone subdued this ar
rogant power into a sullen surrender
for the time being of a part of its de,
mands. The Republican party has
strongly approved the stern refusal
of its representatives To suffer tho
overthrow of statutes believed to be
salutary and Just 1t has always in
sisted, and now insists that the GOV,
ernment of the Uni.aI States OF
America Is empowered and in duty
bound to elfcctualiy protecttae clec-
ton denoted by the Constitu ION a,
National.
PROTECTION FOR EVER CITIZEN.
More than this. the Republican
party holds, as a cardinal point ii
It's creed, that the Government should
by every means known to the Con
stitution. protect all American citi
zens everywhere in the full enjoy
ment of their civil and politica
rights. Is a great part of Its work
Of reconstruction, the Republican
party gave the ballot to the emanci
pated slave as his right and defence
4 large increase in the number o
members of Congress, and of the
Electoral College. from the former
slaveholding States. was the imme
diate result. The history of recent
years abounds in evidence that il
many ways and in many places
especially where their number has
been great enough toendanger Dem
ocratic control-the very men by
whose elevation to citizenship thi:
increase Of representation was effect
ed have been debarred and robbed
of their voice and their vote. 1t Is
true that no State statute or COnsti
tuition in so many words denies ol
abridgcs the exercise of their politi
cal rights: but the modes employed
to bar their way are no less efectual
1t is suggestive and startling
thought that the increased powerde
rived from .he enfranchisement Of ;
race now denied its share in govern
ing the country-wielded by those
who lately sought the overthrow o
the Government-is now the sole re
lance to defeat the party which rep
resented the sovereignty and nation
alitv of the American people in the
greatest crisis of our history. Re
publicans cherish none OF the re
sentiments which may have animat
ed them during the actual conflict o
arms. They long for a full and rea
reconciliation between the section,
which were needlesslv and lamenta
blv Mt strife: they sincerely offer th,
hand Of good viii, but they ask in
return a pledge of good faith. They
deeply feel that the party, whose ca
reer is 50 illustriOus in great and pa
triotic achievement. viii not fulfil
its destiny until peace and prosperi
ty are established in all the land
nor until liberty Of thought, con
science and action. an equality O.
opportunity shall be not merely
cold formalities Of statute, but Twin.
birthrights. which the humble MAY
confidently claim and the powerful
dare not deny.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
The resolution referring to tn,
public service seems to me deserving
Of approval. Surely, noman should
be the incumbent of an office the du
ties of which he Is. for any cause
unfit 10 perform, who is lacking ii
the ability, fidelity, or integrity
which a proper administration O
such office demands. This senti
ment would doubtless meet with
general acquiescence, but opinion
has been widely divided upon The
wisdom and practicability of the va
rious reformatory schemes which
have been suggested, and of certain
proposed regulations governing ap-
pointments to public office The
efficiency Of such regulations has
been distrusted, mainly because they
have seemed to exalt mere educa-
tional and abstract tests above gen
eraI business capacity, and deven spe-
cial fitness for the particular work
in hand. 1t seems to me that the
rules which should be applied to the