Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-07-22
Arthur's Letter OF Acceptance.

DEAR SIR: l accept the position
assigned me by the great party
whose action you announce. This
acceptance implies the approval Of
the principles declared by the
convention, but recent usage per-
mits me to add some expression Of
my own views. The right aud duty
to secure honesty aud order in
popular elections ia matter so vital
that it must stand in the front, The
authority of the National Govern
ment to preserve from fraud and
force the elections at which its own
officers are chosen, is a chief point
on which the two parties are plainly
and intensely opposed. The acts of
Congress IN ten years have, in New
York and else where, done much to
euro violence and wrong 10 which
the ballot and count have been again
and again subjected, sometimes des-
polling great cities, sometimes
stihing the voice of q whole State,
often seating not only in Congress,
but on the bench and in the legisla-
lures, numbers OF men who have
never been chosen by the people.
The Democratic party since gaining
possession Of the two houses of Con-
gress has made these laws the object
P P. 6s a gSgAtiESdiGs saaaaHHbug gadd tasG
with restrictions, cunningly con.
triyed, to battle and paraIyze them
This aggressive majority boldly at.
tempted to extort from the execu.
tive his approval Of various enact.
ments destructive of these election
laws by revolutionary threats that
a constitutional exercise of the veto
power would be punished with with.
holding appropriations necessary to
carry on the government, and those
threats were actually carried out by
refusing needed appropriations and
by forcing an extra session of Con
gross, lasting four months and re.
sulting in concessions 20 this usurp
ing demand which are likely in
many states to subject the majority
to the lawless will of a minority.
Ominous signs of public disapprovaI
alone subdued this arragaLt power
into sullea surrender for the tins
being of part of its demands. The
Republican party strongly approved
the stern refusal of its representa-.
tives TO suffer the overthrow of stat.
utes believed to be salutary and Just.
IL has always insisted, and now in
sists, that the Government of the
United States of America is empow
cred and in duty bound to effectualIy
protect the elections denoted by the
constitution az national. More than
this, the Republican party holds as
THE CARDINAL POINT IN ITS CREED
that the Government should, by
every means known to the constitu.
ton, protect all American citizens
everywhere in the full enjoyment OF
their civil and Political rights. AS
a great part of it's work of recon-
struction the Republican party gave
the ballot TO the enlancipated slave
as bis right and defense. A large
increase in the number of members
of Congress and of the electoral coll
lege from the former slave, holding
States was the immediate result.
The history of recent years abound
in evidence that in many ways
and in many places, especially
where their number he's bean
great enough to endanger Demo-
cratic control, the very men by
whose elevations to citizenship this
increase of representation was eff
fectod have been debsrred and rob-
bed of their voice and their vote. IL
is true that no State statute or Con.
stitution in 50 many words denies
or abridges the exercise of their po>
litical rights, but bodies employed
to bar their wsy are no less effect
ual 1t is suggestive and start.
ling thought that the increased pow.
er derived from the enfrsnchise.
ment of race now denied it's share
in governing the country, welded
by those who lately sought tho over
throw of the government, is now
the sole reliance to defeat the party
which represents the sovereignty
and nationally of the An erioan PEG.
pie in the greatest crisis of our his.
tory. Republicans cherish none of
the resentmonts which may have
animated them during the actual
conflict of arms. They long for a
full and real Cancellation between
the sections which were needlessly
and lamentably at strife. They
sincerely offer the hand of good will
but they ask in return a pledge OF
good faith. They deeply feel that
the party whose career is so illustri
GUS in the great and patriotic
achievement will not fulfill its desti-
ny until peace and prosperity are
established in all the land; nor I'M
til liberty of thought, conscience
and action, and equality of oppor
tunity shall not be merely cold for
malihes of statute, but living birth
rights, which the humble may con.
tidently claim and the powerful
dare not deny.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The resolution referring to the
public service seems TO me desery-
ing Of approval. Surely, 70 man
should be the incumbent of an of.
flee, the duties of which he is for a
cause unfit to perform, who is lack,
ing in ability, fidelity, or integrity
which proper administration of
such official demands. This senti-,
ment would doubtless meet with
general acquiescence, but opinion
has evidently been divided upon
, cd a IL