The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-07-22

| nOmlnatlOn tonQercQ nm Dy Jne Ma
tional Republican Convention:
MENTION, Ohio, July IL, 1850.
DEAR S1R:-On the evening of the 18th of June.
you were chairman, conveyed to me
the official announcement that the
Republican Na:ional Convention Co at en- III,
date for President of tho United States. accept
the nomination with gratitude for the confidence
implies and with deep sense of the ttehspons thp
| ciplcs set forth in the platform adopted by the
convention. On nearly all the subjects of which
published proceedings of congress: venture,
| however, to make special mention OF some of the
principal topics which are likely to become sub
jects Of discussion. Without renewing the conlro-
versies which have bean settled during the last
twenty years, and with no purpose or wish to re,
new the passions of the late war, it should
nize and will strenuously defend all the
rights reserved by the people, and
all the rights reserved to the states, they re-
ject the pernicious doctrine of state supremacy
which long crippled the functions of the national
| government, and at one time very near brought
the union to destruction. They insist that the
United States is a nation with ample powers Of
self preservation; that its constitution and laws
made in pursuance thereof are the supreme law Of
| the land that the right of the nation to deter
mine the method by which its legislature shall be
elected cannot be surrendered without abdicating
one of the fundamental powers Of the government:
that the national law relating to the election of
representatives in congress shall neither be violat
cd nor eyaded; that every elector shall be permit
| ted freely and without intimidation to cast his
lawful vote at such elections and have it honestly
counted and that the potency Of his vote shall not
be destroyed by the fraudulent vote of any other
person. The best thought and energy of our
people should be directed to those great questions
interest. Such effort will soonest restore to perfect
| peace those who were lately in arms against each
other, for justice and good will will out
last passion. But it is certain that tho
wounds of the war cannot be completely healed,
and the spirit of brotherhood cannot fully per-
wade the whole country until every citizen rich or
poor, white or black, is secure in the full and
| equal enjoyment of every civil and political right
guaranteed by the constitution and laws. Where
ever the enjoyment of these rights is not assured
discomfort will prevail; immigration will cease and
the social and industrial forces will continue to bo
disturbed by the migration of laborers and tho
| consequent diminishment of prosperity. The ma
tiOnal government should exercise all its c0nstitu
tionu authority to put an end to these evils, for
| all the people and all the states are members OF
| one body, and no member can suffer without in
| jury to all. The most terrible evils which now
| afct the SOUTH arise from the fact that there is
| not such freedom and toeratOn of political
| opinion and action, that the minority party can
exercise an effective and wholesome restraint upon
| the party in power. Without such restraint,
! '
| prosperity which is made possible in the south by
its great adv:i tages of soil and climate will neveI
be realized until every voter can freely and safely
| support amy party he pleases.
| Next in Importance to freedom and justice is
popular education without whic, neither freedom
nor justice can be permanently maintained. This is
| intrusted to the states and to the voluntary nc
tion OF the people, and whatever help the nation
can justly afford should be generously given to
aid the states in supporting common schools; but
1t would be unjust to our people and dangerous to
our institutions to apply any portion of tho re-
sources Of the nation the states to the support
OF sertnlian schools. The separation of the chnrch
and the state i'll everything relating to taxation,
should be absolute
On the subject OF national finances my views have
been SO frequently and fully expressed that little is
needle in the way of additional statement. The pub
lie debt rs row well secured and the rate of IN
nual interest has been reduced refunding, that
rigid economy in expenditures and the faithful
application Of our surplus revenues to the pay.
mcnt Of the principal debt, will gradually but GER
tany free the people from its burdens and close
with honor the final chapter of the war. At the
same tlmo the government can provide for its 0rdl-
nary expenditures and discharge its social obliga-
tiols to the soldiers of the union, and the widows
and orphans Of those who fell in it's defence. The
resumption OF specie payment which the republ.
can party so couraseously and successfully ac-
complished, has removed from the field Of
long and seriously disturbed the
credit of tho government and the business Of the
country. Our paper currency is now rs national
as the flag and resumption has not only made it
everywhere equal to coin but has brought into use
our store Of gold and silver. The circulating
medium is more abundant than ever before and
we need only to maintain the equality of all our
dollars to insure to labor and capital measure OF
value from the use Of which no one can suffer
loss. The great prosperity which the country
is now enjoying should not be endangered by any
violent changes or doubtful financial experiments
and in reference to our custom laws policy
should be pursued which will bring revenue to the
treasury and will enable the labor and capitol en-
ployed in our great industries to compete fairly
in markets with the labor and capitol foreign
produce. We egislate for the people of the United
States not for the whole world and it is our glory
free, intelligent and better paid than
his foreign competitor. Our country
can not be independent unless its people
| with their abundant natural recOurses possess
the requisite skill at any time to clothe, arm and
equip themselves for war, and in time Of peace to
produce all the necessary implements OF labor.
1t was the manifest intention of the founders Of
the government to provide for the common de-
fense, not by standing armies alone, but by rails
ing among the people greater army of artisans
contribute to the safety and glory of the nation.
Fortunately for the interests of commerce there
is no longer any formidable opposition to appro-
priations for the improvement of our harbors and
great navigable rivers; provided that the expen-
ditures for that purpose are strictly limited to
works of national Importance. The Mississippi
river with its great tributaries is of such vital i'm
portancc to so many millions Of people that the
safety of its navigation requires exceptional con-
sideration in order to to the nation the con-
troll of all its waters. President Jefferson nego-
tiated the purchase of vast territory extending
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.
The wisdom of congress should be invoked
to devise plan by which that great river shall
cease to be q terror to those who dwell upon ito
banks and by which its shipping may safely carry
The interests of agriculture which is the basis Of
all our material prosperity and in which seven
twelvths Of our population are engaged, as well o.
the interests of manufacturers and commerce, de-
mand that the facilities for cheap transportation
shall be increased by the use Of all our great wa
ter courses. material interests of this country,
the traditions Of its settlement and the sentiments
of people have led the government to offer the
widest hospitality to emigrants who seek our
shores for new and happier homes, willing to
society; and intending that their posterity shall
become an undistinghshabe part Of our popula-
| tion.~
| The recent movement of the Chinese to our
Pacific coast partakes but little of the qualities Of
such emigration either in its purpose or its re-
welcomed without restriction, too much like an
invasion to be looked upon without solicitude.
| We cannot consent to allow any form of servile
labor to be introduced among us under tho guise
of immigration. Recognizing the gravity Of this
| subject the present administration supported by
| congress- has sent to China commission of dis
| tinguished citizens for the purpose Of securing
such modification Of the existing treaty as will
prevent the evils likely to arise frem the present
situation. 1t is confidently believed that these d.
plomatc negotators will be successful without the
| loss of commercial intercourse between the two
| powers, which promises great increase of recp-
rocal trade and the enlargement of our markets.
Should these efforts fall it will be the duty Of
gress to mitigate the evils already felt, and pre-
vent their increaseby such restrictions as without
violence and injustice, will place upon sure foun-
dation the peace of communities and the free
dom and dignity of labor.
The appointment of citizens to the various ex-
ecutive aud judicial offices of the government is
perhaps the most difficult of all tho duties which
the constitution has imposed upon the executive.
The constitution wisely demands that congress
shall cooperate with the executive departments
in placing the civil service o better basis. Ex-
pcrience has proved that with over frequent
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