Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-18

| it, and the legislation to give it effect is
strenuously resisted in certain Southern
States. The maintenance of its spirit and
purposes Is grave practical question OF
which the candidate shows no compre-
hension, while the controlling power OF
his party is against it. The fifteenth
amendment prohibits the denial or abridg-
ment of the right to vote on account OF
color, and gives Congress power to en-
force the prohibition by appropriate leg.
islation. To accept this in vague general
professions is quite different thing from
giving it due effect. How stands Gen,
Hancock in regard to the means of doing
this? How his party stauds we know.
He is in favor Of free ballot and fair
count; at least he says so. That is we'll I;
no decent man would avow anything
else. But in several States these
blessings VIGOROUSLY do not exist, on &C,
count OF the Infamous proceedings of the
! party In the South, on which Gen. Han
cock relies for support. There are laws
| through which the federal authority, so
/ far as lis Jurisdiction goes, endeavors to
secure honest elections. Their enforce
ment Is resisted by the Democratic party,
and it has done its worst to get rid of
them. Does the Hedging candidate be-
lieve in these laws and their execution, or
in any practical method of securing the
! same endP If not, of what use are his
| platitudes about free ballot and fair
countY He believes in an efficient and
honest civil service, but as to the methods
of securing it he is as helpless as child.
AS to measures and policies for promot
ing our material interests, he cannot even
compass a generality that has sense at
the bottom OF it. The election of sucn q
man to the Presidency would be seri-
Gus matter for the country. Its immedi-
! diate consequences are altogether obvious.
He would be putty in the hands of the
party leaders, and the controlling force
among these leaders would be the Exon
! federates of the South. Their will would
be wrought In regard to the vital enforce
ment of the amendments, the execution
of election laws, the reform of the civil
service, the care of financial interests,
and the promotion of material well-being.
Mr. English has one reason, and only
one, for asking the support of the people
for his party. That is that the other par
ty has been In power too long and there
ought to be change. The people are
| likely TO consider whether there are good
reasons for the change proposed and
whether the result would be better state
of things. The candidate for Vice Presi-
dent repeats the stale charge that there
are irregularities and corruptions in the
Republican Administration which can
only be exposed add corrected by trans.
ferring the conduct OF affairs to its oppo.
nents. Making a vague and unsubstin-
tiated charge like this is easy enough, AID
it might be brought against the Ruler OF
the Universe by any one OF sufficient pre-
| sumption. There are no secrets about the
| administration of the Government. The
collection and disbursement of the reve.
nues, the general management of the
| finances, the conduct of the various
| departments Of the Administration are
public matters. There is nothing hid,
Or that can be effectually hid, about
Democratic rummaging committees have
had everything laid open TO them with
wonderfully barren results in the way of
electoneering material. Mr.. English
knows the charge is not true, and it Is a
| question whether such hypocritical Shift
| ls to take the place of positive ideas and
| principles in regard to the conduct OF
public affairs When party is reduced
TO such an extremity that it can present
no better reasons for being intrusted with
the government of great nation, situated
as this Republic is, the question Is not so
| much whether it should be placed in
| power as whether 1t has any excuse for a
continued existence. Taken at the esti-
mate of its candidates, it holds no definite
ground whatever on the vital questions OF
the day, and therefore lacks the quali6ca.
tions even of respectable opposition.
|