The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-08-11
The speech of Hon. Franklin Landers,
Delivered at Seymour, Ind, Au-
gust @, 1880.

The following mastery argument was made
at Seymour, Ind, August 8, 1880, by Hon.
Franklin Landers, Democratic candidate for
Governor:
Mr. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
According TO our form Of gOvernM ent every
four years the people have right by ba lot 10
chang the administration OF the Federal
Cover nment. The existence of political
parties appear to be necessity under our
form of government, and IL is desirable that
great Thought should be given TO questions
Inat immediately interest the people at large
Measures In their interest must be devised,
and those who devise them and first agttate
politicians, but agItators. The politician when
q measure has been made popular with the
people by agitation, takes IL up and rides into
office on l.. The party or man that devises
serves but little credit.
The Republican party is now asking new
lease Of power on the strength Of its record
anu 1t is by no means modest In It's claims AS
being the friend and supporter of ali measures
that have tended TO preserve our Government
from hands which sought to destroy IL, or In
claiming credit for every measure that has
the country since the war; and 1t is not slow
10 deny that IL has extended support to anv
measures that have tended to destroy the Gov
eminent or 70 reJard the prosperity of the
country since the peace of the Government
was restored. Were 1t not for such claims set
u) by members of that party, would not now
past, 'or you are more immedistely interested
In the pres snt aud in the future than you are
in the past. The only good that can result
us to so shape the policies of government as to
In the future avoid the errors of the past.
STATE RIGHTS.
MIR. Porter, in his speech delivered in Indi-
annapolis on the 18th of June, said:
"Very early In the history OF the United
states the fatal doctrioe was proclaimed and
tool "
that II wss aggrieved by the United States
might, acting upon its own judgment of the
grievance, voluntarily withdraw and separate
Mr.. Porter was himself Democrat till just
before the war commenced, and he ought to
be posted on the principles OF party TO which
he belonged, at least wni Q he was a member
OF 1t. was Democrat before and since the
war. and have yet 10 see the frat resolution
embracing the doctrine st ted by him, in
any Democratic National platform. do not
deny that some VINO acted with the Democratic
party asserted the right OF state TO withdraw
from the Union, aud 1 presume Mr.. Porter
will not deny that many Republicans asserted
the same right: Fearing he may have forgot
ten the past of his present party, as he appears
TO have forgotten the principles of his cd
party-Ihe Democracy-I now call has atten
fndiananolIe Journal. made NoyembeT Is, 1880
at a time when the Southern States were
threatening secession:
"They know very well that If they are deter
mined TO leave the Union, no Republican will
care to have them stay. A Union preserved
only by intimidation and force Is q mockery,
and II Is better broken than whole. If South
Carolina and her associates in folly really
want 10 leave the Union they can go without
aword OF objection from any man North of
Mason and DlxOn's line"
This declaration is very broad. 1t includes
all men North of Mason and DIxon's
pe m nSd com nPe Mr the po oTsap
Is truth nj, IL embraces him; IL spoke for him
1 deny the truth OF the declaration, however,
and am sure no true Democrat Endorsed the
doctrtDe. Other leading journals of the Re-
pub lean PARTY took like positions won d
not refer TO this question, fellow citiZens-for
1t Is one of the past, and one that you are not
now Immediately interested in-were IL not
that a large portion Of the speech OF my com.
petItOr is taken up with eulogies Of the Repub-
hcsn party for it's great pa rlotism and faith
fulness to the Union, and with denunciations
of the Democratic party.
The ctrine thah the States OF this Union
have the right to manage and control their
own domestic affairs mas always been Dem
ocratic doctrine, and is to day. 1t was once
the doctrine of the Republican party, as will
appear from a resolution found In its Nation
al platform of 1850. The fourth resolution of
that Republican platform declares:
"The maintenance inylolste OF the rights of
the States, and especially the right OF each
sns,t,n 10 according 10 its own tnSgmsnf
exclusively, Is essential TO that balance OF
power on which the perfection and endurance
nOunce the lawless invasion by armed force
on the soil Of any State or Territory, no mat
ter under what pretense. as amongst the
II the Republican party, after IL came into
power under this resolution, had lived up TO
Its pledge to the people, we would not have SO
much ground for com plant against it to-day.
Mr.. Porter says the Republican party has re.
deemed It's pledges This was pledge that
has been trodden under foot and disregarded
by the Republican party. The domestic insu.
tutions of the States have been taken charge
of by the Federal Government under Repubi-
can law refer now particularly TO the law
appointing Supervisors to take charge OF cleo
tfons IN the several States, and of Deputy
Msrshals TO act under these supervisors of
elections. This law " as passed by the Repuo
ncan party under the plea that 1t was neces-
sary in the southern states.
FEDERAL SUPERVISION SOUTH.
The Consultation of the United States pro-
vides that the time, place andmanner of select
Ing Senators and Rep esentatives In Congress
shall be prescribed IN each State by the Legis-
time make or alter such regulation. except as
to the place of choosing Senators. Under this
the United States evidently had the right to
change the manner of selecting Representa-
tives, and also TO provide for their election In
all States where the states had neglected or
refused TO do so. The law said TO be ex-
clusively for the Southern States Under this
same law they had right to send the United
the elections, The southern States were man .
aged by supervisors and Marshals, backed by
United Staaes troops with drawn bayonets and
Il was thus that designing men from the
North, called carpet baggers. were protected
In their management OF the Southern States.
The United States army kept the people OF the
Southern States In subsection, while the
carpet baggers, by manipulating the negroes,
got sll the places of power. and, under the
pretext of going into various schemes for in
ternaI improvement In the different States,
issued large quantities of bonds, that they
might get hold of the cash proceeds from the
sales thereof. Every extravaganza that could
De thought OF was engaged in These carpet
baRg rs, having no common interest with the
people OF those states, the extent of the
numbering committed by the agents of the
Republican party in the Southern ates is
simply appalling, and from first to last no
effort was made to check IL by the
party responsible for the robbery. President
Grant appointed men to Office In that section
with especial reference TO length of finger and
depth Of pocket, and he found more No
/ thieves than were ever before invited 70
help carry on any civilized Government. The
Following figures will show the amount of debt
the Republican Legislatures, composed In the
main OF negroes and carpet baggers involved
ten OF the Southern STATES, then under the
control of the Republican party, from the
close OF the war to the month of June. ls72.
The debt aggregates the enormous sum OF two
hundred and eighty-four millions Of dollars OF
thereabouts. The figures for each Of the ten