Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-07-29
General Arthur's Letter Of Accept.
NEW YORK, July Is.
Following is the letter of acceptance
of General Arthur:

1 DEAR SIR: accept the position assigned me
by the great party whose action you announce.
| This acceptance implies an approval of the
| principles declared by the Convention, but re-
| cent usage permits me to add some EXPIRES
sion of my own views.
| The right and duty to secure honesty and
| order in popular elections is II matter so ital
| that it must stand in the front. The auth or
| ity of the National Government TO preserve
from fraud and force elections at which its
! own officers are chosen is a chief point on
which the two parties are plainly and intensely
| opposed. Acts of Congress for ten years have
| In New York and elsewhere done much to
| curb the violence and wrong to which the bal
lot and count have been again and again
metimes sitting the voice of a whole State,
often placing not only in Congress, but on
! the Bench and in Legislatures, numbers of
men never chosen by the people. The DEM
! Ocratic party, since gaining possession Of the
| two Houses of Congress, has made these
| laws the object of bitter, ceaseless assault
and despite all resistance has hedged them
with restrictions cunningiy contrived to baf-
| jority boldly attempted to extort from the
Executive his approval of various enactments
! destructive or these election laws by revolu.
| the veto power would be punished by with
holding appropriations necessary to carry on
! the Government, and these threats were actu-
ally carried out by refusing needed appropria-
tions and by forcing an extra session of Con-
gress lasting for months and resulting in
concessions to this usurping demand which
are likely, in many states, TO subject The
majority to the Iawless will of minority.
subdued this arrogant power into sullen sur
render for the time being of part of its de-
mands. The Republican party has strongly
approved the stern refusal of its representa-
tives to suffer the overthrow OF statutes be.
heved to be salutary and Just. 1t has always
insisted, and now insists, that the Government
OF the United States of America is empowered
and in duty bound to effectually protect the
elections denoted by the Constitution as ma
tiOnal. More than this, the Republican party
holds as the cardinal point in its creed that the
Government should by every means known &c
everywhere in the full enjoyment of their
civil and political rights. As a great part of
its work OF reconstruction, the Republican
party gave the ballot to the emancpated
slave as his right and defense. A large in
crease in the number of members of Congress
and of the Electoral College from former
slave-holdng States was the Immediate result.
The history of recent years abounds in evil
dence that in many ways and in many places,
especially where their number has been great
enough to endanger Democratic control. the
very men by whose elevation to citizenship
ee e amd
true that no State statute or Com
the exercise of their political rights but
bodies employed to bar their way are no less
fheha ,ha, sb and sterling
from the enfranchisement Of a race now
denied its share in governing the coun-
the overthrow of the Government, is now
the sole reliance to defeat the party
natonatY Of the paS and
the greatest crisis of our history. Re-
publicans cherish none of the resentments
which may have animated them during the
actual conflict of arms. They long for a full
and real reconciliation between the sections
WHICH were needleSsly and lamentably at
strife. They sincerely offer the hand of good
will, but they ask in return pledge of good
faith. They deeply feel that the party whose
achievements will not fulfill its destiny until
peace and prosperity arc established in all the
and, nor until liberty of thought, conscience
not be merely cold fOrmalities of the statute,
but living birthrights which the humble may
confidently claim, and the powerful dare not
deny.
The resolution referring to the public serv.
ice seems to me deserving of approval. Sure
tice the duties of which he is for cause unfit
to perform. who is lacking in ability, fidelity
or integrity which proper administration OF
doubtless meet with general acquiescence,
but opinion has been widely divided upon
the wisdom and practicability of various re-
formatory schemes which have been sug-
gested and OF certain proposed regulations
governing appointments TO public Office.
The efficiency of such regulations has been
diStrusted mainly because they have seemed
to exalt mere educational and abstract tests
special fitness for the particular work in
hand. 1t seems to me that the rules which
should be applied to the management of the
public service may be properly conformed in
the main to such as regulate the conduct of
succe -sful private business. Original appoint
ments should be based upon ascertained fit
ness. The tenure of Office sh Juld be stable. !
Positions of responsibility should, so far as
practicable, be flled by the promotion of
ton of ali complaints and the punishment of I
all official misconduct should he prompt and I
held, repeatedly declared, and uniformly APP
Piled when called upon to act, find embodied /
In the res luton which of course 1 approve. |
l will add that by the acceptance of public /
office, whether high or low, one does not. in my !
judgment, escape any of his responsibility as |
a citizen or lose or impair any OF his rights as
a citizen, and that he should enjoy absolute
liberty to think AM speak, and act in political ,
matters according to his own will and con-
provided Ony that he hon prably. faith
fully and fuily discharges all his official duties.
=, The resumption Of spccie-payments-oneo of
the fruits of the Republican policy-has
brought return Of abundant prosperity and
the setlemen of many distractng questions
The resto alton of sound money. the large re-
duction of our public debt and the burden of
interest, the nigh advancement OF the public
credit all attest the ability and courage Of
the Republican party TO deal with such
solution. our paper currency is now good
r. gold, AMI silver is performing it's legitimate
fnnctlon for the purpose of change. The
principles which should govern the relations
Df these eieme nts OF the currency are simple
and clear. There must be no deteriorated
;Uln, no deprecated paper, and every dollar,
whether of metal or paper. should stand the
test of the worlds fixed standard.
The value of popular education can hardly
Dc owe, stated. Although its interests must Of
necessity be chiefly couiided to the voluntary
effort and individual action of the several
states. they should I've encouraged so far rs
he Constitution permits by the generous CO.
operation of the National Government. The
interests of a whole country demand that the
advantages of our cofHmOn-school system
should be brought within the reach of every
citizen. and that no revenues of the Nation or
he States should be devoted to the support OF
,ectarian schools.
Such changes should b made in the present
arif and system of taxation as will relieve
my oyerburdened Industry or class, and en-
lble our manufacturers and artisans to COM
pete successfully with those OF other lands.
The Government should aid works of in
ernal Improvement, national i'll their char |
icter, and should promote the development OF
,ur water courses and harbors wherever the
general interests of commerce require.
Four years ago, as now, the Nation stood
m the threshold of a Presidential election, and
he Republican party, in soliciting a contin- | ,
lance of its ascendency, founded its hope OF
uccess, not upon its promises, but upon |
is history. It's subsequent course has been
UGH to strengthen the claims which it |
hen made to the confidence and support of
he country. On tine other hand, considera-
ions more urgent than have ever before ex-
sted forbid the accession of its OPP
'onents to power. Their success. if sue
ess attend them, must chiefly come from !
he united support of that section which
ought the forcible disruption of the Union, |
md which, according to all the teachings Of :
ur past history, will demand acsendency in
moi snff no nor IN, vi