Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-07-22
ARTHUR'S ANNOUNCEMENT.
A Letter from the Republican Candidate tor
Vice President.
He Accepts the Provisions Of the Plat
form, and Adds an Expression
of His Own Views.

He Accepts the Provisions Of the Plat.
form, and Adds an Expression
of His Own Views.
New YORK, July Is, 1880.
| DEAR SIR: 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. bnt recent
usage permits me to add some expression of nv
own views. The right and duty to secure
honesty and order in popular election is mat
ter SO vital that it must stand in the front. The
authority of the national government to preserve
from fraud and force the elections at which it's
own officers are chosen is chief point on which
the two parties are plainly and intensely OPP
Posed. The acts OF congress for ten years have
IN New York and elsewhere done much to curb
tho violence and wrong to which the ballot and
count have been again and again subjected,
sometimes despoiling great cities, sometimes
| sitting the voice of the whole state. often
seating not only in congress but on the bench
and In legislatures numbers of men never chosen
by the people The Democratic party since gain
| ing possession Of the two houses of congress
has made these laws the object of bitter cease
less assault, and despite oil resistance has
hedged them with restrictions cunningly COLI
trlved to battle and paralyze them. This az
gressiye majority boldly attempted to extort
from the executive his approval of various en-
| actments destructive of these election laws, by
! revolutionary threats that constitutional ex-
| erclse OF the veto power would be punished by
withholding appropriations necessary to carry
on the government, and these threats were &C.
| tually carried out by refusing needed appropri-
atoms and by forcing an extra session of con-
| gress lasting for months and resulting in con-
cessions to this usurping demand which are
likely IN many states to subject the majority to
| the lawless will of a minority. Ominous signs
OF public disapproval alone subdued this AFRO
CANT power into q sullen surrender for the time
an party has strongly approved the stern refus-
al OF its representatives to suffer the overthrow
of statutes believed to be salutary and Just. It
has always insisted, and now insists, that the
government of the United States of America is
empowered and in duty bound to effectually
| as national. More than this, the Republican
party holds as the cardinal point in it's creed
that the government should, by every means
| known to the constitution, protect all American
citizens everywhere in the full enjoyment of
their civil and political rights. As great part
party gave the ballot to the emancipated slave
as his right and defense. A large increase in
! the number of members of congress and of the
| electoral college from former slave-holdins
| states was the Immediate result.
The history of recent years abound in evil
uCuS0 CutIC III AldlIy ways d1lU III many places,
| especially where their number has been great
| enough to endanger Democratic control. the
| very men by whose elevation to citizenship this
! increase of representation was effected have
been debarred and robbed of their voice and
| their votes. It is true that no state statute or
| constitution III so many words denies or abridges
the exercise of their political rights, but the
bodies employed to bar their way are no less efec-
tual. It's suggestive and startling thought that
the increased power derived from the enfran-
chisement Of the race now denied its share in
! governing the country, welded by those who
lately sought the overthrow of the government,
is now the sole reliance to defeat the party
which represented the sovereignty and nation
alty Of American people in great crisis of our
history. The Republicans cherish none of the
resentment which may have animated them
during the actual conflict of arms They long
for full and real reconciliation between the
sections which were heedlessly 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
career is SO lllustriOus in great and patriotic
achievement will not fulfill its destiny until
peace and prosperity are established in all the
land; not until liberty of thought, conscience
be merely cold formalities Of statute but living
birthr1ghts which the humble may confidently
claim and the powerful dare not DENY.
The resolution referring to the pubic service
seems to me deserving Of approval. Surely no
man should be incumbent Of an office the
duties of which he is for a cause unfit to per-
form, who is lacking in ability, fidelity or integ-
rity which proper administration of such
office demands. This sentiment would doubt
less meet with general acquiescence, but opin-
ion has been widely divided upon the wisdom
ana practlcabillty of various reformatory
schemes which have been suggested and of GER
tain proposed regulations governing appoint
ment to public office. The efficiency Of such
regulation has been distrusted mainly because
they have seemed to exalt mere educational and
abstract tests above general business capacity
and even special fitness for the particular work
in hand. It seems to me that rules should be
applied to the management of the public service
that may be properly conformed to in the main
to such as regulate the conduct of successful
private business. Original appointment should
be based upon ascertained fitness. The tenure
of Office should be stable. Positions of respon-
slbllty should SO far as practicable, be filed by
promotion of worthy and efficient officers The
investigation of all complaints and the punish
ment OF all official misconduct should be prompt
and thorough.
These views, which have long held, repeat
edly declared and uniformly applied when
called upon to act, find embodied in the reso-
lutions. which, of course, approve.
will ADD that by acceptance of public Of
flee, 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 q
citizen and that he should enjoy absolute lib
erty to think and speak and act in political mat
tiers according to his own will and conscience;
provided only that he honorably. faith
fully and fully discharges all his official duties.
the fruits of Republican policy, has brought
a return of abundant prosperity and
the settlement of many distracting questions.
The restoration of sound money, the large re-
duction of our public debt and the burden of
interest, the high advancement of public credit,
all attest the ability and courage of the Repub-
ican party to deal with such financial problems
as may hereafter demand solution. Our paper
currency is as good as gold, and silver is per-
forming its legitimate function for the purpose
OF change. The principles which should govern
the relations of these elements of currency are
coin, 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 be
overrated. Although its interests must of ne
cesslty be chiefly :onfded to the voluntary effort
and individual action of the several states, they
should be encouraged 50 far as the constitu-
ton permits by the generous cooperation of the
national government. The interests of the
whole country demand that the advantages of our
common school system should be brought with
in the reach of every citizen and that no rev.
enues OF states should be devoted to the support
of sectarian schools.
Such changes should be made Oh the present
tariff and system of taxation as will relieve any
overburdened industry or class, and enable our
manufacturers and artisans to compete success
fully with those of other lands.
The government should aid works of internal
improvement, national in their character, and
should promote the development of our water
courses and harbors wherever the general in
terest of commerce requires.
-Four years ago as now the nation stood at
Republican party in soliciting continuance a of Of
its ascendancy founded its hopes of success not
upon it's promises, but upon it's history. Its sub
sequent course has been such as to strengthen
the claims which it then made to the confidence
and support of the country. On the other hand,
considerations more urgent than have ever be-
fore existed forbid the accession of it's o.
ponents to power. Their success, if success at
tends them, must chiefly come from the united