The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-07-20

Nominee Arthur Presents His
Letter Of Acceptance.
" hieh is Stronger and a Better
Republican Document than
His File Leaders.
The Bloody shirt Waved.


His File Leaders.
The Bloody Shirt Waved.
New York, I5.-Dear Sri accep
the position assigned by the great party
whose action you announce. This &C
ceptsHce implies the approval of thu
principles declared by the convention
but recent usage permits me to add som
expression of my own views. The
right and duty to secure honesty and
order in popular elections is a matter sc
vital that 1 must stand in the front,
The authority Of q national government
to preserve from fraud and force 81
election at which its own officers are
chosen IS a chief point on which the two
parties are plainly and intensely opposed.
The acts of Congress for ten years have
in New York and elsewhere, done much
to curb violence and wrong TO which tha
ballot and count have been again and
again subjected, sometimes despoiling
great cities, sometimes sitting the voice
of a whole state, often seating, not only
in Congress, but on the bench and 10 the
legislatures numbers of men never chosen
by the people. The democratic party
since gaining possession of the two
houses of Congress has made these laws
the object of bitter, cesseless assault, and
despite all re distance has hedged them
with restrictions, cunningly contrived. to
battle and paralyze. The aggressive
majority boldly attempted to extort from
the executive his approval of various
ensctments destructive of these election
laws by revolutionary threats that a con-
s%titutional exercise of the veto power
would be punished by Withholding
appropriations necessary to carry on the
government, and these threats were
actually carried out by refusing needed
appropriations and by forcing an extra
session of Congress, lasting for months,
and resulting in concessions to this
usurping demand which are likely in
many states to subject the majority to !
the lawless will of 8 minority. Ominous
signs Of public dissspproval alone sub |
dued this arrogant power into a sullen
surrender for the time being of part of its
demands. The republican party has
strongly approved the stern refusal of its
representatives to suffer an overthrow of
statutes believed 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 etfectually protect the elections
denoted by the Constitution as Ia
tional. More than this the re-
publican party holds as the car
dinal point in its creed that
government should by every means
known TO the Constitution, protect all
American citizens every where in the full
of their civil and political
rights. As a great part of its work Of
reconstruction the republican party gave
the ballot TO tie emancipated slave as his
right and defense. A large increase in
the number of members OF Congress, and
OF the electoral college from former
states, was the immediate
result. The history Of recent years
abounds in evidence that in many ways
AID in 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 vote. 1t is true that no
or constitution in so many words
abridges the exercise of their political
but bodies employed to bar their
way are no less effectual. 1t is a sug-
and startling thought that the in
power derived from the en-
fre nchisement Of the race now denies its
share in governing the country. The vote
those who lately sought the over
throw of the government, is now the sols
reliance to defeat the party which
represented the sovereignty and
nationality of the American people
Ia the greatest crisis of our history.
Republicans cherish none of the resent
ments which may have animated them
the actual conflict of arms. They
for q full and real reconciliation
between the sections which were need
lessly and lamentably at strife. They |.
sincerely ofIer the hand of goodwill, but
ask in return a pledge of good faith.
They deeply feel that the psrty whose
career is so illustrious in great and
achievement will not fulfil its
until peace and prosperity are
in all the land, nor until
liberty of thought, conscience and action
and equality of opportunity shall not be
cold formalities of the statute but
living birthrights which the humble
may confidently claim and i:he powerful
dare not deny.
The resolution referring to.the public
seems to me deserving ofapproval.
Surely no man should be the incumbent
Of an office, the duties of which he is for
q CdOoC ullAA W PCAAOAA4s WIZ 10 1hChAhk
in ability, fidelity or integrity, which
q proper administration Of such
office demands. This sentiment
would doubtless meet with general
acquiescence, but opinion has been
divided upon the wisdom,
and practicabiIity of various reformatory
schemes which have been suggested and
Jf certain proposed regulations governing
appointments to pubic Office. The eff
cheney of such regulations has been dis
mainly because they have seemed
to exslt mere educational and abstract
tests above general business capscity and
even 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 confoImed, in the main, to
such as regulate the conduct of success
full private business. Original appoint
no ents should be based upon sscertalned
fitness. The tenure of office should be
Positions OF responsibility should,
so far as practicable, be filed by promo
ton Of worthy and efficient officers. The
investigate on of all complaints and the
punishment of all official misconduct
should be prompt and thorough These
which have long held, repeatedly
declare ana uniformly applleQ MQeu
called upon to act, I find embodied in
the resolution, which, of course, l sp-
prove. 1 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
any of his rights as a citizen, and
that he should enjoy absolute liberty to
think and speak and act in political mat
tiers according to his own will and con-
science, provided only that be honorably,
faithfully and fully discharges all his
official duties.
The resumption of specie payments
one ofthe fruits of republican policy-hss
brought the return of abundant prosperity
and the settlement Of many distracting
questions. The restoration of sound
money, the large reduction Of our public
debt and the burden of interest, the high
advancement of public credit, all attest
the ability and courage of the republican
party to deal with such financial problems
as may hereafter demand solution. Our
paper currency is now as good as gold,
and silver is performing its legitimate
function for the purpose Of change. The
principles which should govern the rela-
tons Of the elements of currency are
simple and clear. There must be no de-