River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-07-22
Gen. GarfleId's Acceptance.

] y
tional Republican Convention:
MENTION, Ohio, July 49, 1880
DEAR SR:-on the evening OF the 18th of June.
you, in the presence of the committee, Of which
yon were chairman, conveyed to me
the official announcement That the
Republican Nagional Convention at Chi
cago had that day nominated me as their candi
date for President of the United States. accept
the nomination with gratitude for the confidence
| II implies and with deep sense of the RESPONSE
billties it imposes. cordially endorse the prin
ciplcs set forth in the platform adopted by the
convention On nearly all the subjects of which
1t treats, my opinions are on record among the
published proceedings of congress venture
however, 10 make special mention OF some of the
principal topics which are likely to become snn-
jects OF discussion. Without renewing the contro-
yersies which have been settled during the last
new the passions OF the late war, it should
be said that while republicans fully reeog-
rights reserved by the people, and
sill the rights reserved to the states, they re-
ject the pernieious doctrine of state supremacy
which long crippled the functions of the national
government, and at one time very near brought
the union to destruction. They insist that the
United States is a nation with ample powers Of
self preseryati0n; that its constitution and laws,
made in pursuance thereof are the supreme law OF
the land; that the right of the nation to deter
mine the method by which its legislature shall be
elected cannot be surrendered without abdicating
one of the fundamental powers Of the government
that the national law relating to the election OF
representatives IN congress shall neither be vIolat-
cd nor evaded; that every eeetor shall be permit
ted freely and without intimidation to cast his
lawful vote at such elections and have it honestly
counted and that the potency of his vote shall not
be destroyed by the fraudulent vote of any other
person. The best thought and energy of our
people should be directed to those great questions
of national well being in which all have common
interest Such effort will soonest restore to perfect
peace those who were lately in arms against each
other, for justice and good will viii out
last passion But it is certain that The
wounds of the war cannot be completely healed,
and the spirit of brotherhood cannot fully per
wade the whole country until every citizen rich or
poor white or black is secure i'll the full and
equal enjoyment of every civil and political right
guaranteed by the constitution and laws. Where
ever the enjoyment of these rights Is not assured
discomfort will prevail immigration will cease and
the social and industrial forces will continue to DO
disturbed by the migration of laborers and the
consequent diminishment of prosperity. The ma
tiona government should exercise all its constltu-
tiona authority TO put end to these evils, for
all the people and all the states are members oil
one body and no member can suffer without IN
! Jury to ALL The most terrible evils which now
aflct the south arise from the fact that there Is
not such freedom and liberation OF political
| opinion and action, that the minority party can
exercise an effective and wholesome restraint upon
| the party in power. Without such restraint,
| party rule becomes tyranncal and corrupt. The
| prosperity which is made possible IN the south by
its great adval tagcs of soil and climate will ncyeL
be realized until every voter can freely and safely
support amy party he peases
| Next in Importance to freedom and justice Is
| popular education without which neither freedom
nor justice be permanently maintained. This is
| mtTusted to the states and to the voluntary nc
| ton of the people, and whatever help the nation
| can justly afford should be generously given to
! aid the states IN supporting common schools but
! it would be unjust to our people and dangerous to
| our institutions to apply any portion Of the re-
sources of the nation the states to the support
of sectaIian schools. The separation of the chnrch
and the state in everything relating to taxation,
| should be absolute.
| On the subject of national finances my views have
been frequently and fully expressed that little is
needed in the way Of additional statement. The pub
lie debt Is now well secured and the rate OF an
nual interest has been reduced by refundmg, that
| rigid economy in expenditures, and the faithful
! application OF our surplus revenues 10 the pay
ment of the principal debt, will gradually but GER
| tainly free the people from its burdens and close
with honor the final chapter of the war. At the
same time the government provide for its ordl-
| nary expenditures and discharge its social obliga-
tons to the soldiers of the union and the widows
and orphans of those who fell in its defence. The
resumption of specie payment which the republi.
| can party courageously and successfully ac-
| complished, has removed from the field OF
| controversy MANY questions that
| long and seriously disturbed the
credit of the government and the business of the
| country. Our paper currency is national
| as the flag and resumption has not only made 1t
everywhere equal to coin but has brought into use
our store of geld and silver. The circulating
medium is more abundant than ever before and
we need only TO maintain the equality of all our
dollars to insure to labor and capital a measure OF
| value from the of which no one can suffer
loss. The great prosperity which the country
| is now enjoying should not be endangered by any
| violent changes or doubtful financial experiments
md in 10 oIlP
| should be pursued which will bring revenue to the
| treasury and will enable the labor and capitol en-
! plOyed in our great industries to compete fairly
in markets with the labor and capitol of foreign
| produce. We legslate for the people of the United
States not for the whole world and it is glory
| that the American laborer is more
| free, intelligent and better paid than
| his foreign competitor. Our country
| can not be independent unless its people
| with their abundant natural recourseS possess
| the requisite skill at any time to clothe arm and
| equip themselves for war and in time of peace to
| produce all the necessary implements of labor.
| 1t was the manifest intention OF the founders OF
| the government to provide for the common de-
! tense, not by standing armies alone but by rails
ing among the people greater army of artisans
! whose intelligence and skill should powerfully
contribute to the safety and glory of the nation.
! Fortunately for the interests of commerce there
| is no longer any formidable opposition to appro-
prlations for the improvement OF our harbors and
| great navigable rivers; provided that the expen-
! ditures for that purpose are strictly limited to
| works of national Importance. The Mississippi
river with its great tributaries is of such vital i'm
| portance to so many millions of people that the
safety of its navigation requires exceptional con-
sderaton in order to to the nation the con-
| troll of all its waters. President Jefferson nego-
tated the purchase of n vast territory, extending
| from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.
! The wisdom of congress should be invoked
| 70 devise plan by which that great river shall
| cease to be Il terror to those who dwell upon its
banks and by which its shipping may safely carry
the industrial products of 10000 900 OF people.
The interests Of agriculture which is the basis OF
| all our material prosperity and in which seven
| twevths of our population are engaged, well as
the interests of manufacturers and commerce, de-
mand that the facilities for cheap transportation
shall be increased by the use of all our great wa
ter courses The material interests of this country,
the traditions of settlement and the sentiments
of people have led the government to offer the
! widest hospitality to emigrants who seek our
| shores for new and happier homes, willing to
! share the burdens as well as the benefits OF our
society; and intending that their posterity shall
! become an undistinghishable part of our popula-
| ton.
| The recent movement of the Chinese to our
Pacific coast partakes but little of the qualities OF
such emigration, either in its purpose or its re-
| suit. 1t is too much like an importation to be
| welcomed without restriction, too much like an
| invasion to be looked upon without solictude.
! We cannot consent to allow any form Of servile
| labor to be introduced among us under the gulsc
| Of immigration. Recognizing the gravity of this
| subject the present administration supported by
! congress has sent to China commission Of dis
tnguished citizens for the purpose of securing
! such modification of the existing treaty as will
prevent the evils likely to arise freln the present
situation 1t is confidently believed that these di-
plomatc negOtiators viii be successful without the
loss of commercial intercourse between the two
powers which promises great increase of recip-
roeal trade and the enlargement of our markets.
Should these efforts fail it will be the duty of
gress to mitigate the evils already felt, and pre-
vent their increase by such restrictions without
violence and injustice, will place upon a foun-
dation the peace of communities and the free
dom and dignity of labor.
The appointment of citizens to the various ex-
ecutiye aud judicial offices of the government is
perhaps the most difficult of all the duties which
the constitution has imposed upon the executive.
The constitution wisely demands that congress
shall cooperate with the executive departments
in placing the civil service a better basis. Ex-
pcrience has proved that with over frequent
changes of administration no system of reform
can be made effective and permanent
without the aid of legislation. Appointments
to the military and naval service regulated by
law and custom, as to leave but little ground of
complaint. 1t may be wise to make similar regu
lations by law for the civil sen vice. But without
invading the authority or necessa ry discretion Of
the executive, congress should devise method
that viii determine the tenure OF Office and great
~ reduce the uncertainty which makes that SER
vice uncertain and unsatisfactory. Without de-
priving any officer of his rights citizen, the
government should require him to discharge
all his official duties with intelligence with eicien
1 ..sf IL,