The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-10-01


The Republican Convention which
nominated General Garfield A. it, can
tisLate for President declared thai il
wAS cpntcnt with the record Of IL par
~ - a defender 81 the Constitution If
the Unisei States General Garfield.
A. t. candidate AMI the expDsitor Of III
creed. has since his nomination. assert
a the claim 81 his party upon the graft
tude Of the people FIR is services 10 the
cause Of Constitutional Government.
Let Us test the validity Of this claim.
Not 10 20 too far back. begin with the
SCI II Congress 81 May 81. 1870. en-
tltlet = An net 10 enforce the right 81
citizens Of the United States To vote in
the several States 81 rhis Union. and for
other purpose II was piece OF Re-
publican legislation When il was
enacted General Grant was President.
>chuyier ColfAx was Vice President
and James G. Blaine was Speaker %
the Horse The whole machinery Of
legislation wns N the possession OF the
Republican party Pace hxd long
been restored Ill the Constitutional
amendments Rad been adopted. and
nothing remained % Dc done except To
give full elect 20 the Constitution &C
modified hy the amendments
Instead II perf0rnrIng this plain task.
the Republican party. anxious % Sc
cure it, tenure Of power. determined to
retain power By any legislation. enact
ei under the color ~ these amend
mems. With mixht suffice to suhOrali-
nate the Stale Governments % IT, pcIit-
is-al control The ace II Nav 81. $50.
wAs a cssntrivauce invented 10 accom-
plish this purpose
Tie statute IE question hcran bv re-
peafing the substance 81 the Fifteenth
4ruendncnr to the Constitution Of the
United States which nal been shortly
before formally declared 10 have been
adopted Thi- preiusle was plainly I'M
Necessary f0r the purposes II the net.
l. Was intended only % mask the
changes made ia our system ~ Govern
menr BY the sections which followed
The se70ni- third fourth fifth. sixth
and seventh sections Afforded the
means Of sn51rslinarTng elections held
Ia the States for state officers % the
control and discipline ~ Federal laws
and Federal officials. and Of bringing
such elections under the direct and
compete contrOl 81 the Federal power.
Ine>e sections we're used for this pur-
pose from the year ls1V ID the year
l-sj with signal success a Republic
can President and Republican Con-
-ress looked on and resisted any change
In the system thus created. and subor-
dinAte FEDERAL C0ur.s and officers aided
dili-s nifty in upholiIng and executing
- T.
arose for testing the con
sfIfuriDnality If these innovations The
Supreme Court notwithstanding the
pronounced political opinions ~ the
majority Of its members. declared that
Congress had NJ power to enact laws
Stale elections held for State
officers The conspiracy against the
rights Of the people. which Lad beer \
safely managed fo- 1--WE years came 10
an end The gross outrages committed
upon individual liberty under the color
Of these provisions. AMI the graver
Of unconstitutional powers,
remain 10 b. punished or atoned for.
The Republican party has shown no
sense Of the great wrong which ID has
done IL has left the Unconstitutional
provisions which il enacted standing
on the statute book as 4 precedent for
other laws a the same character and
- q public menace That unrepealed
net j. full 81 instruction It's underly-
ing principle j. the true platform Of
The Republican party IL il party
which desires the complete subor'iina-
u elections in the States to Federal
laws and Federal supervision II il a
party which hopes To reduce the States
10 mere territorial subdivisions, adj
,ninistered by governments municipal
in their character and scope Of pow
ers- Il j. - party which aims mt the
81 National and SUI
preme sovereignty in the hands Of Con
gress- provided Congress il Repub-
lean That these bloody instruc-
lions have not already returned TO
plague the inventors. and that no
attempt has been made % put them to
that use is proof that the knowledge
ofthe Constitution and the respect for
i which may be looked for in vain in
the history Of the Republican party may
BE- confidently expected from the Dem
ccrztic parity " World