The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-08-14
Last Nights Dispatches.
SPEECH By Ex-Gov. HENDRrcKs
The Indiana Amendments.

| #&Ess
INDIANAPOLIS. Aug. 12-Mr. Hend
ricks opened the campaign to day at Mari
. on, Grant county. He began bis speech b,
. saying that as governor he had recon
mended changing the state elections from
October TO toNovember, but the legislator,
had coupled with his proposition a regis
tration law which he did not recommend
and which he deemed unfortunate Suct
laws should be left to the discretion of tht
legislature, and not placed in the constitu
ton. A very large body of the people
opposed the amendments on that account
The vote upon them was had last April
A plurality does for the amendments, but
not majority of the voters who voted a,
that election. Upon a case that came uI
from Floyd county. the supreme court
decided that the amendment had not been
adopted. Upon the question of law the
Democratic judges were equally divided
aud the decision was pronounced byJ udge
Biddle. who is not Democrat, but indie.
pendent in politics, The Republican
leaders have hoped and iabored to make
political capital out of the decision. In
that they will fai,. The court is the
accepted tribunal under our constitution
and laws for tho settlement of such aues-
tons In
| THE CAUSE OF GOOD AND STAPLE GOVERN
| + MENT
the people will sustain the court. | think
| the court was right. Do you not think SO a?
are you willing that our constitution and
| form OF state government shall be changed
by less than half the people2 The legisla-
ture that represents all the people can not
put over us any law except by vote of
| majority of all the members elected, OF
the one hundred members of the house,
| full ffty one, and of the fifty senators full
twenty six, must vote for a law before it
can be over US. A full majority of all the
people through their representatives must
assent before law can be made or chang
ed. Would you have the state govern
ment itself liable to change by a less
expression of will of the people2 The
constitution. protects our magnificent
school fund from any loss. Can that be
changed by less than half the people
By constitutional provisions we are made
secure in all our personal and domestic
rights. Who demands modification un-
less tull hall OF the people consent? In
the constitution of the United States our
fathers expressed their appreciation of the
high lmportanc of the stability and per~
formance Of constitutional laws. The
great Instrument can be amended only By
two-thirds OF both branches of congress
aud by the legislatures of three -fourths of
the states. No change in either the state
or federal constitution should ba possible
except upon the mature judgement aud
deliberate action of the people. 1t is
better that we bear for while. the in.
convenience of frequent elections rather
than imp air the stability Of our Institutions
1t proposed change of government is not
OF sufficient public interest to command
the approval of at least ope-half the
voters, the necessity for its adoption can
not be very pressing. Take time for
deliberation. strike off Objectionable nro.
visions. allow the people to consider ~ il
again. If then adapted. it vii! be almost
certainly be right. In this case thousands
OF the people are afraid OF the registration
law, Theylhave heard that in other local.
tiles that law is used as an instrument Of
fraud and corruption. and they would
rather not imbe3 it IN the constitution,
but leave Il to legislative discretion,
Of GarEe!a's domination MIR, Hendricks
says: Ii ma&hs the Endorsement and
approval in the snost positive and offensive
manner possible of
THE PRESIDENTIAL FRAUD
of 1876 Z. He had more to do with it
man who occupied toward it double reIa-
ton. After the election Garfield went to
New Orleans, by request of Gen. Grant
without authority of law, as a partisan
He went there to assist bis iparty in max
ing up a case, ard after his return to
Washington,of all his associates, he was the
only man who took his seat upon the
electoral commission. By every sentiment
of fair play he should have been excluded
from the jury box, By his oyn sworn
statement of what be did in New 0rlesn
Garfield had charge Of the returns from
West pelieiana parish. In one of the
inner rooms of Packards custom house
he did his work, examined afi-
davits, and when they were not suf-
fciently full he prepared or had prepared
additional interrogatories to bring them
within the rules adopted by the returning
board. Testimony SO revised by Garfield
went back to the returning board, and the
result was that West Feliciana, with its
Democratic majority, was thrown out. In /
Washington Gsrfield's vote was that con-
gress could not go behind returns thus
made. AS agent for his party he helped |
to make the returns by manipulating the
evidence, and as juror for the nation he
held such evidence conclusive and bind
ing. In respect to the action of congress
on this question al have thought aud said |
Lhat wrongs done to individuals were
swallowed up and lost In the greater |
w~;ng and oui rage upon the people and |
heir INSTITUTIONS But in respect to James |
A Galf ii. Other considerations arise. |
Tie aecf pied tparhsps soUght) the place |
up3n be tribunal that vas to decide not |
ony questions OF pubic right, but also
oiai;as OF IndiYlduslg 70 great cs,ces. Uef
dc that WEca be had
FORMED A PURPOSE TO DECIDE
against those whose claim was supported |
BY the preponderance of the vote. He |
was disqualified by his formed and avow- |
ed purpose, and also bv his participation |
IN tie preparatory. For that CHALLENGE |
him before the bar of public opinion. and |
do this 10 The name of public aud private |
right. 10 the name Of Justice. I think the
great body Of the people now think aDd |
know that the incumbeuts of the |
Offices of president aud vice preside ent
were pot elected, but that they were inau-
gurated without right. Are any of you
wiling to ipdorse the great wrougf By
your vote viii you say that Gen. Garfield
did right? Shall 1t be made az hoDored
or a condemned crime?"
Mr.. Hendricks arraigEed the admins
tratien for putting in place fulI hundred
persons connected with this great crime,
whose salaries amounted to q quarter of 1
million dollars per year, the price which
l.. HI -.