American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-07-31
General Arthur's Letter Accepting the
Nomination for the Vice.Presidency.
NEW YORK, July 10
Following is the letter OF acceptance
of General Arthur:


Following is the letter OF acceptance
of General Arthur:
| DEAR SIR: accept the position assigned mo
| by the great party whose action you announce.
principles declared by the Convention, but re-
| cent usage permits me to add some express
sion OF my own views:
| The right and duty to secure honesty and
order in popular elections is a matter so vital
| that it must stand in the front. The auth or
ity of the National Government to preserve
from fraud and force elections at which its
which the two parties are plainly and intensely
opposed. Acts of Congress for ten years have
| curb the violence and wrong to which tho bal
| lot and count have been again and again
sometimes sitting the voice Of a Whole state,
often placing not only in Congress, but on
men never chosen by the people. The DEM
| ocratic party, since gaining possession of the
| two Houses of Congress, has made these
laws the object of bitter, ceaseless assault,
| and despite all resistance has hedged them
tie and paraIyzc them This aggressive ma
| jOrity boldly attempted to extort from the
| Executive his approval of various enactments
| destructive Of these election laws by revoIu-
tionary threats that constitutional exercise Of
| the veto power would be punished by with
holding appropriations necessary to carry on
the Government, and these threats were actu-
ally carried out by refusing needed appropria-
| tions and by forcing an extra session of Con-
| gress lasting for months and resulting in
| concessions to this usurping demand which
| "
majority to the lawless will OF minority.
Ominous signs of public disapproval alone
render for the time being of a part of its de-
mands. The Republican party has strongly
| tives to suffer the overthrow of statutes be-
| lieved to be salutary and just. 1t has always
OF the United States of America is empowered
| and in duty bound to effectually protect the
tionaI. More than this the Republican party
holds as the cardinal point in its creed that the
the consiituton protect ali American Citizens
| everywhere in the full enjoyment of their
Mo and pc
party gave the ballot to the emancipated
crease in the Number of members Of Congress
| and of the Electoral College from former
slave-holding States was the immediate result.
The history of recent years abeunds in evil
dence that in many ways and in many places,
especially where their number has been great
very men by whose elevation to citizenship
this increase of Representation was ef,
true that no State. statute or Con-
stitution in so many words denies or abridges
the exercise of their political rights, but
bodies employed to bar their way are no less
thought an that the Increased ss power derived
from the acknowledgements of race now
denied is is share in governing the coun-
the the sole reliance to defeat the party
nationality of the American people in
the greatest crisis OF our history. Re
publicans cherish none of the resentments
which may have animated them during the
actual conflict of arms. They long for full
which were needlcssIy and Iamentably at
strife. They sincerely offer the hand of good
faith. They deeply feel that the party whose
career is SO illustrious in great and patriotic
achievements will not fulfill its destiny until
peace and prosperity are established in all the
and, nor until liberty of thought, conscience
not be merely cold formaiittcs of the statute
but living rthrights which the humble may
confidently claim, and the powerful dare not
deny.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The resolution referring to the public serv-
" no man should be the incumbent or an Of
nee the duties of which he is for cause unfit
to perform. who is lacking in ability, fidelity
or integrity which u proper administration Of
such office demands. This sentiment would
but opinion has been widely divided upon
the wisdom and practicabiiity of various
formatory schemes which have been sug-
gestcd and of certain proposed regulations
governing appointments to public Office.
distrusted mainly because they have seemed
TO exalt mere educational and abstract tests
above above, general general business capacity and even
hand. 1t seems to me that the rules which
should be applied to the management of the
the main to such as regulate the conduct OF
succe .sful private business. Original appoint
ness. the tenure of office should be stable
Positions of responsibility should, far
poahy and e s oser ne Tne ol
tion of ali complaints and the punishment of
all official misconduct should be prompt and
thorough. These views, which L have long
held, repeatedly declared, and uniformly APP
In the res luton. Which of course n' apDpoVe.
will add that by the acceptance of public
an or a aST sne aoes not IN my
citizen or lose or impair any OF his rights as
liberty to think, and speak, and act in political
matters according to his own will and CON-
science, provided only that he hon .rably. faith
1ully and FULLY discharges all his official duties
SPECIE PAYMENTS.
The resumption Of specie,payments-one of
brought a return Of abundant prosperity and
the settlement of many distracting questions
duction of our public debt and the burden OF
interest, the high advancement of the public
the Republican party 10 dea f with sueS
financial problems as may hereafter demand
as gold and silver is performing its Legitimate
function for the purpose of change. The
of these elements of the currency are simple
and clear. There must be no deteriorated
SSa mo paper and every dollar
test of the worlds xed standard.
The value of popular education can hardly
be Overstated. Although its interests must Of
effort and individual action of the several
States, they should be encouraged SO far MS
the Constitution permits 10y the generous CO.
operation of the National Government. The
interests of a whole country demand that the
advantages of our commOn-school system
should be brought within the reach of every
citizen, and that no revenues of the Nation or
the States should be devoted to the SUPPORT of
sectarian schools.
TARIFF AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS
Such changes should be made fiji the present
tariff and system of taxation will relieve
any overburdened industry or class, and en-
pete successfully with those of other lands.
The Government should aid works of in
ternal improvement, national in their char
actcr, and should promote the development of
our water courses and harbors wherever the
general interests of commerce require.
THE PARTY.
on the threshold of Il Presidential election, and
the Republican party, In soliciting n contin-
uance of its asccndency, founded its hope of
it's history. Its subsequent course has been
such rs to strengthen the claims which it
then made to the confidence and support of
the country. On the other hand cOnsidera-
tions more urgent than have ever before ex-
listed forbid the accession of its OPP
cess attend them, must chiefly come from
the united support of that section which
sought the forcible disruption of the Union,
and which, according to all the teachings Of
our past history, will demand acsendency in
the councils of the party to whose triumph II |
will have made by far the largest contribution.
There is the gravest reason for the apprehen-
sion that exorbitant claims upon the public |
Treasury by no means limited to the hum
troduced in Congress within the past four |
years, would be successfully urged If the |
Democratic party should succeed in supple |
menfinR its present control of the National |
Legislature by elccting the Executive also.
There is danger in intrusting the control Of |
the whole law-making power of the Govern |
southern state repudiafed obligations quite |
as sacred as these to which the faith of tho |