Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-10-14
NO. 10.

fourteenth amendment:
All persons, born or naturalized in the
United States, and subject to the iurisdic-
tlon thereof, are citizens of the United
States and of the states wherein they re-
side. No state shall make or enforce any
law which shall abridge the privileges and
immunities of citizens of the United States.
nor shall any state deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property without due pro-
cess OF law, nor deny to any person with
in Its jurisdiction the equal protection of
the laws.
Our opponents always profess great inter
est in the poor men of the country. But
words are cheap, and acts are far more
valuable.
While the democrats enjoyed their sixty
years of power there was no free home
steads on the public lands, outside of the
tar-dlstant Oregon, for the landless poor.
Bills were often proposed but as often
voted Gown in democratic congresses. AT
last one was passed during Buchanan's
term-one I had the honor of reporting
myself from the conference committees
which prepared ii. But it came back
from the white house with Mr.. Buchanan's
veto killing it. When Mr.. Lincoln, how
ever, came into the presidency, with a re-
publican congress, this benefcent grant of
free homes for free men was presented
and passed through both houses and
promptly signed by him-as it now stands
on our statute book, a monument to repub-
licanism-and | rejoice to say that last
year no less than six million acres of our
national domain were taken up under it
by our landless poor.
During the sixty years of democratic
power in this nation, slavery grew and
thriyed and strengthened, becoming more
and more arrogant, until by the repeal of
the Missouri compromise, demanded of
the north by the solid south, and the
Dred Scott decision, It seemed almost in
vincible. But the republicans, feeling
that it both dishonored the nation and de-
graded the poor white laborer working by
the side of the slaves, grappled with it
fearlessly,' elected president on the issue
of no further extension of this ''sum of all
villainies:" and when the solid south rose
in rebellion and strove to destroy the ma
ton and to murder the nations defenders,
the republican administration and congress
rose to a grander height and destroyed the
whole institution.
If the democratic party had continued
to govern the country till this day, as
they resisted both its nOn-extensiOn and
abolition to her uttermost,
SLAVERY WOULD STILL EXIST
arrognant, domineering, national If
there had been no republican party slavery
with its auction blocks for men and wo-
men, would cast its baleful shadow over
the republic to-day.
After further illustrations and brief dis
cussiOn of financial questions, Mr.. Col
fax in conclusion returned to his opening
thought about the commanding position of
our nation to-day.
The very cornerstone of our national in
stitutiOnis the ballOt-box. In themonarchies
the sovereign is born to rule and the people
are but ciphers; but in republics the peo-
pie rule.
Our proudest boast is that here the poor
and the friendless are 10 be protected
equally with the rich and the powerful and
that the majority of our citizens decide the
policy of the nation. Hence, when in
in 1900 the people voted down the John
Adams administration and elected Jeffer-
son, all parties acquiesced, because all
had the largest liberty to express their
sentiment at the polls. So, also, in 1872,
when The war ofthat year was sustained at
the ballot-bOx by the reelection of James
Madison. So, also when in 1910 Harrison
Ousted the Van Buren administration by
an uprising of the people.
So, also, in 1856 when Buchanan,
at the ballot-box, beat Fremont
and Fillmore. Every qualified voter
in the union, at these elections, cast
his ballot free and unfettered and volunta-
rily, with none to modest or make him
afraid and the result of full vote, a free
ballot, and fair count was quieting
down of al agitation and peaceful sub
mission of the minority. But in 1860.
when Mr.. Lincoln was elected, the solid
south, with arms in their hands. set the
TREASONABLE EXAMPLE
of rebelling against the result of an cleo
tion in which they had themselves partic-
ipated, and since the war ended the same
south has striven, in more ways than /
have time to recount, to have the minority
there rule the majority.
Their first demand was for 'home rule"
as they said it irritated them to have
their enfranchised slaves control their
home affairs.
State after state was captured upon this
plea Then to President Hayes have they
pledged their honor that they would afford
the fullest protection of equal rights to all
if he would withdraw the United States
troops, which irritated them, from their
states, and thus allow them to capture
the remaining states. How their pledges
have been broken let history tell. With
out time to go over the gloomy and bloody
record of the outrages through which we
have again a solid south as in 1860, and
demanding now, as they do. not home rule,
but undisputed national rule, / do assert
that the forcible suppression of half a
million votes in the south is to-day the
dishonor of the nation and the deliberate.
intentional homicide of the American
principle of self-government, for which
our fathers fought through the revolution
to victory. This wrong had been inflicted
on the poor and helpless in the south.
What would democrats in this audience
think if their ballots had been thus sup
pressed here in the north? If their meet
ings had been broken up by red-shirts and
armed ruffians, themselves outraged and
their rights trampled under foot? If
they would regard this as a crime against
liberty, as it would be, will they tell me
what democratic governor, or statesman,
or editor, they have ever heard of in the
south who has demanded that these out
RACES against popular government should
cease, and that the ballot-box there should
speak truly the voice of the whole people?
Not one.
Although the Empress of Germany is
not a popular lady, she is an extremely
charitable one Her first visits. on ar
irving in Berlin are to the school and
hospital she has founded, and which
are named after her Not only are
these supported mainly out of her pri-
vate purse, but they receive from her
large share of time and attention. 1t
seems almost as if the precise military