The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-10-01


be inconsistent and carry out the Republican
policy of resumption which it has uniformly
opposed. Nor would that hope be brilliant, in
view of the actual condition in which Mr. Bu-
chanan, the last Democratic President, left the
| credit of the country.
There is absolutely no hope for the Demo
cratic party to obtain majority of the votes of
the American citizens by fair election.
Nothing but fraud can give them success.
! This deep, unspoken conviction in the Demo-
cratic leaders makes them desperate in their
| opposition to the election laws of Congress,
which are intended to guard against fraud. We
are now prepared to understand the course Of
that party against the Supervisors and United
/ States Marshals If that old party had never
/ before forfeited the confidence Of the yotors Of
/ the republic, it has done so by its refusal of
| appropriations of the funds raised for the pur-
| pose to the payment of Marshals of the United
| States for their services. 1t has come tothis,
/ that the Marshals on their own account have
| had to raise money to carry on the courts, or
| the courts must stop. Many of the Marshals
have advanced out Of their private means or
! borrowed from others the means to carry on tho
| courts and prevent the administration of justice
] from absolute failure, while the treasury was
| Overlooking with funds raised by the people for
| the very purpose of paying all the officers and
| agents of the Government.
! All this has been done by the Democratic
party to prevent the enforcement of good
and necessary law which they could not repeal.
| will call your attention to an important fact
| which shows the unfaithfulness of the Demo-
cratic party to the constitution and its amend
ments, notwithstanding their platform profess
| sions.
| The Fifteenth amendment provided first that
| 1.-The right of citizens of the United States to
vote should not be denied or abridged by the
| United States, or by any State, on account of
race color or previous condition of seryitude."
| And, secondly, "That the Congress should
have power to enforce this article by appro-
/ PIRATE legislation"
This article applies as well to State as to ma
tional elections. Congress in 1870 passed the
act to which l have referred. and which was
| constructed by the Supreme Court as have al
ready stated. That Congress was Republican,
and intended by that act to enforce the Fiji
teenth amendment in the States as well as the
| United States. But when the question was
brought before the Supreme Court in the case
| OF the United States vs.. Reese, 80 u s. r. 214,
in 1876, it was held that the language of the act
was too comprehensive to be Inappropriate
! legislation" to enforce the article at State
| elections, where it was most liable to be de-
feated. In the meantime the Democrats had
obtained majority in the House of Repre-
sentatives, and they have refused "to enact
any appropriate legislation" to enforce that
important article. AS long as either House of
! Congress shall remain in Democratic hands the
colored men of the South will wait in vain for
any such legislation. A Democratic Congress
will never enact any Legislation" TO enforce
the right of colored men to vote at State cleo
tlons under the Fifeetnth amendment Its
dependence upon the solid South for it's politi-
cal power will forever prevent it.
The question is thus plainly presented to all 4
the lovers of liberty and republican equality.
whether they desire that every citizen of the
United States, of whatever color, shall have and
enjoy his right to vote at State as we'll as at
national elections. If you desire that this es-
sential political right of all the citizens of the
United States shall be indicated and made
secure, there is but one way to do it. The Dem
ocratic majority in Congress must be dislodged
by the ballot. Vote the Republican ticket.
Every vote given to the Democratic party, as it
is now constituted, is vote against the enforce
ment of the Fifteenth amendment.
The Fifteenth amendment does not enforce
itself. 1t requires legislation by Congress, and
you are to say by your ballots whether appro-
pirate legislation shall be enacted to enforce it.
Let us see to it that that part of our national
constitution which provides for universal suf-
frage does not
Keep the word of promise to the ear, q
hd break it to the hope
The Democratic House in 1876, before the
last Presidential election, made desperate
effort to repeal the election laws of Congress by
ton bill, but failed through the Republican
Senate. If they had succeeded, they would
have carried the election by fraud and intim-
dation This thev knew as well before the cleo
ton as after. Nor will they ever forgive the
Republicans for the loss of that election. Hence
the desperate effort to overbear the President
/ by the present Congress- and attaching the re-
peal of the Election law to the appropriation
bills. They know that if they can get rid of
these laws they will double their chances of sue
cess in the next Presidential election, because
they will more than double their chances of sue
cessful fraud and intimidation.
In this contest we have seen what fabrica-
lions of charges they have made and published
far and wide, and how utterly groundess those
fabrlcatlons are. But their last argument, used
when all others have been exploded, is the same
as that which was used by the rebels before and
in rhsNar, viz. that the laws are unconstitu-
tional!s This is an unfailing resource, to which
every man or party can resort. It's privilege
of an American citizen, on the stump or in
Congress, to declare any law on the statute
book unconstitutional. To justify their factfous
opposition to the enforcement of the Election
law. by refusing appropriations to carry on the
Government, they say it is unconstitutional.
They set up what they call the doctrine of
State rights, and urge that when Congress pro-
vides for the protection of Congressional cleo
tons against fraud by repeating and
fraud by tissue ballots, and by intimi-
dation, it is encroaching upon the rights of
the States, although the States have habitually
suffered such frauds to be perpetrated. State
rights are sacred, and no good Republican de-
snes to impair them. But the right to regulate
| the election of its own legislators by the Gen
eral Government is as truly a national power
/ as the power to regulate the mail service or the
internal revenue. 1t would belong to Congress
and not to the States, if there was nothing in
the constitution about it. 1t is not properly
State function. Whatever power the States
! have In the regulation of the national elections
must be derived expressly from the constitu-
ton. The constitution provides that "The
times, places, and manner of holding elections
| for Senators and Representatives shall be pre-
| scribed in each State by the Legislature there
OF but the Congress may at any time by law
make or alter such regulations except as to the
j places of choosing Senators"
The people of the United States, having
made the constitution and established a Gov
eminent with sovereign powers and RESPONSE
bllites, will never consent to its degradation to
a mere confederate agency of States. When
ever this proposition shall come before them
and be fully comprehended by them, as it is
sure to be- the people will vote it down as they
voted down Vallandigham, and as they would
| vote down any form of treason or disloyalty to
our benefcent Union. The time has come
when the leaders of the Democratic party
| should be taught lesson on this subject.
! Nothing short of strong popular vote of con-
demnation will open Their eyes. They fear the
people. Now is the time, therefore, for the
| American people to teach the Democratic party
wholesome lesson not to be forgotten for
century to come. Vote the Republican ticket
| and guard the polls against fraud, and trust
the American people for the result
! Hancock's record as a soldier is good, but if
elected we must not expect him to resist the
ruling majority of his party. OF Gen. Garfield
can sincerely say: He is lifelong Republic.
can, and can be relied upon to carry out the
true and noble principles of his party that he
is a man of great and well-sried ability; that he
has diligently studied the merits of every po-
litical or national principle fallen within the
range of the duties of American legislator,
and that in literature and oratory he touches
nothing which he does not adorn. We have no
ground to suppose that bis views on any ques-
ton involved in his duties of President of this
/ republic are, or are likely to be, at variance
with those of the great majority of our party
/ His views are SO well known and have been so
clearly and well expressed by him that we are
not in danger of any of those surprises in the
career of President which have sometimes dis
appointed great political party. Gen. Gar
fields education, experience, and training, civil
and military. have been peculiarly suited to fit
him for every political Office in a reform gov