Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-08
Mr.. Evarts On Liberty and Equal Rights.

There are two things that underlie the
whole fabric of our society-of our political
society, its interests and its sentiments one
is the suffrage, which is the basis of it all
and another is the largeness and integrity of
our country, which these people, for some
reason or other, in spite of all the incucation
of Southern dogmas. will insist upon think
ing is greater than any of its parts. Our
people Know what the elements and traits of
free suffrage are, ard they resent any at
tack upon it in any form. Why, what is thu
education of these people, il it be not to
value the liberties of others as well as their
own? ! never knew a king or noble, or II
priest or II rich man. that did not value his
liberties, and think some OF them were will
ling often to carry their liberties TO the en-
tent of license, as we may say. But the
question is whether the strong shall value
the liberties of the weak ; the question is,
whether the proud shall value the liberties of
the humble the question is whether the
men of great intellect and of great learning
shall value the liberties of the ignorant
And when great section of this country
talks about suffrage as an invi0lable right,
and then with all its strength all its pride,
all its learning, fiaunts itself before this
country as pleased and boastful that it Can
ntimdate the weak and can deceive the ig-
norant, do not think much of their love Of
liberty Iapplause, except in the sense that
kings and mobiles love iberty-IOr them
selves, and at the expense of the humble and
the poor the ignorant and feeble. That Is
an old stage of politics in this world, but
since the 4th day of July, 1916, it has not
been the politics of the American people. |
IL ;t l,. NN
plause.
Now, let us see how mi ,htily the plat
forms prate, and at the hustings how they
palavcr about suffrage. The platform of the
Democratic party speaks OF it us the right
preservative of all rights and Immediately
proceeds to take it away from the blacks,
knowing that if it takes that it takes all.
Ii that right is preservative of all rights
and YOU take il from the blacks, cunning as
you are, you take away all rights; and now
Gen Hancock says in that admirable letter,
of the suffrage, of which the party is 50
proud, that free ballot and full vote and
IN honest count are what the people Of the
United States want. Now, here is Il little
table that gives this result of a free ballot
full vote AMI fair count in Isl i: Green coun-
ty, Alabama Hayes, =; Tilden, 4OS. Wal
ton county. Georgia Hayes. ,; Tilden,
1898. Wilkes county Georgia-ilayes, ,;
Tidcn, 1.339. East Feliciana, Louisiana
for Hayes, none; for Tilden, l,.36. l.awn-
dies county, Mississippi-for Hayes, :, and
Tilden, 2073 Tallahaichee county. Mis-
sissippl-for Hayes, l Tilden, l, IA, lazcp
county, Mississippi-2 for Hayes; 3,6.2 for
Tilden. Brown county, TeNas-1 for
Hayes, 523 for Tilden; Eastland
county, Texas Tor Hayes, 1,.S1
for Tillen. Hidalco county, Texas
for Hayes, ,629 for Tilden Buchanan
county, Virginia for Hayes. and $50 for
Tilden. Now You see what the Democratic
protection of the right OF suffrage preserva-
tive of all rights, and free ballot and a full
vote and Il fair count means Applause.
Here are IL counties in q different South
ern States that have produced in the asgre-
gate 81 votes for Hayes, and for Tilden
III, 900 and odd Now think that under Il
candidate that is better than his party. AMI
with this prating in the platform, and this
palaver at the hustngs, the Republican vote
in those IL counties will probably be toublcl
from twenty-one 10 forty-two but as tht
whites like To be included in all this prosper
ity of free ballot, II full vote and fair
count, | suppose their aggregate vote will
rise from III, 900 to j.. 900
Well gentlemen, don't know what the
American people are made of don't know
whether they like tins palaver. | don't
think it is crcditab!e To II candidate tina; Is
better than his party to write such cnntcmp-
tuous imitation of principle rs that | don't
think it IS creditable Il party, even though
il is worse than its candidate, to make such
a solemn declaration ct love Tor Sdllrarr.
The only equal for this disparity he
tween principles and practIcr that !
have ever heard Of WAS thai oi
the man who broke his wIfr's heal with 4
II motto that hung in a frame al Ih.ir bed
side-"GOd bless our home" AppllhS, and
laughter. Now. this Democratic V1tty saws
To us: Don't mind that they al. Ia nlI
they are not ut your ricy ; They arg IGNORANT
they are feeble; don't distress Yourselves
about this injury ui the poor hlht Is in the
distant part of the country. Thes, trr state
rights and We mean 20 cNcrcis, them But
when American liberty accuses the ncmn-
cratic party of having made an assault upon
the first foundation right ol hi,Tiv nui
equality, the Democratic party undcIi .b'> 10
reply, when have We made Surh -
saull," Why. We have pr,ph,Sl,,i ~ and
under the name of liberty ami IN AMI un.,rr
the name OF liberty, We have 'd~ cut
radical devils. The answer i. ''lnI-u,,.h lS
We have done il t. the least Of these pnur dis
cplcs of liberty. We have done II uHta nI,-
Great applause -!StcrstpU ErHrfs'N W.
lssrf lfsI