Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-23
Letter Of General Garfield Accepting
the Nomination for the Presidency.

MENTOR, o., July Il.
General Garfield has forwarded to
Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts,, the
following letter of acceptance of the
nomination rendered him by the Re-
publican National Conventions;
MENTOR, o., July 12, 1890.
DEAR SIR; On the evening of the Sth Of
June last had the honor TO receive from
you, in the presence Of the Committee Of
which you were Chairman, the official an
nouncement that the Republican National
Convention at Chicago had that day noml-
mated me as their candidate for President Of
the United states. ! accept the nomination
with gratitude for the confidence IL implies,
and with deep sense of the responsible
ties It imposes. ! cordially indorse the prin-
ciples set forth In the platform adopted by
the Convention. On nearly all the subjects
OF which It treats my opinions are on rec
gress. venture, however, TO make special
mention Of some Of the principal topics
which are likely to become subject Of dis
cusson, without reviewing the controversies
which have been settled during the last
twenty years, and with no purpose or wish TO
revive the passions Of the late war.
STATE SUPREMACY.
IL should be said that, while the Repub-
licans fully recognize and will strenuOusly
defend all the rights retained by the people,
and all the rights reserved to the States, they
regret the pernicious doctrine OF State
supremacy, which SO long crippled the func-
tions OF the National Government, and at
one time brought the Union very near to
destruction. They insist that the United
States is Nation, with ample powers Of
representation; that its Constitution and
the laws made in pursuance thereof "are
the supreme law Of the land;n that the right
Of the Nation TO determine the method by
which its, Legislature shall be created can
not he emTFnuNnFnl without nhdinnfimm
OF the fundamental powers Of government;
that the National laws relating to the cleo
tion OF Representatives in Congress shall
neither be violated nor evaded; that every
elector shall be permitted freely, and without
intimidation, TO cast his lawful vote at
such election, and have It honestly counted;
and that the potency Of his vote shall not be
destroyed by the fraudulent vote Of any other
person. The best thoughts and energies Of
our people should be directed TO those great
questions OF National well-baing, in which all
have a common interest Such efforts will
soonest restore to perfect peace those who
were lately in arms against each other, for
Justice and goodwill. will Outlast passion.
But It is certain that the wounds Of the war
cannot be completely healed, and the spirit
Of brotherhood cannot pervade the whole
country until every citizen-Tich or poor,
white Or black-is secure in the free and
equal enjoyment Of every civil and political
right guaranteed by the COnstit .tion and the
laws. Wherever the enjoyment Of these
rights Is not assured discomfort will prevail,
immigration will cease, and the social and
industrial forces will continue to be dis
turbed by the migration of the laborers
and the consequent minuuon of prosperity.
The National Government should exercise
all It's Constitutional authority to put an end
to these evils, for all the people and all the
States are members OF one body, and no
member can suffer without injury to all. The
most serious evils which now afilict the South
arise from the fact that there is not such
freedom and toleration of political opinion
and action that the minority party can exer-
else an effective and wholesome restraint
upon the party in power. Without such re-
straint a party rule becomes tyrannical and
corrupt. The prosperity which is made pos
sible In the South by its great advantages Of
soil and climate will never be realized until
every voter can freely and safely support any
party he pleases.
EDUCATION.
Next in Importance TO freedom aud Justice
is popular education, without which neither
Justice nor freedom can be permanently main
tained. Its interests are intrusted to the
States and TO the voluntary action Of the peo-
pie. Whatever help the Nation eau justly
afford should be generously given to aid the
States In supporting common schools but 1t
would be unjust to our people aud dangerous
70 our institutions 70 apply any portion Of the
revenues OF the Nation or OF the States to the
support Of sectaTian schools. The separation
relating TO taxation, should be absolute.
NATIONAL FINANCES.
On the subject of National finances my
views have been 50 frequently and so fully
expressed that little is needed in the way Of
additional statement. The public debt is
now so we'll secured and the rate of annual
interest has been so reduced by refunding,
that rigid economy In expenditures and the
faithful application of our surplus revenues
TO the payment Of the principal Of the debt
will pTradnal1x btrf 10 froa bn
from Its burdens and close with honor the
financial chapter of the war. At the same
time the Government can provide for all its
ordinary expenditures and discharge its
cred obligations to the soldiers Of the Union
and to the widows and orphans Of those
who fell In its defense. The resump-
tion OF specie payments which the
Republican party so courageously and
successfully accomplished has removed from
the field of controversy many questions that
long and seriously disturbed the credit Of the
Government and the business of the country.
Our paper currency Is now as National as the
flag, and resumption has not only made it
everywhere equal 10 coin, but has brought
into use our store Of gold and silver The
circulating medium is now more abundant
than ever before, and we need only to
maintain the equality of all our dollars to
insure to labor and capital measure Of
value from the use Of which no one can suffer
loss. The great prosperity which the country
any. violent changes or doubtful financial eI-
periments.
OUR CUSTOMS LAWS.
In reference TO our customs laws, a policy
should be pursued which will bring revenue
10 the Treasury aud will enable the labor and
capital employed in our great industries to
compete fairly I'm our own markets with the
labor and capital Of foreign producers. We
le islate for the people Of the United States
not for the whole world and It Is our glory
that the American 1alOrAp 10 M fnf
and better paid than his foreign competitor
Our country cannot be independent unless H.
people, with their abundant natural resources
possess the requisite skill at any time to
elothe, arm and equip themselves for war, and
In time of peace to produce all the necessary
implements Of labor. 10 was the manifest In
tention OF the founders of the Government to
provide Tor the common defense, not by
standing armies alone, but by raising among
the people greater army of artisans, whose
Intelligence and skill should powerfully con-
tribute to the safety and glory of the Nation.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
fortunately for the interests Of commerce,
there is no longer any formidable opposition
TO appropriations for the Improvement of our
harbors and great navigable rivers, provided
that the expenditures for that purpose are
strictly limited to works Of National lmpor-
tance. The Mississippi River, with its great
tributaries, Is Of such vital importance to 50
many millions OF people that the safety Of its
nav CATION requires exceptional cOnsid-
Grafton. In order to secure TO the Nation
the control Of all its waters, President Jeffer-
son negotiated the purchase of vast terri
tory, extending from the Gulf OF Mexico TO
the Pacific Ocean. The wisdom Of Congress
should be invoked TO devise some plan by
which that great river shall cease to be
terror to those who dwell upon its banks, and
by which Its shipping may safely carry the
industrial products OF 25,000OO0 Of people.
The interests Of agriculture, which is the
OASIS OF all mafnplal rrOanaFifW and In
which seven'twelfths of our population are
engaged, as well as the lnterests OF manu-