The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-13
He Accepts The Nomination.
DOES JAMES A. GARFIELD.
And Gives HIS Views in Rather
Lengthy letter OF Acceptance.
Full Text of the Document.

MENTOR, O., July l2.-Gsn. Garfield
| has forwarded to Senator Hoar, of Massa.
chusetts, the following letter of acceptance
of the nomination rendered him by the Re
publicans National Convention:
MENTOR, Ohio. July 10, 1880.
DEAR SIR: % the evening of the Sth
of June last / had the honor to receive
| in the presence of committee of which
you were Chairman, the official announce
ment that the Republican National Con-
| vention, at Chicago, had that day nomina-
ted me as their candidate for President OF
| the United States. l accept the nomina~
tion with gratitude, for the confidence it
| responsibilities it imposes. l cordially
endorse the principles set forth in the
platform adopted by the convention on
nearly all the subjects of which it treats.
NV opinions are on record among the
published proceedings of Congress. |
| venture. however, to make special mention
| of some Of the principal topics which are
| likely to become the subject of di-cussiou,
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. 1t may be said that while the Re-
publicans fully recognize and will strenu-
ously defend all rights retained by the
people and all rights reserved to the
states. they reject the pernicious doctrine
of state supremacy, which so long Grip
pied the functions OF the national govers
the Union very near to destruction,
They insist that the United States is a
nation, with ample powers of self pres
ervRtion; that its constitution and laws,
made in pursuance thereof, are the su-
preme law Of the land: that
the right of the nation to determine the
method by which its legislature shall be
credited, cannot be surrendered without
abdicating one of the fundamental powers
of the government: that the national laws
relating to the election of Representatives
in Congress shall neither be violated nor
evaded; that every elector shall be per-
mItted 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 de-
stroyed by the fraudulent vote OF any
|other person. The best thoughts
and energies of our people should be
directed to those great questions Of nation
al well-beipg in which all have q common
interest. Such efforts will soonest re-
store to perfect peace those who were
lately in arms against each sother, for
Justice and good will. will outiast passion
But it is certain that the wounds of war
cannot be completely healed and the
spirit. of brotherhood cannot fully per-
wade the whole country until every citizen,
rich or poor, white or black, is secure
in the free and equal enjoyment of every
civil political. right guaranteed by the
constitution and 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 disturbed by the
migration of laborers and the consequent
diminutionsof prosperity. The national
government should exercise all its constit-
utional authority to pu; an end to these evils
for all the states are members of one body
and no member eau suffer without injury
to all. The most serious evils which now
affiict the South arise from the fact that
there is not such freedom and federation
Of political opinion and action that the mi~
nority party can exercise an effective and
wholesome restraint upon the party In
power. Without such restraint party rule
becomes tyrannical and corrupt. Prospe-
rity, which is made possible 10 the south
by its great advantages of soil and climate
Will uCfSI Ot L6dILcQ ODl1I every fOt0T
can freely and safely support any party he
pleases. Next in Importance to freedom
and justice is popular education, without
which neither justice nor freedom can be
permanently maintained. Its Interests
are entrusted to the voluntary action of
the people. Whatever help the nation
can justly afford should be generously
given to aid the states in supporting COM
mon schools, but it would be unjust to our
people and dangerous to our institutions
to apply any portion of the revenues of
the nation. or of the states, to the support
of sectarian schools. The separation of
the church and the state 10 everything
relating to taxation should be absolute
On the subject of national finances my
views have been so frequently and fully
expressed that little is needed in the way
of an additional statement The public
debt is now SO well secured. and the rate
of annual interest has been so reduced by
refunding, that rigid economy in expen-
ditures, and the faithful application of oui
surplus revenues to the payment of the
principal of the debt will gradually but
certainly free the people from its burdens
and close with honor the 6naU cial chapter
of the war. AT the same time the govern
ment can provide for all its ordinary
expenditures and discharge it's sacred
obligations to the soldiers of the Union
and to the widows and orphans of those
who fell in its defense. The resumption
of specie payment which the Republican
party SO courageously and successfully &C
com pIished, have removed from the field
OF controversy many questions that long
and seriously disturbed the credit of the
government and the business of the coun-
try. Our paper currency is now as national
as the flag, and resumption has not only
made it everywhere equal to coin, but has
brought into use our store OF gold and
silver The circulating medium is more
abundant than eyer before and we need
only to maintain the equality of all our dol
lars to insure to labor and capital mea-
sure of value from the use of which no
one can suffer loss. The great prosperity
which the country is now enjoying should
not ne endangered by any violent changes
or doubtful financial experiments. In ref
Ference to our custom laws policy should
be pursued which will bring revenue to the
treasury and will enable the labor and
capital employed in our great industries
to compete fairly in our own markets with
the labor and capital of foreign producers
We legisate for the people of the United
our glory that the Am ,.ean laborer is
more intelligent and better paid than his
foreign competitor Our country can not
be independent uDless lis people with their
abundant natural resources, possess the