Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-07-22
Garfeld's Acceptance Of
the Nomination.
VIEWS OK ALI TIE IMP0R
TANT QUESTIONS OF
THE DAY.
The Nation Has Rights as Well as
the Stale.
Freedom and Justice, and Popular
Education.
National Finances and Our Custom
Laws and Policy.

NdilOHdl Il iHdHCcS iiiu ctNi OuStV1i
Laws and Policy.
MENTOR, July 12-Gen. Garfield has
forwarded to Senator Hoar. of Massa-
chusetts, the following letter of accepts
ance of the nomination rendered him by
the Republican National Convention:
MENTOR, O., July 10, 1880.
DEAR SIR-On the evening of the Sth
of June last had the honor to receive
from you, in the presence of the COM
mittee of which you were chairman, the
official announcement chat the Republi-
can National Convention at Chicago had
that day nominated Inc as their candi-
date for President of the United States
l accept the nomination with graft
tude for the confidence it implies, and
with deep sense of the responsibilities
it imposes.
1 cordially indorse the principles set
forth in the platform adopted by the
Convention. On nearly all the subjects
on which it treats, my opinions are on
record among the published proceedings
of Congress.
l venture, however, to make special
mention of some of the principal topics
which are likely to become subjects of
discussion.
THE STATE AND NATIONS RIGHTS.
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, it should be said that while the Re-
publicans fully recognize and will sire
nuously defend all the rights reserved
to the States, they reject the pernicious
doctrine of State supremacy which so
long crippled the functions of the Ma
tional Government, and, at one time,
brought the Union very near to deStruc-
ton. They insist that the United States
is Nation with ample powers of self
preservation, that its Constitution and
the laws made in pursuance thereof "are
the supreme law of the land;" that the
right of the Nation to determine the
method by which its own legislature
shall be created cannot be surrendered
without abdicating one of the funda-
mental powers of the Government; that
the National laws lelating to the cleo
ton of Representative in Congress shall
neither be violated nor evaded; that ev-
cry elector shall be permitted freely and
without intimidation to cast his lawful
vote at such election, and have it hon
estly counted; and that the potency of
his vote shall not be destroyed by the
fraudulent vote of any other person.
POLITICAL RIGHTS.
The best thoughts and energies of our
people should be directed to those great
questions of National well-being in
which all have a common interest. Such
efforts will soonest restore to perfect
peace those who were lately III arms
against each other, for justice and good
will outlast passion.
But it is certain that the wounds of
the war cannot be completely healed.
and the spirit of brotherhood cannot full
ly pervade the whole country until ey-
ry citizen, rich OF poor, white OF black,
is secure in the free and equal enjoy
ment of every civil and political right
guaranteed by the Constitution 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 contin-
ue to be disturbed by the migration of
laborers and the consequent diminution
of prosperity. The National Govern
ment should exercise all It's conStitu-
tional authority to put an end to these
evils; for all the people and all the
States are members of one body, and no
can suffer without injury to all.
The most serious evils which now af-
flict the South arises frem the fact that
there is not such freedom and toleration
of political opinion and action that the
party can exercise an effective
and wholesome restraint upon the party
in power. Without such restraint, party
rule becomes tyrannical and corrupt.
The prosperity which is made possible
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.
POPULAR EDUCATION.
Next in Importance to freedom and
justice is popular education, without
which neither justice nor freedom can be
permanently maintained. Its interests
are intrusted to the States and to the
action of the people. What
ever help the Nation can justly afford
should be generously given to aid the
States i'll supporting common schools; |
but it would be unjust to our people and
dangerous to our institutions to apply
any portion of the revenues of the Ma |
tior or of the States to the support of !
sectarian schools. The separation of the
Church and the State in everything re- |
lating to taxation should he absolute.
NATIONAL FINANCES.
On the subject of National finances,
my views have been so frequently and
fully expressed that little is needed in
the way of additional statement. The |
public debt is now so well secured, and |
the rate Of annual interest has been so
reduced by refunding, that rigid econo-
my in expenditures and the faitful ap-
plication of our 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
financial chapter of the war. AT the
same time the Government can provide
for all its ordinary eXpenditures,an and dis
charge its sacred obligations to the SOL
diers of the Union and to the widows
and the orphans of those who fell in its
defense.
The resumption of specie payments,
which the Republican party so courage
ously and successfully accomplished, has
removed from the field of controversy
many questions that long and seriously
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 to coin, but
has brought into use our store Of gold
and silver The circulating medium is
more abundant than ever before, and we