The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-14
Mr.. oaraeld's Letter of Acceptance

cayo Convention as the Republican candi-
date for President OF the United states. III
is n weIl.writtcn letter. Of course, It's author
beiny an experienced writer as wei as
speaker; yet 1t strikes us as being remark
ably cold-dcad, so to speak. III mas no 'e''
vor I'm it-no heat-no animation. Inc ou'y
Of writing IL seems TO have been considered
n nerfunctory one; and the task seems
10 have been performed because u mao 10 NC
nerformed. There Is absolutely nothing IN
the letter-not sentence. nor even phrase
that can be converted into watchword TOT
The Republican party, or be made to contr'-
hute in any manner 10 the success oil us eau
didatc.
He endorses the platforms treatment OF
"neoriu all" its subjects. This exception
gives him room 10 deny his responsibility
for several OF the planks. Perhaps he al
iudes TO the Chinese plank; which he walks
as IL it were one put out OF vessel Tor h'ni
rs a doomed man 'to walk TO us death'
His votes in Congress prove that he cannon
conscjentously give TO the people OF Cail-
fornia such assurances in regard 10 the Chl-
nese question as will induce them to east
for him the vote Of that State. lie might Is
well have adhered to his heartfelt creed on
that subject, for all the good II will do nm
in California 10 make such professions as ne
makes in his letter in regard 70 Chinese
sslayery." Perhaps, however, these pro-
fessions were intended 10 help MN IN tue
other States rather than In any OF those OH
the Pacific coast. Chinese Immigration Is
none too popular in any part OF the United
States. The Democratic platform has the
right ring on this subject, and will COM
mand the support OF at least California and
Oregon of the Pacific States.
Mr.. GARFIELD saws he has "no purpose
or wish to revive the passions OF the late
war" Yet he very soon afterwards says
that there is not In the South such freedom
and tolerance of political opinion and action
rs enables "the minority to exercise
wholesome restraint upon the party In
power" This is ridiculous nonsense. The
minority" spoken of consists OF lot OF
ignorant negroes led by a few whites.
What sort OF 'toerauce will ever enable
Suti men 10 tAtiNi>t itSbi"h' NP''
the real taxpayers and prOperty-holders
What sort of hypocrisy is it that allows
Mr.. GARFIELD to speak thus OF the ignorant
negroes OF the South, who are not tit to vote
ANYHOW, whilst he ignores the condition OF
thousands and tens OF thousands OF artisans
and laboring men in the North. who are al
ways expected TO vote As their employers
wish them to vote; who do so vote; ana
who would lose their places il they did not
so voteY
Mr.. GARFIELD rejects the - pernicious
doctrine OF state supremacy" yet be was
one of the members Of the electoral commits
sion that cheated Mr.. TILDEN out Of the
presidency, and did it upon the following |
grounds according to Mr.. HOAR, himself
also one Of the famous eight. He SAYS:
"The commission held that the power of
deciding who had been duly chosen electors
aoas in the States. Taey held that the votes
OF such persons were TO be counted as the |
tribunal chosen for that purpose in each |
State had declared to have been duly APP |
pointed It's electors. They held that Con-
gre>s had no authority, or pretense. on sug- |
gestion OF mistake, misconduct. fraud, or |
any other ground whatever, TO uSurp the |
power TO determine who had been chosen |
electors in anu State. or to reverse or over
turn, on anv pretense whatever, the States
decision by its own constitutional TIL
bunal"
That's sound Statc-rights doctrine. and it
was held only four years ago by Mr.. GAR
FIELD.
"They insist that the United States IS
nation" says lr. GARFIELD OF his party |
friends. This is grammatical Republican
ism and Republican grammar. The Re-
publicans will hereafter allow nobody to
speak of the United States as if the noun |
estates" were in the plural number and |
the word Omitted" were an adjective. |
Not at all. "United. State" is the name, and |
the word United" is not intended to de- |
scribe the word estates" See how differ
emily the fathers Of the republic wrote.
Section Sd of Article III. OF the Federal
Constitution says:
"Treason against the United States shall |
consist only in levying war against them. or !
10 adberng TO their enemies" &c.
Mr.. GARFIELD spells Nation" with a
big IN" He regards the States as nothing
but mere geographical expressions. He
believes ia the right Of the "Na,ion to de-
termine the method by which its own Le-
eislature shall be created" but four years
ago be did not by any means believe in the
right OF the nation to determine the method
by which its own President was to be cre-
ated. On the contrary, he said this was
q matter that Congress had nothing to do
with The high.sounding phrase which
we have quoted means when translated into
plain English that Mr.. GARFIELD is in ia
vor OF the appointment Of thousands Of
bribed Democrats at five dollars a day to
supervise the election OF congressman in
the several States. hundred thousand OF
these deputy marshals, well placed, might
elect Mr.. GARFIELD President OF the United
States.
III Mr. GARFIELD will see to 1t that the
"poiency" OF every Democrats vote In
Philadelphia shall not be destroyed by the
fraudulent vote OF any other person."
General HANCOCK will be almost sure TO get
the electoral vote OF Pennsylvania. The
"Iawful votes " OF the Democrats of
Philadelphia have not availed much OF late
years.
Every word OF the first three or four
paragraphs OF Mr.. GARFIELD's letter is
reflection upon the South. He waves the