Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-07-31
By Order of Committee.
GEN. ARTHUR.
His Acceptance of the Republican
Nomination for Vice-President.

Nomination for vice-President.
NEW YORK, July Is, 1880
DEAR SIR accept the position as
signed me by the great party whose &C
ton you announce. This acceptance i'm
plies the approval of the principles. de-
clared by the convention, but recent
usage permits me to add some express
sion of my own views. The right and
duty to secure honesty and order in
popular election is matter so vital
that it must stand in front. The au-
thority of the national government to
preserve from fraud and force the cleo
lions at which its own officers are chosen
is the chief point on which the two
parties are plainly and intensely OppOs-
ed. The acts of Congress for 10 years
have in New York and elsewhere done
much to curb the violence and wrong
to which the ballot and count have been
again and again subjected, sometimes
despOiling great cities, sometimes sti
ing, not only in Congress but on the
bench and in the Legislature, numbers
of men never chosen by the people.
The Democratic party, since gaining
possession of the two houses of Congress
has made there just laws the object of Bit
ter, ceaseleSS assault, and despite all re-
sistence, has hedged them with restric-
tiOns, cunninglY cOntrived to battle and
paralyze them. This aggressive major
ity boldly attempted to extOrt from the
executive his approval Ofthe various en-
actments destructive of these election
laws by the revolutionary threat that a
constitutional exercise of the tOpOwer
would be punished by Withholding the
appropriations necessary to carry on the
government, and these threats were ac-
tually carried out by refusing needed
appropriations and by forcing an extra
session of Congress. lasting for months,
and resulting in usurping demands
which are likely in many states to SUBJ
ject the majority to the lawless will of
the minority. The OminOus signs of
public disapprOyal alone subdued this
arrogant power into sullen surrender
for the time being part of its demands.
The Republican party has strongly ap-
proved the stern refusal of its represen-
tative to suffer the overthrow of statutes
believed to be salutary and just. 1t has
always insisted and now insists that the
government of the United States of
America is empowered and in duty
bound to effectually protect the cleo
tiOns denoted by the constitution as ma
tional.
More than this, the Republican party
holds as the cardinal points in its creed
that the government should by every
means known to the constitution protect
all American citizens everywhere in the
full enjoyment of their civil and political
rights. As a great part of its work of
reconstruction, the Republican party
gave the ballot to the slave as his right
and defense. A large increase in the
number of members of Congress and of
the electoral college from former slave
holding states was the immediate result.
The history of recent years abOunds in
evidence that in many ways and in
many places, especially where their num-
Der has been great enough to endanger
Democratic control, the very men by
whose elevation to citizenship this in
crease of representation was effected,
have been debarred and robbed of their
voice and vote. 1t is true that no state
statue or constitution in so many words
denies or abridges the exercise of their
political rights, but bodies employed to
bar their way are no less effectual. II
is a suggestive and startling thought
that this increased power, derived from
the reimbursement of that race which
is now denied its share in governing
the country and welded by those who
lately sought the overthrow of the gov
eminent, is now the sole reliance to de-
feat party which repre- s1nted the sOyer
eighty and nationality of the American
people in the greatest crisis of Our
history. Republicans cherish none of
the resentments which may have ami.
mated them during the actual conflict
of arms. They long for full and real
reconciliation between the sections
which were needlessly and lamentably
at strife. They sincerely offer the hand
of good will, but they ask in return a
pledge of good faith. They deeply fee
that the party whose career is so illus
triOus in great and patriotic achieve
ment will not fulfill its destiny until
peace and prosperity are established in
all the land; not until liberty OF thought
action and conscience and equality OF
opportunity shall not be merely the cold
fOrmalities of the statue, but living
birthrights which the humble may con
fidently claim and the powerful may de
ny.
The resolution referring to the public
service seems to me deserving of approx
al. Surely no man should be the incum
bent of an Office, the duties of which h
is, for any cause, unfit to perform; wht
10 Iaekino in ability fidaIitv nr intpOri