The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-07-22
GEN. GARFIELD's LETTER,
Accepting the Nomination for the
Presidency.

W--WIH- MEG k"S
-
Accepting the Nomination for the
Presidency.
MEsroR, o.y,,July 12.4General Garfield hiss
forwarded to Senator Hoar, Of Massachusetts,,
the following letter of acceptance Of the nomi-
nation rendered him by the Republican Ma
tionaE Convention: 4 OF 'CHIHsFw Scfl
MENTOR, o., July 10, 1880.
DEAR SrR--On the evening of the 9Th Of June
last, 7 had the honor to receive from you, in
the presence9of the Committee of which you
we're Chairman, the official announcement that
the Republican National CONVENTION at Chi
cago had that day nominated me as their can
| didate for President Of the United States.
Iaccept the nomination, with gratitude for
the confidence it implies, and with q deep sense
of the responsibilities it imposes. At1
I cordially endorse the principles set forth In
the platform adopted by the CONVENTION, On
nearly all the subjects Of which it treats N.Y.
opinions are on record among the published
proceedings Of Congress. 1fei t'At ,o'iV
venture, however, TO make special mention
| of some of the principal topics which are likely
to become the subjects OF discussion. :. 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 ne
| publicans fully recognize, and viii strenuously
| defend all the rights retained by the people
and an the rights reserved to the States, they
4 reject the pernicious doctrine of State SUI
+ premacy which 80 long crippled the functions
of the National Government, and, ct one time,
brought the Union very near to destruction.
They insist that the United States is q Nation
with ample powers Of self-preseryation; that its
Constitution and the laws made In pursuance
thereof "are the supreme law Of the lana;'
that the right of the Nation to determine the
method by which it's own Legislature shall be
created cannot be surrendered without abdtr
eating one Of the fundamental powers OF
Government; that the National laws relating TO
the election 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 1t honestly counted, ana
that the potency of his vote shall not 6. de-
stroyed by the fraudulent vote OF any other
person. f,,t,'e 81 a. u+ .eqHa. 81. ~;
The best thoughts and energies of our people
should be directed to those great questions of
National well being in which all have q common
interest; such efforts will soonest restore to
perfect peace, those who were lately in arms
against each other, for justice and good will
But it is certain that the wounds Of the war
cannot be completely healed, and the spirit Of
brotherhood cannot fully pervade the whole
country, untl every citizen, rich or poor, white
or black, is secure in the free and equal enjoy
ment of every civil and political right guaran-
teed by the Constitution and the laws. wher-
ever the enjoyment Of these rights is not as
sured, 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 dimlnution OF
prosperity. The National Government should
exercise all its 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 I
The most serious evils which now afiict the
K South arise from the fact hat there Is not such
freedom andtoleration of political opinion and
action that the minority party can exercise an
ehective and wholesome restraint upon the
party in power. e{r
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 partyhe pleases.
, Next in Importance 70 freedom and justice is
popular education, without which neither
Justice nor freedom can be permantly main-
tanned. Its interests are intrusted to the States
and to the voluntary action of the people.
Whatever help the nation can justly afford,
should be generously given to aid the States in
supporting common schools; but it would be
unjust to our people, and dangerous to our in
, situations, to apply any portion of the revenues
of the nation, or Of the States, to the support
: of s~ectarian schools. The separation Of the
church and the State IN everything relating tc
!. taxation should be absolute. i3@ HlH-
On the subject of national finances my view
|. have beenso frequently and fully expressed thai
s ment. The public debt is now SO well secured
and the rate of annual interest has been SO re
duced by funding, that rigid economy in e1
. penditures and the faithful application Of oul
t surplus revenues to the payment Of the princi
g pal of the debt viii gradually but certainly fire.
Q the people from its burdens, and close witt
:. honor the financial chapter Of the war. AT th.
' same time the government can provide for al
4 - sA--A A-1 1nha- -
sacred obligations to the soldier of the Unior
K and to the widows and orphans of those VIII
fell in its defense. -s.a Mts III,
The resumption Of specie payments, whicl
the Republican party 80 courageously and sue
c~essfuly accomplished, has removed from tn
. field of controversy many questions. that lonl
and seriously disturbed the credit of the Gov
= ernment and the business Of the country. Gu
Q: paper currency. is now as national as the flag
E. and resumption has not only made 1t every
IL where equal to coin, but has brought into us
.s our store of gold and silver. The circulating
medium is more abundant than ever before
re and we need only to maintain the equality o
s. all onr. dollars to insure to labor and capital
ID measure of value from the use of which no on
ne can suffer loss. The great prosperity whicht tn
country Is now enjoying should not be endan
= gered BY any violent changes o. doubtful fnar
!" cial experiments. ~ -.
ry In reference to our customs laws, q polio
IN should be pursued which will bring revenue t
nd the Treasury, and will enable the labor an
M 1 SdHAtd4 OAARAOJ0o AA O~ 49,
= compete fairly In our own markets with U
labor and capital of foreign producers.
n We legislate for the people of the Unite
States, not for the whole world, and it Is on
lis glory that the American laborer is more INTEL
bo gent and better paid than his foreign compe
~ itor. Our country can. not be independent
ur unless its people, with their abundant naturi
ch resources, possess the requisite skill, at an
81 time, to clothe, arm and equip themselves 4
slv war, and, in time of peace, to produce all Il
=, necessary implements for labor.
~ 1t was the manifest intention of the foundel
Of the Government to provide for the comma
it, defense not by standing armies alone, but
he raising among the people agreater army
.ee artisans, whose intelligence and skill shoul
~ powerfully contribute to the safety and glol
of the nation. r-H G..F -ft g. Fl
'as Fortunately for the interests of commerc
Tas there is no longer any formidable opposition
harbors ana great n~ayigable rivers, provide
that the expenditures for that purpose a
' strictly limited to works of national importanc
The Mississippi River, with its great tribr
d. taries, is of such vital importance to 30 mai
IN millions of people that the safety of its navig
of ton requires exceptional consideration.
90 order to secure to the nation the control Of
its waters, President Jefferson negotiated Il
ne purchase Of q vast territory, extending from t
of Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. The wi
MS dom Of Congress should be invoked to dew
,ir some plainly which that great river shall cea
- to be q terror to those WHIT dwell upon
banks, and by which its shipping may safe
ew carry the industrial products of twenty-five m
lions of people. The interests of -agricultur
an which Is the basis of all our material prospect
en and in which seven-twelfths of our populati'
are engaged, as well as the interests of man
~ ~fact1rer and commerce demand that t
1v 4 fooiGftQa for ahAon frop crN0rfafi0p chon hQ