The People's vindicator., 1880-10-16
lions or for payment OF interest and principal

" as can learn, more than twice the cost oi
the thirty-eight States of the Nation, yet MIR.
Garfield and other Republican officials seek
more jul isdiction, more cost, more taxation
under the shadowy phrase of Nationalism.
They Ask that they shall be intrusted with
more power, more patronage, anu the dlS'
tributiOn Of larger sums OF money drawn from
the people in unequal proportions ana Ny ex'
pensive methods.
THE POSITIONS OF GARFIELD AND HANCOCK
COSTRAsTED.
Ibcg our Republican friends to look at tho
attitude Df Mr.. Garfield with regard to tho
Constitution, and see If it Is one that shows
Loyalty to its provisions. 1t is the charter of
Our rights and liberties. He has on many 0c.
casion> sworn to uphold it. On the 4tll OF
March next he will, as II Senator from Ohio,
take solemn oath to support Its provisions.
Ties Senate was organized to assert and &c.
tend the letter and its spirit. Does the con.
duct of Mr. Garfield accord with these oaths?
He avoids the Use of the titles it gives the
Government. These were selected to sh0Wits
character and object. lie uses in q marked
way words the trainers OF the Constitution re.
jecied, and shuns those they selected. What
could be thought of u clergymen who should
substitute for the grand, clear tones OF the
Bible, vague and unmeaning words which OBJ.
scure the law Of Christian life! Yet in this
way Mr.. Garfield treats the law which makes
the life of our Union. In view of his efforts to
change the Constitution by substituting con.
struction fox its language, you doubt II, III his
oath of Office, he swears for or ut the COnSti.
tuition. You wonder what he seeks, which il
rebuked by the title of "Unitcd States," the
"Cnion," the General Government" What
"NatiOn' or "Nationalism," which are weak,
obscure and trivial! Let US see how Mr.. Gar.
field looks ut his interest and position. We csln
give his IDEAS almost in his own words when
he cOmmunes with himself. lie says: :" am
S,,.,,
ilton was right when he said that senator's
should hold for life. am glad that his Optn.
ions grow in favor. lie did not like our COnsti.
tutioIs but said everything depended upon the
way It was construed. This heavy volume on
my table, called the Civil List, shows the
names of more than seventy thousand men
paid from the Treasury. This does not in.
clude the soldiers or sailors. l am glad to
see we are gravitating toward more power
The Senate, Of which am a member, gives
most Of these men their places directly or in.
directly. They depend upon confirmation by
us OF the Presidents nominations In view
Of this fact, he usually sends in the names Of
those We want. II he does not, We throw them
ont. While large numbers of those in the
Civil List nre not acted upon by our body, yet
as rule they hold under those We confirm.
so they all look to us for support. II we can
make the Civil List up to Il hundred and fifty
Thousand, we shall be able to hold our places
for life. The things most in the way are tn:
words OF the Constitution. l have Thought
much about them. John Quincy Adams once
wrote some poetry in which he put III the
mouth Of Mr.. Jefferson these lines:
"'lf We can not change the things
swear we'll change their name, SIR
"Thc troublesome terms in the Constitu:.
ton are the United States,' the Union
They tell Of states aud other rights than those
controlled by Congress. | do not like the
words General Government, rs it tells of other
Governments and States there are some
terms such as Nation and National, which
those who made the Constitution would not
have In it. They were kept out by unanimous
vote. They are vague and do not show what
is meant by their use. want them for the
very reason that led the Convention to strike
them OaIt. II we get our people t., use them
they will fall into the habit of lookingto to other
Gov ernments than our own for usages and
laws We have got this practice under way.
In 1875 all our party in the House Of Repre-
ours was Sovereign Nation. We Nll wore
grave faces when we did this. 1t taught us aS
much ADOnt our Government rs If to show the
prerOxatives Of the President we had with
equal sOlemnity declared that he was an indi-
vidual. The world is full of nations. There
are many hundreds of them, OF all kinds, from
the sandwich Islands up to the Russian Em.
pire. Their habits and us0yes range from
those of the King Of DahOmcy, who kills II
few men each day for his health's sake, to
those of the Queen of England, who leads the
quiet life OF good woman. There is nothing
of making. and no ono can
define their character as q class. The word
NatiOnali>m has different meanings to differ.
ent men. In due time. if We are firmly seated
in power, we can tell the public what we
mean by it; our definition will be that we
want more jurisdiction for Government; this
means more cost for more men to do more
duties. The additions thus made to officials
will give to s':natOrS more power, patronage
and wealth. / will use these words, Nation
and National. rs often rs can. l will strew
them through all nv speeches and letters.
They are now the shibbOleths of our party,
and OF all who have schemes before Conyress.
They sound well, and many think they lit us
up to Il higher rank ;,s Il people 10 be put in
the list of tribes and Of barbarGus or uncivil-
lied Nations. But we must take care that the
people do not get ALA lmed ut the idea OF more
cost and more taxes We have the most TO
fear from those of the North, for in nine of
their great States there are more than half Of
the people cf the Nation. But they have only
eighteen Senator's out Of twenty-s six: 1t was
these States paid three. quarters Of the taxes
levied by Government. We must keep these
facts from their minds. We must stir up the
old hate Of the South and make them feel that
while NatiOnalism will help them, 1t will hurt
those in the Southern section."
Mr.. Garfield and his friends about this elec.
ton, and their plans for the future. What
they say and do shows you what they aim Mt.
Win IL not be wise on the part OF the great Re.
publican party to learn and think who Will be
the victOrs and who will be the victims if they
do not do this, they may fall into the trap set
for the people, and that we all shall feel that
NatiOnalism is Il curse.
Turn from MIR. Gar1icld's letter of acceptance
to that of Gen. Hancock. He bows to the de-
crees of the Constitution. He accepts its
terms to him are sacred; his earnestness
shines ont in every line. and when he swears
to support the Constitution In its letter and
spirit We know he means to do SO. Those who
formed 1t not only chose fitting words to tell
IT, meaning, but patriotism, like religion, has
its symbols. No flag which floats in the wind
of heaven tells 80 much as ours of the history
and character Of the Government il repre-.
Sents. Its stripes recall the names of the
States which fought the battle which gave us
liberty, and which crowned their glorious
work by forming our Union. The States are
blue field. He who would strike one star from
its place or who would blend or blur these
symbols, 80 that they would tell only Of oh.
scure NationaIism, has latent treason In his
heart.
We are asked why we took soldier for our
|
with more safety than to one who has had its
deep and grand significance burnt into his
very being by the fires of battle. fields?
There is not q color upon its folds, there Il
not q stripe upon its emblazonry, there Is not
q star upon its azure ground, that has not
been made sacred to him. The appeal which
drew him and his fellOw.sOldiers from their
homes to the battle. field was to rally around
the Stars and stripes and to uphold the
Union. They will never make our nag an un.
meaning thing; they viii see TO 1t that it re-
mains q true emblem of the spirit of our Con.
stitutiOn. by the peoples vote Gen. Hancock
will bear this standard on to victory In this
contest as he has heretofore done on the
bloody fields of battle. He has learned from
it the grand PURPOSES Of the Constitution by
teachings amid all the solemn lessons of war
by the inspirations Of the battle. field by the
sad and solemn aspects of tho blood stained
earth and the dying groans Of men when the
struggle was ended. lie has learned the great
lesson of stAtesmanship. not amid scenes Of
party strife, mot n an atmOSphN furnished
| BY penonal embitiOa or. schemes e plumber,
1nf whore Washington and Jac1s2n learned
the lesson Of duty to their country and OF
obedience to its laws and Constitution.
1t Is now charged by our opponents
that we are inconsistent when we place