The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-22
GEN. GARFIELD,S LETTER.
He Accepts the Nomination and Eccapit-
ulates the Principles of the Republican
Party.
MENTOR ONO. .Julv !

MENTOR, ONO, July II.
General Garfield has forwarded to Sen
ator Hoar, of Massachusetts,, the follow
ing letter of acceptance of the nomina-
ton rendered him by representatives of
the National Convention:
MENTOR, OHIO, July ~.
Dear Sir: On the evening of the 9th
June last, l had the honor to receive
from you, in the presence of a committee
of which you were Chairman, the official
announcement that the Republican Ma
tional Convention at Chicago had that
day nominated me for their candidate for
President of the United States. accept
the nomination with gratitude for the
confidence it implies end with deep
sense Of the responsibilities it imposes.
1 cordially endorse the principles set
forth in the platform adopted by the
Convention on nearly all the subjects of
which it teaches My opinions are on
record among the published proceedings
of Congress. venture, however, to
make special mention Of some of the
principal topics which are likely to be-
come subjects of discussion without re-
newing controversies which have been
settled during the last twenty years, and
with no purpose or wish to revive the
passions of the late war. 1t should be
said that while Republicans fully recog
nize that they will strenuously defend all
the rights retained by the people, and all
the rights reserved to the States, they
reject the pe.nicious doctrine of State
supremacy, which SO long crippled the
functions of the National government,
and at one time brought the Union very
near to destruction. They insist that the
United States is a nation with ample
power of self preservation; that its con-
stitution and the laws made in pursuance
thereof are the supreme laws 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 abrogating one of the funda-
mental powers of the government; that
the national laws relating to the election
of representatives in Congress shall
neither be violated or evaded that every
elector shall be permitted freely and
without intimidation to cast his lawful
ballot 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.
The best thoughts and energies of our
people should be directed to those great
questions of National well.being in
which all have such common interest.
Such efforts will soon restore perfect
peace to those who were lately in arms
against each other, for justice and good
will will outlast passion, but it is certain
that the wounds of the war cannot be
completely healed and spirit of brother
hood cannot fully perqade the whole
country until every citizen, rich or poor,
white or black, is secure in the free and
equal enjoyment of every civil and po-
litical right guaranteed by the Coustitu
ton and the laws. Whenever the enjoy
ment of this is not secured, discomfort
will prevail, immigration will cease and
social and industrial forces will continue
to be disturbed by the migration of
laborers and consequent diminution of
prosperity. The National government
should exercise all its constitutional au-
thority 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.
The most serious evils which now
afflict the South arise from the fact that
there is not such freedom and liberation
of political opinion that the minority
party can exercise an effective and whole
some restraint upon the party in power.
Without such restraint the party rule
becomes tyrannical and corrupt. Pros
perity, which is made possible in the
South by its great advantage of soil and
climate, will never be realized until every
voter can freely and safely support any
party he pleases.
Next in importance to freedom and
justice is popular education, without
which neither can be permanently main
tained. It's interests are entrusted to the
States and 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 institutions
to apply any portion of the revenues of
the nation or of the States to the support
of sectional schools. The separation Of
Church and State in everything relating
to taxation should be absolute.
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 Sc
reduced by refunding, that rigid econ.
omy in the expenditures and faithful
application of our surplus revenues to
the payment of the principal of the debt
will gradually but certainly free the peo-
pIe 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 and dis
charge its sacred obi cations to the SOL
diers Of the Union and to the widows
aud orphans of those who fell in its de-
fense.
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
disturbed 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 need
only to maintain the equality of all our
dollars to insure to labor and capital a
measure of value, from the use of which
no one can suffer loss.
The great prosperity which the coun-
try is now enjoying should not be endan-
gered by any violent changes or doubtful
financial experiments.
In reference to our customs laws a
policy should be pursued which will
bring revenues TO the treasury and will
enable the labor and capital employed in
our great industries to compete fairly in
our own markets with labor and capital
of foreign producers. We lcgislate for
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