The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-07-17
GEN. GAREIELD,s LETTER.


GEN. GARFIELD'S LETTER.
HIS FORMAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE REPUBLICAN
NOMINATION..
HIS Tic,cs on the Southern Question, Educa-
ton, the Currency, the Tariff, RiUer and
HarJor Improvements, the Chinese Ques-
tion, and as to CiUa SerUice Reform.
MENTOR, o., July l2 1880.
To Hon. George F. Hodr:
DEAR SIR. On the evening of the 9Th of
June last had the honor to Receive from you,
in presence of the committee OF which you
were chairman, the official announcement that
the Republican National Convention at Chi.
cago had that day nominated me as heir can
didate for President of the United States. l
accept he nomination with gratitude for the
confidence it implies, and with a deep sense
of the responsibilities 1t imposes. cordially
endorse the principles set forth in the plat
form adopted by the conventions! On nearly
all the subjects of which it treats my 6pin-
ions are on record among the published pro-
ccedings of Congress.
venture however, to make special men
tion of some of the principal topics which are
likely to become subjects of discussion. With
out 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 1t should be said that while
the Republicans fully recognize and will stren- |
uously defend all the rights retained by the |
people and all the rights reserved to the |
States, they reject the pernicious doctrine of
Stdte supremacy which SO long crippled the
functions of the national government and at
one time brought the Union very near to de- !
struction. They insist that the United states |
is nation, with ample power of self-preser
walton that its constitution and the laws
made in pursuance thereof are the suprenle
law of the land that the right of the nation |
to determine the method by which its own
legislature shall be created cannot be surren-
dered without abdicating one of the tunda
mental powers of government. that the ma
tiOndl laws relating to the election of Repre-.
sentatives in Congress shall neither be viola
ted nor evaded that every electOr shall be
permitted freely and without intimidation to
cast his lawful ballot at such election and
! have it honestly counted, and that the poten.
cy Of his vote shall not be destroyed by the
! vote of any other person.
The best thoughts dnd energies of our peo-
! pie should be directed to those great ques-
| tions 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 will outlast passion. But it is GER
tain that the wounds cannot be completely
| healed, and the spirit of brotherhood cannot
| fully pervade the whole country until every
| citizen, rich or poor, white or black. is secure
in the free and equal enjoyment Of every civil
and political right guaranteed by the consti-
| tuition and the laws.
Wherever HE enjoyment CT these rights is
| not agsured discentent will prevail; immigra-
tion will cease, and the Social and industrial
forces will continue to be dis urbcd by the
migration of labOrers and the consequent di-
minutiOn of prosperity. The national govern
ment should exercise all its constitutional au-
thOrity to put an end to these evils Tor 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 Ifflict the South arise from the fact that
here is not such freedom and liberation of
political opinion and action that the minority
party can exercise an effective and whole
some restraint upon the party in power. With
,.1,r nfrtt nrty 10
meal and corrupt The prosperity which is
made possible in the South by its great ad-
vantages of soil and climate will never be re-
allied until every voter can freely and saiely
] Next in importance to freedom and justice,
is popular education, without which neither
Justice nor freedom can be permanently main
7 tained. Its interests are intrusted to the
| states and to the voluntary action of the peo-
pie. Whatever help the nation can justly at-
= ford should be generously given to aid the
States in supporting common schools but II
would be unjust to our people and dangerous
Y to our institutions to apply any portion OF the
revenues of the nation or OF the states TO the
support of sectarian schools. The separation
of the Church and the State In everything re
, latiug TO- taxation should be absolute.
u On the subject Of national finances my views
d have been so frequently and fully expressed
that little is needed in the way of additiOna
= statement. The public debt is now so wei
Is secured, and the rate of annual interest hai
been so reduced by refunding; that rigid econ
IS omy in expenditures and the faithful applica
tiOn of our surplus revenues 70 the paymen
of the principal of the debt; will gradually bu
'e certainly free the people from its burdens
rr and close with honor the financial chapter q
the war. At the same time the goveTnmen
J. can provide for all its ordinary expenditures
and discharge its sacred obligations 10 tn
soldiers OF the Union and to the widows ant
ID orphans of those who fell in its defence.
"a The resumption of specie payments. whicl
i' the Republican party so cOurageously AM
j. successfully accomplished, has removed frOu
the field OF controversy many questions tina
J. long and seriously disturbed the credit OF tn
governmant and the business of the country
d Upr paper currency is now a national as tn
OF nag; and resumption has not only made
A everywhere equal 10 coin, hut has hrough
into use our store of gold and silver. The Gil
JU culating medium is more abundant than eve
. before, and we need only to maintain tn
equality of all our dollars to insure to labO
ne and capital measure of value from the us
no of which no one can suffer loss. The grea
~ prosperity which the country is now eniOyin
n should not be endangered by any viOlen
changes or doubtful financial experiments
In reference to our custom laws, polio
1a should be pursued which will bring revenue
TO the treasury and will enable the labor an
IT. capital employed in our great industries I
ht compete fairly in our own markets with tn
labor and capital of foreign producers. w
he legislate for the people of the United State
,i not for the whole world, and IL is our glor
that the American laborer is more intelligeI
al, and better paid than his foreign competitor
~ Our country cannot be independent unless II
people, with their natural resources, posses
at The requisite skill at any time to clothc, arr
and equip themselves tor war, and in time
peace tOprOduce all the necessary implement
&C. Of labor. II was the manifest Intention of tl
4; fohnders OF he government to provide for i
IL common defense, not by standing armiC
ts alone. but by raising among the people
:; greater army of artisans, whose lntelligenC
II and skill should powerfully contribute to th
rst safety and glory OF the nation.
Fortunately for the interests Of commerce
there longer formidable OnDOEltlO
W. to appropriations for the improvement Of OF
, | harbOrs and great nayiga5le rivers, provide
tn that the expenditures for that purpose al
a strictly limited TO works of national impOr
ance. The Mississippi river, with its grei
to tributaries, is of such vital importance To
.a many millions of people that the safety of 4
"a navigation requires exceptional consider
IL tlOn. In order TO secure To the nation Il
90 control of all its waters President JeltersC
CO. negotiated the purchase of vast terrltor
ed extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the y
cihc Ocean. The wisdom of Congress shOul
lh be invoked to devise some plan by which thi
ed great river shall cease TO be a terror TO tho
who dwell upon It's banks, and by which I
ny shipping may safely carry the iDdustriaT pr
NJ duets of twenty-five millions of people. II
interests of agriculture, which Is the basis
ail our material prosperity, and in which Sc
m en-tIeliths of our population are engaged,
we'll as the interests OF manufacturers NJ
# commerce, demand that the facilities f
Ia cheap transportation shall be increased |
AN the use OF all our great water courses.
Ihe material interests of this country u
traditions Of its settlement, and the sentimei
en- Of our people, have led the Government to
ed fer the widest hospitality to emgrants ~
seek our shores for new and happier home
up willing TO share the burdens as well rs Il
To Dement'S OF our society and intending tn
=" their prosperity shall become an undisti
ng guishable part of our population. The rece
Il, movement of the Chinese TO our Pscihe eOa
'H' par.akes but little of the qualities OF such
ul- emigration, ether IN It's purposes or its I
"a quits. II is too much like an importation
i'u he welcomed without restriction; too mut
lihe an inVas.on 10 be looked upon without s
, licAt ade. We cannot consent to allow al
be form Of ser7lle labor to be introduced amor
vo us under the guise OF immigration. Reco
- nizing the gravity Of this subject, the prese
III Administration, supported BY Congress, d
,,,. sent 20 China a commission OF distinguish
." citizens for the purpose Oi securing such
re- modification OF the existing treaty as will pr
-, vent the evils likely TO arise from the prc5e
~ situation. II Is confidently believed that tho