The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-07-15
GIN. GARF1ELD'S LETTER Of ACCEPTANCE,

| that tho Republican national convention n
! Chicago had that day nominated me a. theil
candidate for President of tho United States
| l accept the nomination with gratitude for the
conadeuceitimplies and with : deep sense of the
responsibilities 1t imposes. l cordially eudorse
the principles sst forth in th, platform adopted
Dy the convention. On nearly all the sub
1ects OF which it treats my opinions are on
record among the published proceedings of
Congress.
venture, however. to make special men
tion Of some of the principal topics which are
likely to become the subject Of discussion.
without reviewing the controversies which
have been settled during the last twenty years,
and with no purpose Or wish to review tho pas
sion" OF tho late war it should be said that
while % Kspub'ic.as fully recognize
:ss and r;.,,. will ia,, stSsen1ou.ly S defend Al
reserved to be tho States, they reject tho per
nicious doctrine of State supremancy which
long crippled the functions of the national
government and ut one time brought the
union very near to destruction. They insist
that the United States is nation with ample
ton and the laws Imade in pursuance thereof
are the supreme laws of the land that the right
Ut nation todetermine the method by which its
Legislators shall be chosen cannot be surren-
dered without abdicating one of the funda-
mental powers of tho government !; that
tho national law relating to the election of
representatives in Congress shall neither be
violated nor evaded; that every elector shall
DO permitted freely and without intimidation
to cast his lawful vote 1T such elections and
have it honestly counted, and that the potency
Ut his vote shall not be destroyed by the fraud
ulent vote Of any other person.
The best thoughts and energies of our people
should be directed to those great questions of
national we]l-being, in which all have . CON-
mon interest. such efforts will soonest restore
to perfect peace those who were lately in arms
against each other, for justice and good will
outlast passion. But it il certain that the
wounds OF tho war cannot be completely
fully pervade the whole country until every
citizen. rich or poor. white or black, il secure
in the full and equal enjoyment of every civil
and political right, qua, anteed by the constitu-
tion and the laws. Wherever the enjoyment
of these rights 10 not assured discomfort will
prevail. immigration will cease. and the social
and industrial forces will be disturbed by the
migration of laborers and the consequent d.
miniehment of prosperity. The na-
tional government should exercise
all of its constitutional authority
to put m end to these evils, for all the people
and al the States are members of one body,
and no member can suffer without injury
to all.
Tho most terrible evils which now af1ict the
south arise from the fact that there is not
such freedom and toleration of political opin-
ION and action that the minority party can cx-
ercise an effective and wholesome reAtraint
upon the party in power. Without such re-
stra'nt party rule becomes tyrsnnical and cor
rupt. The prosperity which is made possible
.d,ant.es, Of S'sa .o and climate ' will ssset ssset
be realized until every voter can freely and
safely support any party he pleasee. Next in
importance to freedom and justice, is popular
education, without which, neither justice nor
freedom can be permanently maintained. 1t
Is intrusted to the States and to the voluntary
actions of the people. Whatever aid the na-
tion can justly afford should be generously
given to aid the States in supporting common
schools, but it would he unjust to our people
and dangerous to our institutions to apply any
portion of the revenues of the nation, or the
On the subject of national 6nauces, nv views
have been SO frequently and fully expressed
that little is needed in the way of additional
statements. The public debt is now 90 we'll
secured, and the rate Of annual interest has
been 30 reduced by refunding, that rigid econu.
my in expenditures and the faithful applica-
ton OF our surplus revenues to the payment of
the principal Of the debt, will gradually but
certainly free the people from its burdens and
close with honor the final chapter of the case.
At the same time the government can
provided for its ordinary expenditures and dis
charge its sacred obligations to the soldiers of
the Union, and to tho widows and or phans of
those who fell in its defense.
The resumption of specie payment, which
the Republican party so courageously and sue
cessfully accomplished, has removed from the
neld OF controversy many qucstions that long
and scri0usly disturbed the credit of the gov
ernment and the business of the country. Our
paper currency is now as national ~ the flag,
and resumption has not only made it every where
equal to coin, but has brought into use our
store of gold and silver. The circulating me-
dunn is more abundant than ever before, and
we netd only to maintain the equality of al
our dollan to insure to labor and capital a
measure of value, from the use of which no
one can suffer loss.
Dowenjoying should not be endangered by
any violent changes or doubtful financial expe-
riments. and in reference - our custom lava .
policy should be pursued which
will bring revenue to the treasury,
and will enable the labor and capital
employed in our great industries to compete
failly in our own markets with the labor and
capital OF foreign produce. We legislate for
tho people of the United States, not for th
whole world, and it Is our glory that American
labor ID more free, intelligent and better paid
than his foreign competitor. Our country can
not be independent unless its people with their
abundant natural resources possess the requi-
site skill At any time to clothe, arm and equip
themselves for war, and in time of peace to
produce all the necessary Implements of labor.
1t was the manifest intention of tho founder
o! the government to pro-
vide for the common defense, not
BY standing armies alone, but by
artisans whose intelligence and skill should
powerfully contribute to the safety and glory
of the nation.
Fortunately for the interests Of commerce
there il NO longer any formidable opposition
to appropriations for the improvement of our
harbors aud great navieable rivers, provided
that the expenditures for that purpose are
strictly limited to works Of national import
ance. The Mississippi river, with its great
tributaries, il of such vital importance
to SO many millions of people
requires exceptional consideration in order to
secure to the nation tho control of all its
waters. President Jefferson negotisted the
purchase of Q vast territory, extending from
tho Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific ocean. The
wisdom Of Congress should bc asked to devise
some plan by which that great river shall
cease n be terror to those who dwell upon
its banks, and by which its shippiug may safe
OF people: The interests of agriculture. which
is the basis of all Our material prosperity, and
in which seven-twelfths of our population arc
engaged, - we'll - the interests
of manufacturer and commerce, demand that
the facilities for cheap transportation shall be
increased by tho uae of all our great water
courses.
The material interests of this country, the
traditions Of its settlement, and the sentiments
of onr people. have led the government to Of
fer tho widest hospitality to emisrants who
seek our shores for new and happier homes,
willing to share the burdens - we'll - tho ben
e6ts Of our society, and intending that their
posterity shall become an undistinguishable
part of our population. Tho recent movement
of the Chinese to our Pacific coast paxtakes bnt
little of the qualities of such an emigration,
either in its purpose OF its result. It il too
much like IN importation to be welcomed with
out restriction; ton much like IN invasion to be
looked upon without solicitude. We cannot
consent to allow any form of servile labor to
be introduced among 10 under the guise of i'm
migration. Recognizing the gravity of this
subject tho present administration. supported
Continuation of '' di.tiueuisbed
citizens for the purpose of securing
such . modification Of the existing treaty
- will prevent the evils likely to arise from
the present situation. Il il eonddsntly be-
1:>~cl <S.% >h>.A I1soIo.>.ks~ .a~>As>AS>.. IN