The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-03-05

! the latter is true, the only palliation
! that can be offered for opposing freedom
Of the ballot is local bsd government
This is a great evil and ought to be pre-
vented, but to violate the freedom and
ssnctity of suffrage is more than an evl
lit is crime, which, il persisted In will
destroy government. Suicide is not
/ remedy. If in other lands it be high
treason to compass the death of the King
It should be counted 10 less crime mere
to strange or sovereign power and stiff
its voice. 1t has bsen said that unsettled
questions have no pity for the reposs of
! the nation. Il should be said with the
utmo-t emphasis that this question of
suffrage will never give repose or safety
to the states or the nation until each
? within its own jurisdiction makes and
keeps the ballot free and pure
by the strong sanctions of law.
But the danger which arises from
ignorance in the votes cannot be denied
IL covers q f Id far wider than that OF
negro Suffrage and the present conditi
Of that race. 1t is danger that lurk-
and hides in the corners and fountains
of power in every state. We have no
standard by whith TO measure the
disaster that might be brought upon US
by ignorance Of CT il ms when ined {,
eruption aud fraud in the suff ge
The generation woo make and unm-ke
consutu .ior o, and upon whose will hang
the destiny Of our government, Can
transmit their supreme au hority to DO
successor save the coming generation
of voters, who are to save the sover-
eign power. If that generation
comes ts its inheritance blinded by ign0r-
snce and corrupted by vice, the tall Of
1 = h. = - h. H.
has aIreaiy sounded the ALARM in the |
appalling figures which mark how dan.
gerously high the tide OF Ifii erseF has |
arisen smeng our voters and their child |
ren. To the south the question is OF |
| eupreme importance. But the RESPONSE |
bility for the existence Of slavery did not |
rest upon the south alone. The nation |
itself Is responsible for the extension Of
tn suffrage, and is under special OBJ iga-
tions 10 aid IN removing the illiteracy
which it has added TO the voting popula-
ton. For the north and south alike
there is but one remedy-all tne consIi-
tutivnal power of the nation of states,
ana all the volunteer forces of the people
should be summoned to meet tiis danger,
| by the saving influence of uni versal eiu-
cation. It is the high privilege and
sacred duty OF those Low to educate
their successors and fit them, By intelii-
gence and virtue, Tor the inheritance
which awaits them. In this beneficial
| work sections and races should he r
gotten and partisanship should be IN
known. Let our people find new mean
i & 10 the divine oracle which declares
that "a little child shall lead them" for
our little children will soon control the
d-stinies of the republic.
My countrymen, we do not now differ
IN our judgment concerning the contrO-
versles Of the past generation, and fifty
years hence our children will not be
divided in their opinions concerning our
controversies. They will surely bless
their fathers and their fathers god that
the Union was preserved, that slavery
was overthrown, and that both races
were made equal before the law, We
may hasten or may retard, but we
cannot prevent the reconciliation. Is it
not possible for Us now to make n truce
with time by antici patiDg and accepting
its inevitable verdict? Enterprises OF
the highest impOrtance t. our morals and
material well-being invite US AMI offer
ample scope for The employment Of cur
brst powers. Let all our ople, leaving
their battlefield of dead issues, move for
ward, and IN the strength of liberty and
restored union, win the Erander victories
of peace.
The prosperity which now pre-
walls is without q parallel in our his
tory. Fruitful seasons have ne much
TO secure it, but they b we not done all.
The preservation IF public credit, and the
re, umption of specie pay ments, so sue
cessfuiiy attained by the Administration
OF my predec essof, has enabi our peo-
pls 10 secure the blessing which the sea-
sons brought. By the experience Il
commercial nations in all ages it has been
found that gold AMI silver afford the
only safe Foundation for monetary
system. Confusion has recently been
created by variations in the relativs
value of the two metals, but con-
fdently believe that arrangements
can be made between the leading COM
mercal nations which will secure tho
gederal u.e of both metals. Congress
should provide that the compulsory coin
age of silver, now required by law, may
not disturb our monetary system BY
driving Q ther metal out Of circuiation. If
possible, such adjustment should be made
that the purchasing power of every
coined dollar will be exactly equal to its
debt payment Of the world. The chief
duty ofthe national government in con-
nection WI b she currency OF the country
is to coin and declare its value. Grave
doubts have been entertained whether !
Congress ia authorized by the Constitu-
ton to make any form Of paper money
legal tender. At present the issue Of
United States notes has been sustained
by the necessities of the hour, but sucn
paper should depend far its value aud
currency upon its convenience IN use
and its prompt redemption in coin st the
will OF the holder, and not upon its COM
M. O1r ct F1.nfa arn afnf |
money, but promises to pay money if
tne holders demand it. The promise
should be kept. The refundIng of the
national debt at lower rate of interest
should be accomplished without compel
ling the withdrawal of national bank
notes, and thu. disturbing the b Isiness Of
the country. l venture to refer to the
position l have occupied on financial
questions during my long service in Con-
gress, and to say that time and expert
enee have strengthened the opinions
have so often expressed on these sub
jects. The finances of government shall
suffer no dstriment which it may be POS
sible for my administration to prevent.
The interests of agriculture deserve
more attention from government than
they have yet received. The farms Of
the United States afford homes and en-
Payment for more than one-half the
people, and furnish much the larger part
of all our exports. AS Cover ment lights
our coasts for the protection OF mariners
and the benefit of commerce, so it should
give to tillers of the soil the lights of
practical science aud experience.
Our manufacturers ara rapidly making
US i1dustrially independent, opening to
capital ard labor new and pr ftable
fields of employment. This steady and
healthy growth should sill be main
tanned.
Our facilities for transportation should
be promoted by the continued improve
ment If our harbOrs and crest interior
waterways, and by the. increase of
our tonnage on the ocean. The
development of the worlds COM
merce has m 4ds an urgent demand
for shortening the sea Voysge zrouad
Cape Horn By const uetiag ship canal
or railways across the isthmus which
united the two cont nents. Various plans
to this end have been suggested, and will
need consideration, but rome Of them
have been sufficiently matured to warrant
US in extending pecuniary aid. The sub
| ject Is one which will Immediately en-
/ gage the attention of government, with
the view 10 the thorough protection to
msrIcan interests. We will urge no
| 1