The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-30
A FREE NATIONAL BALLOT.

just euunciated, is that all law-abiding men
of certain age, without regard to race color
or previous condition, are entitled to voice
in the shaping of public affairs. That is,
they are entitled to vote and, being so en-
dowed, should be protected in it, The Re-
publican national platform of 1865 the first
written after the Acknowledgement of South
ern slaves, declares in its first section:
eve congratulate the country on the as
sured success of the reconstruction policy OF
Congress, as evinced by the adoption,
in the majority of the States lately
in rebellion, of constitutions securing
to all: and it is the duty of the government
to sustain those institutions and to prevent
the people of such States from being RENTED
to State of anarchy"
The prescience evinced by the writer of
the foregoing paragraph was well-ngh pro-
phetic, in the light of recent events. The
Republican party, in its combined wisdom,
declared in convention, fifteen years ago,
that it was the duty of the government to
RENTED to a state of anarchy. That
is, federal interference in behalf of the
political rights OF federal citizenship was
clearly promulgated and urged as a solemn
duty The Republican party had made the
late slaves citizens of the nation. And hav-
ing conferred the rights of citizenship, it toll
lows incon testibly that the subjects must be
protected in those rights by the power con-
Al.
farce, too ridiculous for consideration by
sensible men.
-Four years later, upon the assembling of
the next national convention of the party,
the following paragraph was made promi-
nent in the platform upon which the sue
ceeding campaign was projected:
complete liberty and exact equality in
the enjoyment of all civil, political and pub
lie rights should be established aud effectu-
ally maintained throughout the Union by
efficient and appropriate State and federal
legislation"
Here, again, the issues of 1884 were clearly
foreshadowed. The experience of the
near past had taught the friends of
the Union and of equal suffrage to fear
that the day might come when the preju-
dice of generations would impel those
lately in rebellion to wrest the right of suf-
frage from their former slaves. The men who
fashioned that platform knew the nature of
those who have done such bloody and effect
ual work TO kill the vote of the colored
man. They saw, even then, that the only
safe way to insure honest elections and the
right OF suffrage to all, was by congressional
legislation and federal interference whenever
needed.
In 1876 the third paragraph of the seven
platform began as follows:
THE permanent pacification of the South
ern section of the Union, and the complete
protection of Its citizens i'll the free ell oy-
ment OF all their rights, are duties to which
the Republican party stands sacredly
pledged"
In the same spirit but with logic that can
not be overthrow, the Republican platform
of 1880 declared that whatever promises the
ration makes the nation must perform, and
the nation cannot with safety relegate this
the prophets in the space of a very few
words. What folly to stand out against the
proposition that the nation must have the
right to enforce what it has the right to or
der. II colored men, if Southern Repub-
icans, white and black, are citizens of the
United States, competent to vote in fed
eral elections, the general government I'M
doubtedly has the right by all the power at
command, to see that that right is not
abridged or denied The duty
between government and citizen
is reciprocal. The latter owes
allegiance owes his life and his property. In
return for this the government owes perfect
protection in every civil and political right.
In federal relations an American voter is
citizen of the United States and not of In
diana or Of South Carolina. Let an American
be mistreated abroad: who comes to his
rescue-his country or his State? There is in
this idea no infringement upon the special
rights of States. In elections affecting State
interests only the nation cannot interfere
without official request from the
State authorities. Nothing of the kind is
even remotely contemplated by the Repub-
lcan party. But the party does insist that
in federal affairs the federal government has
the right, and is in duty bound to see that
every one of its citizens has chance to cast
a free ballot and to have it fairly counted
In consonance with this idea, President
Garfield, in his letter of acceptance,
declared that "the right of the nation
to determine the method by which its
legislature shall be created cannot be
itho1t of tI,o