Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-07-28

upon National Questions and Political
Topics His Letter Accepting the Nomi-
nation.
CONTINUED from Friday.)
The central idea of republican form
of government is the rule OF the whole
people as opposed to the other forms
which rest upon q privileged class.
Our forefathers, IN the attempt to erect
new government which might repre-
sent the advanced thought of the world
at that period upon the subject of gov
ernmental reform, adopted the idea OF
| the peoples sovereignty, and thus laid
the basis of our present republic. While
technically government OF the people,
it was in strictness only government of
a portion of the people, excluding from
held in q condition of absolute, despotic,
and hopeless serYitude, the parallel to
which, fortunately, does not now exist
in any modern christian nation.
i With the elimination, however, of an.
other cycle of advanced thought, the
American republic suddenly assumed
the full character of o government OF
the whole people, and four million hu.
man creatures emerged from the condi.
ton of bondsmen to the full status oi
freemen, theoretically invested with the
same civil and political rights possessed
by their former masters. Tie subse
Iquent legislation which guaranteed by
every legal title the citizenship and full
equality before the law in all respects O
this previously disfranchised people, am
ply covers the requirements and secures
to them. SO far as Legislation
/ can, the privileges of American citi
zepship. But the disagreeable fact O
the case is, that while, theoretically, W
: are in the enjoyment of government 9
k the whole people, practically we ar
If almost as far from it as we were in tn
antebellum days of the republic. Ther
are but few leading and indisputabl
d facts which cover the whole statement {
the case. In many of the southern state
the colored population is in large exec!
Is of the white. The colored people al
N republicans, as are also considerab
. portion of the white people. The r
le naming portion OF the latter are DEM
20 Gratis. III face of this incontestible trut
IF. these states invariably return democrat
i, majorities. In other states of the soat
- - the colored people, although not
~ majority, form very considerable boo
le of the population, and with the viii
Of republicans are numerically in excess
y. the democrats, yet precisely the san
political result obtains-the democrat
ne party invariably carrying the election
ce It is not even thought advisable to allo
,r- an occasional or unimportant election
al be carried by the republicans as "blinc
~ or as q stroke of fnesse.
40 Careful and impartial investigate
ds has shown these results to follc
or the systematic exercise of physical
n. timidation and violence, combin
with the most shameful devices ev
practiced in the name of free election
So confirmed has this result become, til
nd we are brought face to face with the {
an the democratic party of t
VI south relies almost entire
as upon the methods stated for its succt
as, in national elections.
re-. This unlawful perversion of the por
:. lar franchise, which desire to state d
.a' passionately, and in manner compo
'lt, ing with the proper dignity of the oc
of sion, is one Of deep gravity to the Anne
,ta can people-ln double sense.
IL. First. It is in violation, open, dire
:, LAC and fragrant, of the primary princil
'he upon which our government is supp
sry ed to rest, viz: that the control of
its government is participated in by
~ legally qualified citizens, in accordal
.ie with the plan of popular governme
q a that mnjorities must rule in the decis
ose of oil questions.
ion Second. 1t is in violation OF the rig
:, and interests of the states wherein
~ particularly centered the great wea
ess and industries Of the nation, and VIII
} of pay an overwhelming portion Of the
ad. tional taxes. The immense aggregat
"a of interests embraced within, and
'nu enormously greater population of tn
ov- other states of the union, are subjec
,ro. every four years to the dangers G
md wholly fraudulent show Of numeri
~, strength.
e'' Under this system minorities actus
attempt to direct the course of natio
this affairs, and though up to this time 6
trv cess has not attended their efforts
~ elect president, yet success has beer
!, NV perilousiy imminent as to encourae
fac' repetition of the effort at each quad
nty nial election. and to subject the inter
,ere of an overwhelming majority of our
pie, north and south, to the hazard
!. illegal subversion.
tion The stereotyped argument in ref
mp tion of these plain truths is, that if
,lief republican element was really in the
"a, jority they could not be deprived OF t
rights and privileges by minority;
BOD, neither statistics Of population, nor
. H.. unavoidable logic of the situation,