Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-07-24

under this guarantee, Protestant and Corholic
Jew and Gentle. have worshiped God according
! 10 the dictates OF conscience But religious lib
/ erty must not be perverted 10 the justification
! of offences against the law. A religious sect.
strongly lntrenched in one of the territories of the
t union, end spreading rapidly into four other
the great safeguard and imminent of
social order, and TO practice as q
religious privilege that which is crime punished
with severe penalty in every state in the Union.
The SacrednesS and unity of the family must be
preserved as the foundation of all civil govern
ment, as the source of orderly administration as
the SuIeSt guarantee of moral purity.
The claim of the NIoInopS that they are divinely
authorized to practice polyganly should no more
tribes If they should come among us TO continue
the rite of human sacrifice. The law does not in
terfere with what man believes; it takes cogniz-
&nee only OF what he does. As citizens. the Nor
mons are entitled to the same civil rights as
others, and to these they must be confined
PoIygany can never receive national sanction or
holds 1t as state into the Union. Like others the
MormOnS must learn that the liberty of the indi-
VIdual ceases weere the rights of socicty begin.
OUR CURRENCY
The people of the United States though often
urged and tempted, have never seriously cCntem-
plated the recognition of any other money than
gold and Slver-and currency directly convertible
INTO them. They have not done so. they viii not
Go so, under any necessity less pressing than that
CT desperate war. The one special requisite for
the completion of our monetary system IS the fix
ing OF the relative values OF silver and gold. The
large use of silver as the money of account among
the ASlatlc nations, taken in connection with the
Increasing commerce of the world, gives the
WelghtleSt reasons for an international agreement
IN the premises Our Government should not
cease to urge this measure until common stand
ard of value shall be reached and eStablished-a
standard that shall enable the United ) ateS to
use the silver from its mines as an auxiliary to
gold in settling the balances of Commercial eX-
change.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The strength of the Republic is increased by the
multiplication of land-hOlderS Our laws should
look to the judicious encouragement of actual
settlers on the Public Domain, which should
henceforth be held as sacred trust for the bene-
fit of those seeking homes. The tendency to con-
soldate large tracts of land in the ownership of
lndlVldu8IS or corporations should, with proper
regard for vested rights, be discouraged. One
hundred thousand acres of land in the hands of
one man Is fer less profitable TO the Nation in
every way than when its ownership is divided
among thousand men The evil of permitting
large tracts of the National Domain to be con-
soidated and controlled by few against the
many is enhanced when the persons controlling it
are aliens. 1t is but fair that the public land
should be disposed of only to actual settlers and
to those who are citizens Of the Republic, or viii
ing 10 become SO.
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS
Among our National interests one Ianguishes-
the foreign carrying trade. IL was very seriously
crippled in our civil war, and another blow was
sail IN ocean traffic With frontage on the two
great oceans, with a freightage larger than that
OF any other nation, we have every indUcement
to restore our Navigation Yet the Government
has hitherto refused its help 4 small share of
the encouragement given 10y the Government to
Railways ana to manufactures. and small share
OF the capital and the zeal given by our citizens
to those enterprises would have carried our ships
to every sea and to every port \ law Just en-
acted removes some Of the burdens upon our nav
igatlOn aud inspires hope that this great interest
may at last receive its due share of attention.
All efforts in this direction should receive en-
enlargement.
sACREDNEss OF THE BALLOT
This survey of our condition as nation reminds
us that material prosperity is but mockery if it
does not tend to preserve the liberty of the peo-
pie 4 free ballot is the safeguard of republican
institutions, without which no national welfare is
assured. A popular element honestly conducted,
embodleS the very majesty of true government.
Ten millions of voters desire to take part in the
pending contest. The safety of the republic rests
upon the integrity of the ballot, upon
the security Of suffrage to the citizen.
worse a crime against constitutional liberty than
to Obstruct the deposit of an honest vote He
who cOrruptS suffrage strikes at the very root of
free government. He is the arch-enemy Of 1.-THE
| Republic. He fOrgets that in trampling upon the
rights of others he fatally imperiS his own rights
! " 1t is a good land which the Lord our God doth
| give u.s. but we can maintain our heritage only
by guarding with vigilance the source of popular
power.
1 am with great respect
Your Obediant servant.