Huntsville gazette., 1884-07-26

strongly intrenched in one OF the Territories
of the Union and spreading rapidly into four
other Territories, claims the right to destroy
the great safeguard and munlment OF social
order, and to practice as a religious privilege
that which is a crime punished with severe
penalty in every State OF the Union. The sa-
credness and unity of the family must be pre-
served as the foundation of all civil govern
ment as the source of orderly administration,
as the surest guarantee of moral purity.
The claim OF the Mormons that they are d.
yinely authorized to practice pOlygamy
should no more be admitted than the claim of
certain heather tribes, if they should come
among us, to continue the rite of human sac
ritice. The law does not interfere with what
man believes; it takes cogniZance only Of
what he does. As citizens, the Mormons are
entitled to the same civil rights 8 others and
to these they must be confined. Polygamy
can never receive National sanction or toleta-
ton by admitting the community that up
holds it as State in the Union. Like others,
the Mormons must learn that the liberty Of
the individual ceases where the rights Of so
ciety begin.
OUR CURRENCY.
The people of the Unite7 States though
often urged and tempted Lave never serious
ly contemplated the recognition of any other
money than gold and silver-and currency di-
rectly convertible into them. They have not
done so, they viii not do so under necessity
less pressing than that of desperate e war. The
one special requisite for the completion of our
monetary system is the fixing OF the relative
values of silver and gold. The large use of
silver as the money of account among Asiatic
nations taken IN connection with tho In
CT easing commerce of the world. gives the
weighiest reasons for the international agree
ment in the premises. Our Government
should not cease to urge this measure until
common standard of value shall be reached
and estahlished-a stan lard that shall enable
the unitel States to use the silver from its
mines as an auxiliary to gold in settling the
balances OF commercial exchange.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The strength of the Republic is increased
by the multiplication of landholderS. Our
laws should look IT, the judicious encourage
which should henceforth be held as sacred
trust for the benefit of those seeking homes.
The tendency to consolidate large tracts
of land in the ownership %n'eIsp Of individuals
gard to vested rights, be discouraged:
One hundred thousand acres of land
in the hands of one man is far less
profitable to the Nation in every way than
when its ownership is divided among LOCO
men. The evil of permitting large tracts of
the National domain to be consolidated and
controlled by the few against tie many is en-
HANGED when the persons controlling it are
aliens. 1t is but fair tnat the public land
should be disposed of only to actual settlers
and to those who are citizens OF the Republic,
or willing to become so.
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Among our National interests one Ian
guishes-the foreign carrying trade. 1t was
very seriously crippled in our civil war, and
another blow was given TO IL III the general
substitution of steam for sails in ocean
traffic. With IL frontage on the two great
oceans, with freightage larger than that of
any other nation, we have every 1nducement
to restore our navigation. Yet the Gov
ernment has hitherto refused its help.
A small share of the encourage
ment given by the Government to
railways and to manufactures, and a small
share of the capital and ii e zeal given by our
citizens to those enterprises would have car
ried our ships to every sea and to every port.
dens upon our navi2 i2ation and insp res hone
that this gre It interest may at last receive iss
due share of attention. All efforts in this dl
rection should receive encouragement
SACREDNESS OF THE BALLOT.
This survey of our condition as nation
emnds us that material prosperity is but
mockery if it does not tend to preverve the
liberty of the people. A free ballot is the
safeguard of republican institutions, without
which no national welfare is assured. A pop
ular election honestly &C n luCted, ,embodieS the
very majesty OF trIe government Ten NIL
lions of voters desire t. take part in the p md
ing contest. The safety Of the Republic rests
upon the integrity of the ballot-upon the
security of suffl age to the citiyen. To deposit
fraudulent vote rs no worse crime
against constitutional liberty than to obstruct
the deposit of an honest vote. He who cor
rupts suffrage strikes at the very root of free
government. He is the arch-enemy of the re-
public. He fOrgets that in trampling upon the
rights of others he fatally imperls 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. l am, with great
respect, your obedent servant,
JAMES G. BLAINE.