River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-07-31
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| / do not consider it necessary that our govern
ment should construct enormous fleets of ap-
proved iron-clads and maintain acommensurate
body of seamen in order to place ourselves on a
war footing with the military and naval powers
| OF Europe. Such a course would not be compati-
| bic with the peaceful policy OF our country,
| though 1t seems absurd that we have no effec-
tive means to repel wantOn invasion of our coast
and give protection to towns and cities against
| any power. The great moral force of our country
| is universally recognized as to render APP
peal TO arms, either in the protection
| of our citizens abroad in recogni-
| ton of any Just iternational right. quite
| improbable. What we most need in this direc-
| right and privilege belonging TO our government
or its citizens, as well as an equally firm asser-
| tion of rights and privileges belonging to the
| general family of American republics situated
| upon this continent, when opposed, If ever they
should be, by different systems of government
| upon another continent. An appeal TO right 1t
regarded by any civilized nation. In the treaty
Of Washington we led the world to means
Of escape from the horrors of war, and 1t is to be
hoped that the era when international differ
ences shall be decided by peaceful arbitration is
not far of.
EQUAL RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP
| The central idea of the republican government
| is the rule of the whole people az opposed to
other forms which rest upon privileged class.
Our foretathers, IL the attempt to erect new
| government which might represent tine al
yanced thought of the world at that period upon
the supJeet OF governmental ieIoI, + IN, a5
| idea OF the peoples sovereignty, ana mus Iaiu
| the basis of our present republic. While tech
| nically government of the people, II was IN
| strictness only government OF portion OF the
| people, excluding from all participation GER
| tain other portion, held in condition OF abso-
| lutte despotic and hopeless servitude, the
parallel to which, fortunately does not
| now exist in any other Christian nation. With
| the elimination, however, of another cycle of
advanced thought, the American republic sud
denly assumed the full character of government
OF the whole people. Four million human
creatures emerged from the condition of bonds
men 10 the full status of freemen, theoretically
invested with the civil and political rights
possessed by their former masters The subse-
quent legislation, which guaranteed by every
legal title, citizenship and full equality before
law in all respects this previously dfsfranchised
people. amply covers requirements and secures
TO Them far as legislation can, the privileges
of American citizenship. But the disagreeable
fact that while theoretically, We are in the en-
JOyment OF government OF the whole people,
practically we arc almost as far from II as we
were in the ante bellum days OF the re-
public. There but a few lead
ing and indisputable facts which cover
the whole statement of the case In many
Southern states the colored population is in
large excess of the white. The colored people
are Republicans, as also considerable pOr-
ton Of the white people. The remaining portion
of the latter are Democrats. In the face of this
incontestable truth those states invariably re-
turn Democratic majorittes. In other states
of the South, colored people, although not a
majority, form very considerable body of the
population, and with white Republicans. are
numerically in excess of the Democrats; yet
precisely
THE SAME POLITICAL RESULT
OBTAINS, tne Del1OcfaLlC party invariably
ing the elections. 1t is not even thought adj
visable to allow occasional or unimpOrtant
election TO he carried by the Republicans as a
blind" a stroke of finesse. Careful and
impartial investigation has shown these results
to follow the systematic exercise of physical
intimidation and violence, conjoined with the
most shameful devices ever practIced in the
name of free elections So confirmed has this
result become that are brought face 10 face
with the extraordinary political fact that the
Democratic party of the South relies almost en-
tirely upon the methods stated for its success
in national elections. This unlawful perversion
of popular franchise, which desire to state dis
passiOnatelv and in manner COMFORTING with
the proper dignity of the occasion, Is one of deep
gravity to the American people in double sense
First, 1t is in violation, open, direct and fla
grant, of the primary principles upon which our
government is supposed to rest, VIZ, that the
control of government is participated in by all
legally qualified citizens in accordance with the
plan of popular government that majorities
must rule in the decision of all questions.
Second, 1t is in violation OF the rights and in
terests of states wherein are particularly CEN
tered the great wealth and industries of the ma
tton and which pay overwhelming portion of
the national taxes. The immense aggregation
of interests embraced within and forming much
the greater population of these other states of
dangers of the wholly fraudulent show of nu-
merical strength. Under this system
minorities actually attempt to direct our
national affairs, and though up to this
time success has not attended their
their efforts to elect president yet success has
been periOusly emminent as to encourage
repetition of the effort at each quadrennial
election and to subject the interests of the
overwhelming majority of our people to the
hazards of Illegal subversion. The sterotyped
argument in reputation of this plain truth is
that if the Republican element really in the
majority they conld not he deprived of thelI
rights and privileges by the minority; but
neither statistics of population nor the unavoid-
able logic of the situation can be over-ridden
or escaped. The coloTed people of the South
have recently emerged from the bondage OF their
present political oppressors. They have had but
few advantages of education which wight enable
them to compete with the whites. As L have
heretofore maintained, in order to achieve the
ideal perfection in popular government it IL alb
solutely necessary that Ghe masses shouIu De
educated This proposition applies ltseH Win
full force TO the colored people of the south.
They must have better educational advantages,
and thus be enabled to become the intellectual
peers of their white brethren, as many or them
undoubtedly already liberal school sys
tenn should he provided for the rising generation
of the South, and colored people be made
| as capable of exercising the duties OF electors
as white people In the meantime it is the duty
| of the national government to go beyond resolu-
lions and declarations ON the subject, and to
| take such action as may lie in its power to Sc
cure the absolute freedom of national elections
everywhere to the end that our congress may
cease to contain members representing fictitious
| majorities of their people, thus msdirecting the
popular will concerning national legislation, and
especially to the end that in presidential CON
| tests great business and other interests of the
country may be placed in fear and trembling
| lest the INSCRIPTIONS minority should succeed
| in sitting the wishes OF the majority. In ac-
oordance with the spirit of the last resolution of
| the chicago platform, measures SHOulU DC tdhcn
| at once to remedy this great evil
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION.
Under our liberal institutions the subjects and
citizens of every nation have been welcomed TO
| a home in our midst, and on compliance with
our laws to cooperation in our government.
While it is the policy of the Republican party to
| encourage the oppressed of other nations and
offer them facilities for becoming useful and fn-
telligent citizens in the legal definition of the
| term, the party has never contemplated the adj
| mission of class of servile people, who not
| only unable to comprehend our Institutions but
| indispOsed to become part of our national
| family or embrace any higher civilization than
their own To admit such immigrants would he
only to throw retarding element into the very
path of our progress Our legislation should be
amply protective aga lust this danger, and If not
sufficiently now, should be made so to the
fullest extent allowed by our treaties with
| friendly powers.
4 The subject of the civil service administration
| is problem that has occupied the earnest
l thought of statesmen for number or years
past. and the record will show that toward its
| solution many results of a valuable and compre-
| heusive character have been attained by the
| Republican party since its accession TO power.
In the partisan warfare made upon the latter
with a view to weakening it in the public conf
| dence, a great deal has been alleged in connec-
| tion with the abuse of the civil service, the
| party making indiscriminate charges seeming
| TO have entirely forgotten that it was under the
/ full sway of of the Democratic organization that
/ the motto TO the victOrs belong the spoils, be-
| came a cardinal article in the Demo-
/ cratic creed. With determination to elevate
4
| Justice excellence, and public morality. the he
publican party has sedulously endeavored TO lay
/ the foundation of a system which shall reach
i the highest perfection under the plastic hand OF
/ time and accommodating experience. The prrblem
is of far greater intricacy than appears upon its
| superficial consideration, and embraces sub
| questions of how to avoid abuses possible to the
| Judgment of an immense number of appoint
| ments in hands of the executive, of how to
| give encouragement to, and provoke emulation
1 in various government employees in order that
/ they may strive for proficiency, and rest their
/ hopes of advancement upon the attributes of
| official merit, good conduct and exem-
| piary honesty, and how best to avoid
/ the evils of creating privileged class
| in the government service, who, IN 1mlta-
( ton of European protypes, may generally
lose all proficiency. and value in the belief that
1 they possess life calling only to be taken away
i In case OF some fragrant abuse The thinking
| earnest men of the Republican party have made
| no mere wOrdy demonstration upon this, but
| they have endeavored quietly to perform that
| which their opponents are constantly promising
/ without performing. Under Republican rule
| the result has been that without engrafting any
/ Objectionable features of European systems upon
| our own. there has been steady and even rapid
elevation of civil service in all its departments,
| until il now be stated without fear ~ sue
| cesful contradiction that the service Is more
just more efficient and purer in all its features
than ever before since the establishment OF our
government, and ii defects still exist in our sys-
| TEN the country can safely rely upon the Repub-
lc1n party the most efficient instrument for
their removal / ain in favor of the highest
| standard OF excellence in the administration of
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