Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-07-25

FTNF 1tNUTOTTU
dencc In each othcra In u.s. Closer commn-
nicatlon would at once ensue. Rccprocally
! advantageous commercial treaties might he
made, whereby much of the commerce which
now flows across the Atlantic would seek its
| legitimate channels. aud In urc to the greater
! prosperity. of nll American commonwealths
could not be stated in u brief discussion like
the present.
FOREIGN POLITICAL RELATIONS.
The United States has grown to he a Gov
ernment representing more than fifty millions
of people, and In every sense, excepting thnt
OF mere naval power, is one. of the first ma
tions of the world. AS such. its citizenship
should be valuable, emitting It's, possessor to
protection In every quarter of the globe. do
not consider 1t necessary that our Govern
ment should construct enormous fleets of inn
rate body of scamen in order to place our.
| selves on war footing with the military and
| naval powers of Europe. Such course would
not be compatible with the peaceful policy of
our country, though 1t seems absurd that we
have not effective means to repel wanton in
vasion OF our coast and to give protection to
er. The grcat moral force of our country
Is so universally recognized as
| to render an appeal to arms by
us, either in protection of our citl-
zens abroad or in recognition of any Just in
ternational right quite improbable. What we
most need In this direction Isl firm and Wig
orous assertion of every right and privilege
belonging to our Government or its citizens,
as well rs an equally firm assertion of the
rights and privileges belonging to the general
family of American Republics situated upon
this continent when opposed, IL ever they
should be. by different systems of govern
ment upon another continent. An appeal to
not be dsregarded 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 all in
ternutional differences shall be decided by
peaceful arbitration is not far of.
EQUAL RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP.
The central idea of Republican form of
opposed to other forms which rest upon a
privileged class. Our forefathers, in the at
tempt to erect new government which might
represent the advanced thought of the world
at that period upon the subject of a govern
mental reform, adopted the idea of the peo
pies sovereignty and thus laid the basis of
government of the people, 1t was in strictness
only government of n portion of the peo-
pie. excluding from all participation a
of absolute, despotic and hopeless servi-
tude,. the parallel to which, fortunately,
does not now exist IN any, modern
however, OF another cycle of advanced
thought, the American Republic has suddenly
assumed the full character of government of
the whole people, and 100000 human crea-
lures emerged from the condition of bonds
men to the full status of free men, theoretic-
ally Invested with the same civil aud political
rights possessed by their former masters. The
subsequent Legislation which guaranteed by
every legal title citizenship and full equality
before the law in all respects to this previous
DISTINGUISHED people, amply covers the re-
qurements and secures tothem, SO far as leg
islation can, the privileges of American citi-
zenship. But the disagreeable fact of the case
is that while, theoretically, we are in the en-.
joyment of a government of the whole peo.
pie, practically we are almost as far from 1t as
we were in the ante-bellum days OF the Re
public. There are but few leading and in
disputable facts which cover the whole state.
ment of the case.
In many Southern States the colored popu.
lation is in large excess of the white. The col
ored people are Republicans, as are also a con.
siderable portion of the white people. The
remaining portion of the latter are Democrats
In the face of this incontestible truth these
States invariably return Democratic MAORI
ties. In other States of the South the colored
people, although not n majority, form a very
considerable body of the population, and the
white Republicans are numerically in eXces:
of the Democrats, yet precisely the same poll
| tical result obtains-the Democratic party in
variaby CARRYING the elections. 1t is not ever
| thought advisable to allow an occasional Of
unimportant election to be carried by the Re
publicans as Il blind or rs n stroke of finesse
| Careful and impartial investigation has showI
| these results to follow the systematic exercis,
of physical intimidation and violence, con
| Joined with the most shameful devices ever
practiced In the name of free elections. 81
| confirmed has this result become that we arc
| brought face to face with the extraordinary
political fact that the Democratic party of the
South relies almost entirely upon the method,
|
This unlawful perversion of the popular
franchise, which desire to state dispassion
ately and In n manner COMFORTING with tht
proper dignity of the OCCASION is one of deer
gravity to the American people in double
sense: First, it is in violation, open, direct ant
| fragrant, of the primary principles upon which
our our government is supposed to rest, viz: That
pated in by all legally qualified citizens In
| accordance with the plan of popular govern
ment, that the majority must rule in the
6nniginn 10 In
violation of the rights and interests OF
the States wherein are particularly cen.
tered the great wealth and industries of
the Nation, and which pny an overwhelming
portion of the National taxes. The immense
aggregation of interests embraced within, and
the enormously greater population Of these
other States OF the Union, are subjected every
| four years to the dangers of u wholly fraudu-
| lent show of numerical strength. Under this
system minorities actually attempt to direct
the course of National affairs, and though up
| to this time success has not attended theiI
efforts to elect a President, yet success has
been 80 perilously imminent as to encourage a
repetition of the effort at each quadrennial
election, and to subject the interests of an
overwhelming majority of our people, North
and South, to the hazards of illegal subyer-
sion. f anna.
The stereotyped argument In refutation of
these plain truths is that IL the Republican ele-
ment was really In majority they would not
be deprived of their rights and privileges by a
minority, but neither the statistics of popula-
tiOn nor the unavoidable logic of the situation
can be oyerriden or escaped. The colored peo-
pie of the South have recently emerged from
the bondage of their present political oppres-
sors. They have had but few advantages of
education which might enable them to COM
maintained, in order to achieve the ideal of
perfection In popular government 1t is
absolutely necessary thar the masses should
itself with full force to the coIored people Of
the South. They must haye better educa-
tional advantages, and thus be enabled to be-
come the intellectual peers of their white
brethren, rs many of them undoubtedly al
ready are. A liberal school system should be
provided for the rising generation of the
South. and the colored people should be made
as capable of exercising the duties of electors
as the white people. In the meantime II Is the
duty of the National Government to go be-
yond resolutions and declarations on the
subject, and to take such action as may lie in
its power to secure 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 mlsdirecting the popular
will concerning National legislation, and es-
pecially TO the end that, In Presidential con-
tests the great business and other interests
OF the country may not be placed In fear and
trembling lest an unscrupulons minority
should succeed in stihing the wishes of the
majority. Inaccordance with the spirit of the
last resolution of the Chicago platform meas
ures should be taken at once to remedy this
great evil.
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION.
Under our liberal institutions the subjects
and citizens of every nation have been well
coined to q home In our midst and, on COM
pliance with our laws, TO cooperation in our
Government. While 1t is the policy of the
Republican party TO encourage the oppressed
OF other nations and offer them facilities for
becoming useful ana Intelligent citizens In
the legal definition of the term, the party
has never contemplated the admission OF
a class OF servile people who are not only
unable TO comprehend our institutions, but
indisposed TO become part of our National
family or 10 embrace any higher civilization
than their own. To admit such immigrants
would be only 10 throw retarding element
Into the very path Of our progress. Our legs-
lation should be amply protective against this
danger. aud III not sufficiently so now should
be made so 10 the tull extent allowed by our
treaties with friendly powers.
THE CIVIL SERVICE rGUHIt5
The subject of the civil service administra-
tion Is problem that has occupied the earnest
thought OF statesmen for number of years
| past, and the record will show that toward
| Its solution many results OF valuable and
comprehensive character have been attained
| by the Republican party since Its accession to
power. In the partisan warfare made upon
| the latter with tho view OF weakening II
| In public confidence u great deal has
| been alleged In connection with tho abuse OF
| the civil service. the party making the indls-
| criminate charges seeming TO have entirely
| forgotten that II was under the full sway OF 4