The Dickinson press., 1884-08-02


America, as also to our friends, the people of the
Brazilian empire. The republics Of Spanish
America are allied to US by the very closest and
Warmest feelings, based upon similarity
institutions and government, common aspira-
tions and mutual hopes The great republic.
upon by their people with aiTectionate admira-
tion and as model for them to build upon, and
we should cultivate between them and ourselves
together by ties of friendly intercourse and
mutual advantage. Further than this. being
small commonwcalths in the military and naval
sense Of the European powers, they look to us as
at least moral defender against the system Of
territorial and other. encroachments which,
aggressive In the past has not been abandoned
done much more to wrcst the commerce of Span
lsh- America from the United States than has
legitimate commercial competition Politically
we should be bound to the republics Of our con-
tinent by tho closest ties, and communication
by ships and railroads should be encouraged to
the fullest possible extent consistent with wise
and conservative public policy. Above all, we
should be upon such terms OF friendship as to
preclude possibility of national misunderstand
lngs between ourselves and any members of the
American republican family. The best method
to promote uninterrupted peace between one and
all would lie in the meeting Of general
conference or congress whereby. agreement
to submit all international differences to peace
full decision OF friendly arbitration might be
reached: An agreement Of this kind would givo
to or.S sister republics confidence In each other,
and closer communication would ut once cnsue;
reciprocally advantageous commercial treaties
might be made whereby much of the commerce
which now flows across the Atlantic would seek
its legitimate channels. to inure to the greater
prosperity of all American commonwealths. Tic
full advantages of policy of this nature could
not be stated in brief discussion like the
present.
FORCING POLITICAL RELATIONS.
The United States has grown to be q govern
ment representing more than fifty millions Of
people, and in every sense excepting that of
mere @ naval power is one Of the first nations Of
be valuable, emitting its posscssor to
protection in every quarter of the globe.
do not consider it necessary that our govern
proved iron -cads and maintain commensurate
body of seamen in order to place ourselves on
w:,r footing with the military and naval powers
OF Europe. Such a course would not be compati-
Bile with tho peaceful policy of our country,
though it seems absurd that we have no effcc-
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 SO universally recognized as to render an ap-
peal onr to c;1na arms either in the protection
tion of any Just itcrnltional right, quite
improbable. What we most need in this direc-
tion is the firm and vigorous assertion of every
right and privilege belonging to our government
or its citizens, as well as equally firm asser-
tion of rights and privileges belonging to the
upon this continent, when opposed, if ever they
should be- by different systems of government
upon an another continent. An appeal to right it
regarded by any civilized nation. In the treaty
of Washington We led the world to means
Of escape from the horrors of war. and it is to be
ences shall be decided by peaceful arbitration is
not far off.
EQUAL RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP.
The central idea of the republican government
Is the rule OF the whole people as opposed to
other forms which rest upon a privileged class
Our forefathers, i: the attempt to erect new
government Which might represent the ad-
vanced thought of the world at that period upon
the subject of governmental reform, adopted the
idea s OF the peoples sovereignty, and thus laid
the basis OF our present republic. While tech
nically government of the people, it was in
strictness only a government of portion of the
people excuaing from all participation Ger
lutte, despotic and hopeless servitude, the
now exist in any other Christian nation. With
the elimination, however, of another cycle of
advanced thought, the American republic sud-
s denly M assumed the full character Of government
creatures emerged from the condition Of bonds
men to the full status of frcemcn, theoretically
invested with the same civil and political rights
quent legislation, which guaranteed byevery
legal title, citizenship and full equality before
law in all respects this previously disfranchised
to them, SO far as legislation can, the privileges
Of American citizenship But the disagrecable
fact that while, theoretically, we are in the en-
practically we arc almost far from it as we
were in the ante bellum days of the re-
ns and ndspuae cts R%t me few de1sr ens
the whole statement of the case. In many
Southern states the colored population Is in
large excess of the white. The colorcd people
are Republicans, as are also considerable por-
tion Of the white people The remaining portion
Of the latter are Democrats. In tile face of this
turn Democratic, majorities In other states
of the South. colored people, although not a
majority, form very considerable body of the
population, and with white Republicans. are
Dhm0cratS.
precisely
THE SAME POLITICAL RESULT
obtains, the Democratic party invariably carry.
ing the elections 1t is not even thought ad-
visaDle to allow an occasional unimportant
election e to he carried by the Republicans as 3
impartial investigation has shown these results
to follow the systematic exercise of physical
intimidation and violence. conjoined with tho
name of free elections. So confirmed has this
result become that we are brought face to faco
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 a manner comporting with
the proper dignity of the occasion, is one of deep
gravity to the American people in q double sense.
First, IL 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
tered the great wealth and industries Of the ma
tion, and which pay an overwhelming portion of
the national taxes. The immense aggregation
of interests embraced within and forming much
the greater population of these other states of
the union. are subjected every four years to the
dangers of the wholly fraudulent show of nu-
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 has
been SO perilously elnminent as to encourage
repetition Of the effort at each quadrennial
election and to subject the interests of the
hazards of illegal subversion The sterotyped
argument in reputation of this plain truth is
that II tho Republican element was really in the
majority they could not be deprived of their
rights and privileges by the minority; but
neither statistics of popolation nor the unavoid-
able logic Of the situation can be over-riddcn
or escaped: The colored people of the South
have recently emerged from the bondage of their
present political oppressors They have had but
them to compete with the whites. AS have
heretofore maintained. in order to achieve tho
ideal perfection in popular government it is ap-
solutely necessary that the masses should be
educated. This proposition applies itself with
full force to the colored people OF the south.
They must have better educational advantages,
peers Of their white brethren, as many Of them
undoubtedly already are. liberal school sys-
tenn should be provided for the rising generation
Of the South, and coored people be made
IS 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-
| tions 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 misdirecting the
popular will concerning national legislation, and
4 especially to the end that in presidential CON
tests great business and other interests of the
0AuntrY may be placed in fear and trarHhlinp