Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-11-21
The Courage of Conviction.
Topeka. CAPITAL.

Senator John Sherman is an old man
in the sense that his convictions are SO
much part of him, that when he gives
expression to them he puts out to the peo-
pie part of his very nature. In his
Ohio canvass he spoke deliberately of
frauds upon the ballot box in southern
states, and he was accused OF trying to
stir up the old war spirit. Never was a
campaign orator more generally abused.
After the election in Ohio was passed,
Mr.. Sherman went down in Virginia
where he repeated the accusations made
in Ohio, and his language was SO clear,
his statements SO comprehensive and ac-
curate, and they SO fully express repubil-
can opinion and sentiment on that sub
ject that they oughtto be preserved. mot
only your newspapers, but the dlstin-
guished gentleman who Is the democratic
candidate for governor OF the state OF
| Virginia, has said to you that L was wav-
ing the bloody shirt while he was con-
| tending under the union flag, SAID MI.
Sherman to the people OF Petersburg.
He added:
.If he meant by waving the bloody shirt
that / sought in any way to renew the an
imosities of the war, then he was greatly
mistaken, for in the speech to which ne
refers, and In every speech L made II
Ohio, constantly said that the war was
over and the animosities OF the war should
be buried out Of sight, that L would not
hold any confederate soldier responsible
for what he did during the war, and that
all I wished was to maintain and preserve
the acknowledged results OF the war.
Among these [ claimed the right of every
voter to cast one honest vote, ard have ii
counted; that every citizen, rich or poor,
native or naturalized, white or BLACK,
should have equal civil and poiltlcal
rights, and that every man OF iaWIui age
should be allowed to exercise his right to
vote without distinction of race or color
or previous condition. [ charge among
other things that these crnstltutonaI
rights and privileges had been disregard
ed bv the Democratic party, especially Ii
the southern states; that at the last cleo
ton, in the year of our Lord, 1884
wherever the vote of the colored people
would affect the result they we're deprived
of their franchise by one device Or anoth
er. and thus political power apportloneC
to the colored population was transferree
to and exercised by white Democrats O.
tho south, so as to make their pohtlca
mower greater than other citizens, and b.
these means Grover Cleveland became
president of the United States instead o
James Ct. Blaine. It was upon this dec
Iaration of mine, made with full consider
alton and with absolute certainty OF 1T
substantial truth, that the DemOcratl
press. and General Lee as well, declared
that [ was raising the bloody shirt, whe1
the events to which l was referring oc
CURED last year, and not IN 1861 or 1868
C that they related not to the war, but t
frauds and crimes committed long sine
: the war, which overthrow the sanctity {
the ballot box and upturned the founda
a ton of republican or democratic govern
ment. It was the war upon the ballo
Q box and not the war of the rebellion the
1 arraigned.
81 therefore appeal to men of all partie
in the name of all the great men OF WI
i ginia, invoking your just pride in yo0
history, to see to it at the present election
- whatever may be the result OF it, ever
. man entitled by the constitution and til
p laws of Virginia and the United States
vote shall be allowed freely to exercls
that right, and that his vote shall /
d counted and announced. Ii Virgin
will but do this, she will by her examp
'r confer as great benefit upon the Poop
of the United States as any OF the man
US fold benefits conferred in the past, al
will prescribe type of manhood al
us Justice which will be found elsewhel
and thus tend to relieve us from what
its regard as the spectre that haunts Amel
can pOliticS.'