The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-09-24
To the Editor of the Standard

To the Editor of the Standard:
For the benefit of the Herald, which
seems to be SO wonderfully exercised
over what it terms the Bloody shirt
ISSUE" l ask you to publish part OF
James A. Garfeld's speech delivered
at Cleveland, Oct. 11th, 1879, only a
few months before he was nominated
for President Of the United States
Mr.. Garfield said:
Now, why am | going into that
long TRADE in the past? For this
purpose: After the war was over
and reconstruction completed, this
same Southern political hierarchy
came back into power in Washington
and to-day they are as conso lidated as
the slaveholding politicians of 1860 !
were! ''Hear!' And to-day they
hold in their grip absolutely all the
Northern members of their party
The Northern dough-face has again
appeared in American politics, and he
is found wherever a Democrat Con
gresham sits. Applause. | say
without offense, it is the literal truth
| that this day there is not in all this
country a free and absolutely inde-
pendent minded Democratic member
of either House of your Congress at
Washington. Applause.
Now let me go back for a moment
and return to this point with rein
forcement. Are you aware that there
is one thing that can kill this country
and kill it beyond all hope? That
one thing is the destruction or en-
slavement of its voting population
The voting population of the United
States is the only sovereign on this
continent. Applause. You talk
about the sovereign States, or even
the sovereign nation. A corporation
is not sovereign. The corporation
that we call Ohio was made by the
people, and they are its sovereigns
Even the grand corporation that we
call the United States was created also
by the people, who are its superiors
and its only sovereigns. Now, there
fore, if ANYTHING happens in this
country to corrupt, or enslave, or de-
stroy the voters of the United States
that is an irreparable injury to liberty
and the Union. [Applause- If ii
Europe they slay a sovereign, one
man is killed, and another can bt
found to take his place; but wher
they slay our sovereign there is ne
heir to the throne: our sovereign has
no successor.
Well, now, that is rather general
but [ ask you to come down to partic.
ulars. Let me make this statemen
to you; In 1872, only seven years ago
in the eleven states that went into re
bellion there were cast, at a free anC
fair election, $4,000 Republican votes
aud 65O.O00 Democratic votes. There
is liberty for you! There are mill
ion and quarter of free voting citl
zens casting their ballots for the mel
of their choice!
This country has been growing il
the last seven years, but let me tel
you what calamity has happened to US
In those same late Rebel States ther
have disappeared apparently from the
face of the earth 100000 American
voters. Fellow-citizens, this is al
awful sentence which | have jus
spoken in your hearing. | repeat it
J In eleven states cf this Union ther
have disappeared, apparently from tn
face Of the earth, 100000 America
voters Where are they gone? The
are all republicans. Have they gon
to the Democratic party? No; fo
the Democratic party has also los