The Russellville Democrat., 1888-09-20

agencies to promote immigration were com
 mon Tho pioneer wanted neighbor with
 moro friendly interests than the Indian. La
 bor was scarce and fully employed. But tho day
 Of the immigration bureau has gone by. While
 our doors will continue open to proper immi-
 grafton, we do not necd to Issue special invita-
 tions to the inhabitants of other countries to
 come to our shores or to share our citizenship.
 Indeed tho necessity Of some inspection and
 limitation is obvious. We should resolutely
 refuse to permit foreign governments to send
 their paupers and criminals to our ports. We
 are also clearly under duty to defend our civ
 ilization by excluding alien races whose ulti-
 mate assimilation with our people is neither
 possible nor desirable. The family has been the
 nucleus Of our best immigration, and tho homo
 the most potent assimilating force in our civ-
 flization.
 The objections to Chinese immigration arc
 distinctive and conclusive, and are now so gem
 erally accepted as such, that the question has
 passed entirely beyond the stage of argument
 The laws relating to this subject would, II
 should be charged with their enforcement, be
 faithfully executed. Such amendments or
 further Legislation as may be necessary and
 proper to prevent evasions of the laws and to
 stop further Chinese immigration would also
 meet my approval. The expression of the con
 vention upon Il this subject is in entire harmony
 with my ylews. Our civil compact IS govern-
 ment by maiorities; and the law loses it's sanc-
 ton and the magistrate our respect when this
 compact is broken. The evil results Of
 election frauds do not expena themselves
 upon the voters who are robbed of thvir
 rightful influence in public afflrs. The in-
 dividual, or community or party, that prac-
 tices or connives at election frauds, has sui
 fered irreparable injury and will sooner CT
 later realize that to exchange the American
 system Of majority rule for minority control Is
 not only unlawful and unpatriotic, but very un-
 safe for those who promote 1t. The disfranchise-
 ,F p1f qtOrh hu nd Cr
 limitation Is a crime too grave to be regarded
 lightly The right Of every qualified elector to
 cast one free ballot and to have it honestly
 counted, must not be questioned Every con stitutional power should be used to make this right secure and to punish frauds upon the bsllot. Our colored people do not ask special legislation in their interest but only to be
 made secure in the common rights of American citizenship. They wIll however, naturally mistrust the sincerity of those party leaders who appeal to their race for support only in those localities where the suffrage is free and election results doubtful. and compass their disfranchisement where their votes would be controlling and their choice can not be coerced. The Nation not less than the States, is de- pendent for prosperity and security upon the intelligence and morality of the people. This common interest very early suggested Nation al aid in the establishment and endowment or schools and colleges in the new States. There is, believe, present exigency that calls for still more liberal and direct appropriations in aid of common school education in the States. The Territorial form of government is e tenn porary expedient, not a permanent civil condi ton. It is adapted to the exigency that sug gested it, but becomes inadequate, and even oppressive, when applied to fixed and populous communities. Several Territories are we'll able to bear the burdens and discharge the du- ties of free commonwealths in the American Union. To exclude them is to deny the just rights Of thelr people, and may well excite their indignant protest. No question of the political preference of the people Of Territory should close against them the hospitable door which has opened to two-thirds of the existing States. But admission should be resolutely re- fused to any Territory, majority of whose people cherish institutions that are repugnant to our civilization or inconsistent with re- publican form Of government.
 The declaration of the convention against s'all combinations of capital, organized in trusts or otherwise, to control arbitrarily the condition of trade among our citizens, is in harmony with the views entertained and pub hcly expressed by me long before the assem- bling of the convention. Ordinarily, capital shares the losses ofidlencss with labor, but un der the operation of the trust, in some of it's forms the wage-worker alone suffers loss while idle capital receives it's dividends from 0 trust fund. Producers who refuse to join the combination are destroyed. and competition as an element of prices is eliminated. It can not be doubted that tho legislative authority should and will find method of dealing fairly and ef- Actively with these and other abuses connect ed with this subject. It can hardly be neces- sary for me to say that am heartily in sympa- thy with the declaration of the convention upon the subject of pensions to our soldiers and sailors. What they gave and what they suf- fered I had some opportunity to ob- serve. and in small measure to experience.
 They gave ungrudgngly; itwas not trade. | but an offering. phe measure was heaped up- | running over. What they achieved, only Q | distant generation can adequately tell. With out attempting to discuss particular propos- | tions, I may add that measures in behalf Of the surviving veterans of the war and of the fami- | lies of their dead comrades should be con ceived and executed in spirit of justice and of | the most grateful liberality, and that in the competition for civil appointments, honorable military service should have appropriate recog- milton.
 The law regulating appointments to the class l fled civil service received my support fin the | Senate, in the belief tha. 1t opened the way to 1 much-needed reform. I stll think so, and. therefore, cordially approve the clear and forci- l ble expression of the convention upon this sub | ject The law should have the aid of friend | ly interpretation, and be faithfully and vigor- 1 ously enforced. All appointments under | it should be absolutely free from partisan considerations and influence. Some extensions | or the cIlssiteQ nSb RFaGtlcdDIS ana uSSlra- | ble, and further legislation extending the | form to other branches of the service to which | 1t is applicable, would receive my approval. | In appointments to every grade and depart ment, fitness, and not party service should be the essential and discriminating test, and fdel- fly and efficiency the only sure tenure of ofice. 1 Only the interests of the public service should suggest removals from office. I know the practical dificulties attending the attempt to apply the spirit of tho Civil Service rules to all appointments and removals. It will, however, be my sincere purpose, if elected, to advance the reform.
 Inotice with pleasure that the convention did not omit to express it's solicitude for the pro- motion of virtue and temperance among our people. The Republican party has always
 been friendly to every thing that tended to make the home life ot our people free, pure and prosperous, and will in the future be true to its history in this respect
 Our relations with fore gn powers should be
 characterized by friendliness and respect. The right of our people and of our ships to hospit able treatment should be insisted upon with dignity and firmness. Our Nation is too great, both in material strength and fin moral power, to indulge in buster or to be suspected of timorousness. Meditation and inconsistency are as incompatible with successful diplomacy as they are with the National dignity We should especially cultivate and extend our diplomatic and com
 mercial relations with the Central and South American States. Our fisheries should
 be fostered and protected. The hardships and
 risks that are the necessary incidents of the
 business, should not be increased by an inhos- pitable exclusion from the near-lylng ports.
 The resources of firm, dignihed and consist ent diplomacy are undoubtedly equal to the
 prompt and peaceful solution of the difficulties
 that now exist Our neighbors win surely not
 expect in our ports q commercial hospitality they deny to us in theirs.
 can not extend this letter by a special refer
 ence to other subjects upon which the conven- tion gave an expression In respect to them,
 as well as to those have noticed, am in en-
 tire agreement with the declarations of the convention.
 The resolutions relating 10 the coinage; to
 the rebuilding of the nayy to coast defenses
 and to public lands, express conclusions to all of which gave my support in the Senate.