The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-06
THE YOUNG VOTERS.
Jauss A. Garfield's Words Urging Them q
Cast Their Lot with Republicanism-

Jamss A. Garfie1d's Words Urging Them to
Cast Their Lot with Rerubiicanism-
From speech At Cleveland on the Saturday evening
before the Ohio election Of 1873.
Now, fsllow-eitizens, word before leave
you, on this very eve of the holy day Of God-a
1T moment to consecrate ourselves finally to tho
great work of next Tuesday morning. / sec In
this great audience tonight great many young
men-young men who are about to cast their
first vote. / want to give word OF suggestion
and advice. ] heard very brilliant thing said
by boy the other day. up in one OF our north
western counties He said to me: General, 1
have a great mind to vote the Democratic ticket"
That was not the brilliant thing. said to him,
"WhyP why" said he, ''my father is q Re-
publican. and my brothers are Republicans, and
j am Republican all over; but want TO be an
independent man, and don't want anybody to
say, That fellow votes the Republican ticket
mind to vote the Democratic ticket just TO prove
my Independence" did not like the thing the
boy suggested, but did admire the spirit OF the
hoy that wanted TO have some independence OF
his own.
Now, tell you, young man. don't vote the
Republican ticket just because your father
votes 1t. Don't vote the Democrats ticket even
IL be does vote it. But let me give you this one
word Of advice as you are about TO pitch your
tent in one of the great political camps. Your
lie Is full and buoyant with hope now. and
beg you when you pitch your tent, pitch it
among the living and not among the dead. IL
Democrs1c people and with that party, let me
90 with you for q moment while we survey the
ground where hope you will not shortly lie. 1t
lie bad place, young man, for you TO put yc1r
young life into. IL Is TO me far more ike
graveyard than like a camp for the living
Look at "! 1t is beloved all over with the
graves Of dead issues, Of buried opinions Of sx-
ploded theories. Of disgraced doctrines You
cannot live in comfort in such place. Why.
lock here! Here is q little double mound
I look down on IL and read. Sacred to
the Memory Of Squstter Sovereignty and
Dre6 Scott Decision A million and Q half Dem
ocrats voted for that but It has been dead If
teen years-died by the hand OF Abraham
Lincoln, and here IL lies. Young man, this is
not the place for you But look little further.
Here Is another monument a black somb. and be-
pde It as distinguished friend eaid, there tow
ers to the sky monument of four million pairs
OF human letters taken from the arms of slaves
and read on Its little headstone this Sacred
20 the Memory Of Human Slavery" For forty
years or Its Infamous life the Democrats party
taught that IL was divine-Gods institution.
They defended II. they stood around it, they
followed II TO its grave as a mourner. But here
10 lies. dead by the hand OF Abraham Lincoln;
dead by the power OF the Repu blican party; dead
by the justice OF Almighty God. Don't camp
there, young man. But here is anotner-a little
birthstone tomb-snd read across its yellow
face. 10 lrrid. bloody lines, thse words: sacred
20 the Memory of State Sovereignty
and Secession" Twelve millions of Demo
alive; but here it lies, shot to death by the mill
ION guns of the republic. Here it lies, its shrine
burned to ashes under the blazing rafters of the
burning Confederacy. IL is dead! l would not
have you stay in there Q minute, even In this
baluy night air. to look at such q place But
Just before leave discover wmade grave.
alittle mound-short. The grass has hardly
Arouted over il, and ali around / see torn
pieces of paper with the word 'fstr on them,
aud look down in curiosity, wondering what
the little grave Is and l read on II: Sacred 20
the memory OF the rag baby nursed in the
brain of all the faraticsm Of the world; rocked by
Thomas Ewing, George II. Pendeton, Samuel
Cary, and \ few others throughout the land.
But il died on the LIST of January, 1879 and the
one hundred aud forty millions Of gold that God
made. and not fat power, lie upon its little car
lass 10 keep it down forever. oh, young man,
rome out of thatl This is no place in which to
put our young life
Come oct, and come over into this camp Of
liberty. OF order, OF law Of freedom, Of justice,
OF all that Is glorious under these night stars.
Is there any death here in our campf Yesl yes.
Three hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, the
noolest band that ever trod the earth. dad TO
make this camp camp Of glory and Of liberty
forever But there are no dead issues here.
There are no dead ideas hero. Hang out our
banner from under our blue sky this night, IN