The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-27
REED A LION RAMPANT.
REPUBLICAN VICTORY MUST BE
HAD AT ANY HAZARD.

the Americus Club Commemorating
Gen. Grants Birthdsy-Governme
Control of Federal Elections De-
manded.
PITTsBURG, April 26-The fourth annual
dinner Of the Americus Republican Club,
in commemoration of the 6Sth birthday of
Gen. q. s. Grant, was given at the Seventh
affair was the most elaborate in the history
of the organization. Three hundred covers
were laid. After welcome by Hon. John
Dalzell, the dinner began.
Toasts were responded to as follows:
"Our Guests Absent" was responded to
by Col j. NJ. Schoonmaker of this city.
Grant" was replied to by Gov. James
A. Beaver.
REEDS SPEECH.
''The Republican Partyn brought forth
an eloquent response from Thomas B. Reed,
speaker of the House of Representatives.
The oration was repeatedly interrupted by
expressions of approval from his auditors.
He said:
Your toast strikes the only possible note of
continued victory for the Republican party.
Continued victory we must have, not as parti-
sans, but as patriots. Not on the past must be
our reliance, but on the future. If we are not
to-day in the forefront of human progress, TO
have been followers of Abraham Lincoln in
years gone by is not an honor but a burning
disgrace-progress is of the.eSSence Of republi-
canism. To have met great emergencies as they
arose has been our history. To meet great
emergencies as they shall arise must be our
daily walk and duty, or we cease to be. Hang
ing on to old traditions is the business of the
Democratic. party. And it does that
business we'll; we can never rival it. have not
for years been one of those who have talked
aboot the south. Forthe last eight years no
man has heard me in the House or in a cam
paign discourse upon either outrageS or wrongs,
murders or shootlngs or hangings. My silence
did not arise from any approval of murder, OF
terrorism, or of fraud at elections. It did not
arise from any ignorance OF the facts or any
doubts of the great wrongs which are perpe-
trated against the government by the people 1t
arose from conviction deep-seated in my mind
that the remedy for political wrongs could not
come from politicians, but from the people.
Until they were aroused any efforts of ours
would be utterly invalid. In fact, politicians
only eleventh hour men. They are worthy of
their penny but they never bear the burden and
heat OF the day. II they cry aloud before their
hour they only turn back the shadow on the
dial. 1t is known to everybody that the south
denies that cheating is part and parcel of their
elections. 1t is equally known to everybody that
that denial is not true
IMAGINARY oUTRAGEs.
The south has passed through many stages.
The ku-klux first deployed its midnight terrors
to innmidate voters. Then came midnight
shootings and hangings, then bufdozing and
driving of negro politicians into the woods in
the darkness of the night. AT present murders
have mostly passed away, and terrorizing
and midnight marauders, ballot-box stuff
ing and cheating in the count have
taken their places. Throughout all
this variety of wickedness call upon you to
note one singular fact, that while it existed
every one Of these crimes against the govern
ment was most soemnly denied by the southern
press and the southern people. No man denies
them to-day.
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES.
Let us come at some principles which are
fundamental in this matter. The negro is
citizen of the United States. He has just as
much right TO vote aud have his vote counted,
as anybody on earth. That he is poor and ig-
norant does not, under the constitution, put
upon his neck the foot of riches or of intelli-
gence. Manhood and not riches; manhood and
not learning is the basis Of our government.
We would like all our citizens to be learned. we
wish they were all rich, but until they become
both we will take the average of all of them as
they are. Nothing less than that would be gov
ernment ''by the people,.
FRAUDS JUSTIFIED.
While the south denies frauds in elections,
cheating and ballot-box stuffings, sngularly
enough they justify them. Why. then defend
them il they don't happen? You cannot under
stand on the principles of logic, but yoH can on
the principles of lying. The difference is that
otherwise the white race would be dominated
by colored ignorance That defense may do for
the state Of Mississippi, but it will not do for
the United States In Mississippi the blacks
are more numerous. In the United States they
are but a handful. If in all the congressional
districts where they are in majority they
should combine, and send one of their own
color, they could only muster thirty out of $780,
FEDERAL ELECTIONS NOT IN DANGER.
When, therefore, any southern gentleman
however eloquent. seizes on your race feeling,
procaims the danger of ignorant rule and
weakens your sympathy for his misgov-
ernment, do not for an instant forget
that all that has nothing to do with fed
eral elections. If Mississippi bs in danger
of ignorant domination, the United States is not
If cheating at the polls be only pious fraud in
South Caroline, excusable because the white
man is superior in intellect, though inferior in
numbers. there can be no such excuse in
United States elections, where the
white man, with his superior intellect, is
superior In numbers also; or, In other words,
the excuse, whether it be bad or good for
cheating at state elections, cannot be spread
beyond state elections When federal election
is held, it has nothing to do with the state gov
ernment, but becomes part and parcel of the
government of the United States at large
where there is no possibility OF negro domina-
tion, Ignorant or otherwise.
ONLY AN OFFSET.
The republican vote of the south the Republi-
can party is entitled to, under the constitu-
tion. whether that vote be ignorant or sensible
If ignorant we need it to Offset democratic ig-
norance. which votes in New York and other
large cities, Why should they poll their igno-
rance and we not poll our? What
is the remedyg When last Thurs
day in the Senate, the committee in charge re-
ported an enlargement of the powers and uses
of United States supervisors over state
elections, senator from Alabama
took the unusual course of
declaring then and there that such SUPER
vision of state elections was unconstitutional,
and would lead to bloodshed and murder, and
would be resisted by all possible parliamentary
tactics What, then is the remedy? speak only
for myself What say binds nobody but me- and
not even me, if the Republican party prefers
another policy, but, speaking for myself, it
seems to me that the only wise course is to
take into federal hands federal elections. Let
us cut loose from state elections, do our own
registration, our own counting, and our own
certiication Then the nation will be satisfied
Against this course no constitutional obiaahion
can be urged.
COVERED BY A COURT DECISION.
The Marlborough case decision Of the supreme
court covers it all over. No objection can be
urged against it on account of sectionalism. IL
applies north and south, east and west 1t will
put an end to all chickering's. The southern
states will then by themselves grapple
with the problem Of whether any
state of the republic can permanently
enthrone Injustice Freed from all right
of interference, except moral aud advisory,
from the north within their own borders and
within the limits of their own rights. they viii
out their own peculiar problem themselves,
and venture the prophecy, as 1 sincerely enter
tain the hope, that relief from outside
I)ressi1ra will break down the race