Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-05-02
Federal Elections.

/ Extract from Speaker Reeds speech at
the Americas club banquet in Pittsburg
last Saturday night.
Your toast strikes the only possible note
Of continued victory for the Republican
party Continued victory we must have.
Not as partisans, but as patriots Not on
the past must be our reliance, but on the
future. live are not to day in the fore
front Of human progress, TO have been fol
lowers Of Abraham Lincoln in the years
gone By is not an honor, but burning
/ disgrace.
Progress is Of the essence Of Republican
ism. To have met great emergencies as
they arose has been our history. To meet
great emergencies as they shall arise must
be our bulwark and duty, or we cease to
be- Hanging on to old traditions is the
business Of the Democratic party. And it
does that business well; we can never rival
it.
have not for years been one of those
who have talked about the South. For the
last eight years no man has heard me in
the House or in the campaign discourse
upon their outrsges or wrongs, murders or
shootings or hangings. NJ silence did not
arise from any approval of murder, Of ter
rorism or of fraud at elections.
1t did not arise from any ignorance OF
facts or any doubts of the great wrongs
which are perpetrated against government
By the people. 1t arose from conviction,
deep seated in my mind, that the remedy
for the political wrongs could not come
from politicians, but from the people.
Until the were aroused any efforts OF
ours would be utterly in vain. In fact,
politicians are only seventh hour men.
They are worthy Of their penny, but they
never bear the burden and heat of the day.
If they cry aloud before their hour they
only turn back the shadow Of the dial.
It 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.
The South has passed through many stages.
The Ku-Klux first deployed its midnight
terrors to intimidate voters.
Then came the midnight shootings and
harryings, then the bulldozing and the
driving Of the negro politicians into the
woods in the darkness of the night At
present the murders have mostly passed
away and the terrorizing and the midnight
marauders, ballot box stufhng and cheat
ing in the country have taken their places.
Throughout all this variety of ofwickedness
l call upon you to note one singular fact,
| that while it existed every one Of these
crimes against the government was most
solemnly denied by the Southern press and
Southern people No man denies them
to-day
Let us come at some principles which
are fundamental in this matter. A negro
il citizen Of the United States. He has
jnst a. much right TO vote and have his
vote counted ss anybody on earth. That
he Is poor ignorant does not, under the
Constitution, put upon his neck the foot
Of riches or of intelligence.
Manhood and not riches-manhood and
not learning-is the basis Of our govern
ment. 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 Of all them as they are.
Nothing less than that would be govern
ncnt "by the people.
While the South denies the frands in
elections, the cheating and ballot box
stuffing, singularly enough they justify
them. Why they defend them if they
don't happen you cannot understand on
the principles Of logic, but you can on the
principles of lying.
The Republican vote Of the South the
Republican party is entitled to under the
Constitution, whether that vote be ignor-
ant or sensible. Ifignorant we need it to
Offset the Democratic ignorance which
votes in New York and other cities. Why
should they poll their ignorance and we
,so4 .t.ruT