The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-30

Murat Halstead, through the columns
q the Brooklyn Standard. Union, having
taken ground against the federal election
bill. Senator William u. Chandler. Of New
Hampshire, takes him severely to task
through the columns OF the New York Mai
and Ezpyess. His letter Is mighty good
reading, and. though the subject has been
pretty fully aud freely discussed in these
columns. the temptation TO give few
samples Of the senator's sharp. incisive ar
raignment 81 the shutting editor Is ire
sistible. After quoting HaIstead's claim
that the 18th As,d 18th amendments are
dead letters. and hat the only principles
for which the Republicans shall contend
must be the tariff ana silver questions, the
senator sags
do not propose as this time to elaborate any
argument against Mr.. Hals.ead's new departure
for toe Republican party. lie assumes that the
party Is 70 remain alive, aud 70 enaeavor TO re-
tain some utEsu:e OF political power aud 10
carry the next presidential election venture,
therefore. 70 say to him that II the Republican
party was deliberately 70 adopt In Its platform
the propositi ms he makes in bis letter in the
Standard Union OF July IL, IL would continue TO
lose every Southern state, and would surely lose
two-lhir1s OF the Northern states. II would
drop into hopeless, helpless and degraded
minority So quickly that outside OF Vermont,
Pennsylvania and Kansas IL would not be any
more worth while TO look for the returns Of its
votes than 1t now IS in the Southern states.
The colored voters alone would utterly destroy
the Republican party in the North. and would
do 20 Justly. Ne. Halstead says that above all
+ he would mol urge the poor blacks OF the South
to subject themselves to massacres such as they
have suffered In vain and unagenged."
Neither Will 1; nor, on the other hand, will i. IL
they choose, as they do TO keep up the struggle
for their cousiituf onal right OF suffrage assume,
ss Mr.. Halls; does, 10 formally surrender that
right OF theirs. Who is he that he should do the
wicked thing lac now does? Does ne possess the
power 10 make decision for million and
half OF vofers representing race OF seven
millions OF American citizens, and to tell them
in behalf of the Republican party that they are
no longer to try to vote because IL is incon-
venient or unpleasant for him to stand up to his
sacred obligations as Republican leader?
There are Northern Republicans enough. not
black who care 50 much more for human
rights, the suffrage of the eniranchised race
aud the amendments OF the constitution than
they do for the tariff and silver that they would
send the party into its grave with lightning
speed II II should announce as its principle the
abandonment Of the constitution, which Mr..
Halstesd says he is In favor of.
And IL IL would annihilatc the Republican
party II 1t should formally announce the plat
form which Mr.. Ha.stead declares TO be his, is
not that sufficient reason why he should refrain
from forcing to the front his abandonment OF
the thousand times reiterated pledges of the
party 10 maintain and enforce the manhood
suffrage established by the constitution?
The truth Is that the whole advice Of certain
Republicans against the national control OF con.
greksional elections is Is weak and cowardly as
was that Republican opinion in 1861 which OPP
posed the reinforcement OF Fort sumter. The
forbearance did not prevent the war Of seces-
sion. Neither will an abandonment of the ff-
teenth amendment now. through commercial
and political timidity, save tho Republican
party. Our only hope is In the manly and hon.
orahe course OF an effort TO enforce the consti-
tuition by all appropriate and suitable laws.
Whatever may be the result, our honor viii be
saved, while the course proposed by Mr. Hal
stead will b. only dishonor and degradation.
After much more of the same vigorous
style, the Senator closes with prediction
that "the next few months are to deter
mine whether the Republican party cares
more for humanity than for money-more
for principle than for pelf. !" 1t is consol-
ing and assuring 10 remember that the
party has never yet failed to emerge with
flying colors from all such crises.