Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1892-09-01

Memphis. Tenn, Delivered I'm the
House OF II. 8. Representatives July
1S, 1892.
"MR. CHAIRMAN-I send to the
Clerks desk an extract taken from
the platform Of the Republican
party, adopted by the National
Convention of that party recently
held at Minneapolis, and ask that
it be read.
The Clerk read as follows:
I'VE demand that very..citizen of
the United States shall be allowed
to cast one free and unrestricted
ballot in all public elections, and
that snch ballot shall be counted
and returned as cast; that such
laws shall be enacted and enforced
as will secure to every citizen, be
he rich or poor, native or foreign
born. white or black, this sover-
eign right guaranteed by the Cone
stitution. The free and honest pop
ular ballot, the Just and equal rel>
resentation of all the people, as
we'll as their just and equal pro-
lection under the laws, are the
foundation of four Republican in.
stitutions, and the party will never
relent its efforts until the integrity
of the ballot and the purity Of
elections shall be fully guaranteed
and protected in every State.
We denounce the continual and
inhuman outrages perpetrated up~
on American citizens for political
reasons in certain Southern States
of the Union
Mr.. Patterson then said !: / can
we'll understand how the language
just read conveys a very different
meaning to one who is acquainted
with the conditions surrounding
those States in which slavery for>-
merly existed from that which it
implies to one who knows their
The one accepts it.
as patriotic declaration in favor
of popular rights, while the other
accepts it as a menace to social or
der in at least ten States of the
American Union To one it, ap.
pears the promulgation in plat
form of the devotion of great
party to the lioerty of the citizen,
while the other regards it as the
declaration of a fixed purpose to
subvert good government in the
Southern State. and to 'irnmolate
the happiness and prosperity of
their people to a mistaken senti-
ment, Or to the advancement of
political ends.
DEMOCRTIC vs.. REPUBLICAN DOCTRINE
Mr.. Chairman, the blow which
the Republican party would deliv.
er Is aimed at the people Of the
Southern States of this Union, and
l have spoken in behalf of South
ern constituency. In doing SO l
have waived the constitutional as
rsct of the case and treated this
question from the
standpoint of the people supposed
to be directly interested. But /
recognize that there is a higher
and broader plane from which
it can be presented. We are one
people with one destiny, and the
Union cannot be crippled in any
of its parts without injury to the
whole. We all stand behind the
bulkwarks of the Constitution, and
if they are made to give way in
order that the General Government
may intermeddle with and control
the domestic affairs of these South
ern States, be assured that the day
is not far distant when the barriers
of the Constitution will give way
in the North as we'll as in the
South. Then Federal elections,
instead of being the free and eff
cient expression Of the will Of the
sovereign citizens of sovereign
States, will become q mere formfor
registering the will of the Admin
by the subservant people
of dependent provinces.
Congress has the power to Judge
of the election and qualifications
of its members and thereby pro-
tect itself from intrusion by ex-l
persons not legally entitled
to participate in its deliberations.
But under the Constitution and In
pure vance of the uniform practice
from the foundation of the GovS
ernment members Of Congress are
elected and commissioned in the
manner prescribed by the several
States. When these functions are
usurped by the General Govern
n~ux or1 rul,ou Eor4oro1 oG.:.1.