Year: 1870

An Address from the Democratic


Senators and Representatives in


Congress.


By request we republish the following
address of the Democratic Senators and
Representatives in Congress. 1t should
be preserved.


To our Fellow-citizens of the United States,


Friends Of Constitutional, Economical and


Honest Government


The undersigned beg leave to call your
attention to the peculiar importanceof of the
elections which take place this year, and
respectfully to submit suggestions for
your consideration. BY the State Legis-
latures to be elected nearly One-third of
the United States Senate will be chosen,
and nearly all the members of the next
House of Representatives are to be elected
next fall. Upon the coming elections,
then, depends the question whether the
Democratic and Conservative element in
the Senate shall be increased, and whether
that element shall have majority of
Representatives in the House of Repre-
sentatives and as consequence whether
we shall have a constitutional, economical
and honest government, or a continuance
of revolutionary, eXtrayagant and wilful
partisan rule; whether we shall have
general, uniform, just and constitutional
legislation, with reasonable taxation and
frugal expenditure, or an unconstitutional,
partial, unjust and class legislation, with
oppressive and unequal taxation and
wasteful expenditure. That we have
strong reasons to hope for favorable re-
suit is plainly apparent. The elections
already held clearly show that the tide of
reform has set in with power that can't
be resisted. Let no blunders be commit
ted by the friends of reform. If they do
their duty and act wisely, if they throw
off all apathy and act with vigor and
steadfastness, there is every reason to
hope their efforts will be rewarded by
success. Let there be no dissensiOns
about minor matters; no time lost in the
discussion of deal wants no manifesto
ton of narrow or prOscriptiYe feeling; no
sacrifice of the cause to crafty per-
son ambition or resentm ent and let the
best men be chosen for candidates, and
we may hope to see our country redeemed
from misrUle. And IN this connection
we beg leave to say word to our fellow
citizens of the Southern States. Do not
risk the loss of Senators or Representa-
tives by electing men who cannot take
the test oath, or who are under the dis
ability imposed by the fourteenth amend
ment. Whatever may be said as to the
validity of that amendment, or of the
test oath act, you may rest assured that
Senators elected by the votes of members
of Legislatures who are held by the Radi-
calls to be thus disqualified, will not be
permitted to take their seats, and that
members of the House of Representatives
thus disqualified will also be excluded.
1t is the plainest dictate of practical wis
dom not to incur any such risks. We
hope soon to see the day when all disa-
bilities will be removed, but in the mean
time we entreat you, do not lose the Op-
portunity to strengthen the Democratic
and Conservative force in Congress, and
the possibility, nay, probability of OBJ
tanning majority in the next House of
Representatives, by putting it in the
power of our adversaries to overthrow
and disregard your elections.


Signed by all the Democratic Senators
and Representatives in Congress.