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Congress restoring the debt paying power to silver dollars, made a law in spite of a Presidential veto, and stopping the future destruction of greenbacks, we demand, as further acts of justice, as well as measures of relief, the absolute repeal of the Resumption Act and the lawful liberation of coin hoarded in the Treasury; the removal of all restrictions to the coinage of silver, and re-establishment of silver as a money metal the same as gold, as it was before its fraudulent demonetization; the gradual substitution of the United States legal tender paper for National bank notes, and its permanent establishment as the sole paper money of the country, made receivable for all dues to the Government and of legal tender with coin, the amount of such issues to be regulated by legislation, or organic law, as to give the assurance of stability in volume of currency and consequent stability of value; no further increase in the bonded debt and no further sale of bonds for the purchase of coin for resumption purposes, but the gradual extinction of the public debt, rigid economy in the reduction of expenditures in all branches of the public service and a tariff for revenue only.

The interests of the industrial wealth-producing classes is the paramount interest of the people of the United States. Those whose labor and enterprise produce wealth should be secure in its enjoyment. Our warmest sympathy is extended to the laboring classes who have been thrown out of employment by the ruinous financial policy and unjust legislation of the Republican party, and we pledge the Democratic party to a reversal of that policy, and a restoration to all the rights they are entitled to, upon its ascendency

to power.

The National Greenback Labor party held a State Convention at the City Hall, Columbus, Tuesday, July 23d, which was largely attended, especially by the coal miners of the State. Andrew Roy, a miner of Jackson County, was nominated for Secretary of State, Chilton A. White, of Brown, for Judge of the Supreme Court, and J. R. Fallis, of Hamilton, for Member of the Board of Public Works.

President Hayes in his first annual message, December 3, 1877, congratulated the country upon the policy he had followed with regard to the Southern States, but that policy had been far from satisfactory

to many Republicans. At the same time his civil service reform doctrines had not pleased the Republican workers; hence in nearly every Republican State Convention throughout the Union in 1877 and 1878 there were attempts made to incorporate in the platforms resolutions expressing dissent with both; but the President's friends were numerous enough to suppress them in about every instance. In his message to Congress

on December 2, 1878, President Hayes was himself obliged to acknowledge that his Southern policy had been a failure so far as Congressional elections in Louisiana and South Carolina were concerned. He said the records of the recent Congressional elections in the States named, as well as in some districts in other Southern States,

compelled the conclusion that the rights

of the colored voters have been overridden and their participation in the elections has not been permitted to be either general or free." Chester Alan Arthur and Alonzo B. Cornell had failed to observe the President's civil service order, and for this had been removed from office, but the Senate refused to confirm their successors. This caused further agitation of the subject and greater division as to the civil service within the Republican party. The President was also opposed to the restoration of silver as a legal tender, which was being agitated in 1877 and 1878, but a silver bill" passed both Houses providing that a silver dollar of the weight of 412 grains should be coined at the several United States mints, which, together with all silver dollars of equal weight and fineness coined prior thereto by the United States, should be full legal tender for all public and private dues, except where otherwise expressly stipulated, and directing the Secretary of the Treasury

to purchase not less than $2,000,000 worth of silver bullion per month. The President vetoed it on the ground, mainly, that the commercial value of silver was then worth from eight to ten per cent less than its nominal value and that it would be an act of bad faith to tender such money for pre-existing debts. But the bill became a law despite the veto, as it passed both Houses by majorities exceeding two-thirds. Subsequent events proved that the President was clearly in the right with regard to silver coinage, and future financial difficulties might have been avoided easily had his advice been taken. In the same Congress, the Democratic House made an investigation of alleged Republican frauds in Florida and Louisiana at the Presidential election of 1876. Republicans charged that this was an attempt of the Democrats to circumvent the law of their own enactment creating the Electoral Commission and to oust Hayes from the Executive office and seat Tilden. Thus the Administration of President Hayes was from the very beginning surrounded with a variety of perplexities, appalling to a less determined character, 1878 being perhaps the worst year in this respect within the ranks of his own party.

The

The campaign was sharply contested by both the Republican and Democratic parties in Ohio with each hopeful of victory. Neither was very sanguine owing to the uncertainty as to the size of the labor vote, which made a formidable appearance in certain sections. of the State, and appeared to have the support of many Republicans in the mining districts and of many Democrats in the cities. With the exception of a very few "spellbinders" from abroad the oratorical campaign was conducted by local talent. Thomas B. Reed spoke at several points in

the northwestern part of the State for the Republicans and Dennis Kearney, the "Sandlot Orator of California, " stumped the State for the National Greenbackers. The Democratic General Assembly had gerrymandered the State, intending to so arrange the districts as to make sure of not less than fifteen Democratic Congressman to five Republicans, but their calculations were somewhat upset by the election of nine out of the twenty Republican candidates, the most notable victory being that of William McKinley, Jr., in the Sixteenth district. There was an increase in the State of about 25,000 votes over the number cast in 1877 and a small plurality for each of the Republican candidates. The vote in detail was as follows:

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Summit County, Ohio, September 8, 1837. His education was obtained at the public schools and at a private school in Philadelphia. He learned the machinist's trade and from 1860 to 1862 labored in the manufactories of the East. In the latter year he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving three years in the South Atlantic Squad

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ron." At the close of the war he carried on a machine shop in his native town. From 1868 to 1878 he was a contractor on railroads in several Southern and Western States, and in 1878 was elected Member of the Board of Public Works and reelected in 1881. He still resides at Cuyahoga Falls.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE CAMPAIGN OF 1879.

N 1875 a law was enacted by CongressRepublicans in the affirmative and Democrats in the negative, providing that on and after the first day of January, 1879, specie payments, which had been discontinued in 1861, should be resumed in the United States. This law had been advocated by President Grant and received his approval January 14th. The Democratic National Convention of 1872 resolved that "a speedy return to specie payments is demanded," yet the Democracy in 1875 resorted to every means possible to prevent the passage of the Resumption Act. Their Their National platform of 1876 contained this declaration: We demand the immediate and unconditional repeal of the Resumption Act of January 14, 1875." Two years later Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, drafted a bill repealing the act, which passed the House but was defeated by the Republicans in the Senate. Notwithstanding Democratic predictions, resolutions, denunciations and votes, the country, under the firm Administration of President Hayes and the wise financial policy of Senator Sherman, resumed specie payments January 1, 1879, ushering in an era of general prosperity and commercial solidity. Successful resump

tion brought the credit of the United States to a standard so high that Secretary Sherman found refunding comparatively easy and rapidly exchanged bonds bearing a low

rate of interest for those upon which the Government had been paying a much higher rate.

On March 4, 1879, the Forty-fifth Congress adjourned without making the necessary appropriations for the expenses of the Government. The Democratic House had attached a provision to the Army Appropriation Bill virtually repealing a law which had been in existence since 1865 and had been approved by President Lincoln, which permitted the use of troops at the polls on election day when necessary "to keep the peace." To another appropriation bill a rider was attached repealing existing laws providing for the appointment of Supervisors of Election and special Deputy United States Marshals to act at elections for Members of Congress. The Senate, which was Republican, struck out these amendments and the two Houses thus disagreeing all appropriations failed. Immediately upon the adjournment of this Congress, President Hayes called the Forty-sixth Congress to meet in extra session on March 18th. This body had a Democratic majority in both branches and followed the same course as the former House with regard to the General Appropriation Bill. The President returned this bill with his veto on April 29th. He explained that there was ample legislation to prevent military interference with elections, pointed out that since the passage

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