Elkhart County, Indiana - Chapter 9: The Republic Must Be Guarded, 1881

Chapter 9: The Republic Must Be Guarded

Yet remember this: - God, and our good cause, fight upon oui- side ; The prayers of holy saints and wronged souls. Like high-reared bulwarks, stand before our faces.

The iiitei'est taken in political matters by the people of this county is deep indeed. Their principles are so well set that neither time iiur change seems to affect them ; so that he who was a Democrat in his earlier years remains one still, and he who deserted the ranks of the old Whigs to ally himself with the Republican party observes all the forms which that alliance imposed, and may to-day vote for James Garfield as he did in 1S56 for John C. Fremont. However, there is an apparent tendency to cast away the fetters of party, and to vote for the best and truest men who place themselves before the people, seeking their suffrage and confidence. ISTow, whatever Denefits are conferred iipon the country by the two great parties, who claim to be President-makers, no doubt can exist of the number and magnitude of the abuses which have entwined themselves with the system, and contributed to lessen the influence of a great federal government.

" There was a time," said John G. Galhoun, '' in the. better days of the Republic, when to show what ought to be done was to insure the adoption of the measure. Those days have passed away. I fear, forever. A power has risen up in the Government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various and powerful interests, combined into one mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in the banks. This might}'- combination will be opposed to any change; and it is to be feared that, such is its influence, no measure to which it is opposed can become a law, however expedient and necessary; and that the public money will remain in their possession, to be disposed of, not as the public interests, but as theirs, may dictate. The time, indeed, seems fast approaching, when no law can pass, nor any honor can the assent of this powerful and interesting combination, which is steadil_y becoming the Government itself, to the ntter subversion of the anthoritj ol tlie peo]3ie. Nay, I fear we are in the midst of it; and I look with anxiety to the fare of this measure, as the test whether we are or not.

'' If nothing should be done, - if the money which justly belongs to the people be left where it is, with the many and overwhelming objections to it, - the fact will prove that a great and radical change has been effected; that the Goveruraent is subverted; that the authority of the people is sujipressed by a union of the banks and the Executive, - a union a hundred times more dangerous than that of Chui-cli and State, against which the Constitution has so jealously guarded. It wouhl be the announcement of a state of things from which it is to be feared there can be no recovery - a state of boundless corruption, and the lowest and basest subserviency. It seems to be tlie order of Providence that, with the exception of these, a peo])le may recover from any other evil. Piracy, robber^' and violence of every description may, as history proves, be succeeded by virtue, patriotism, and national greatness; but where is the example to be found of a degenerate, corrupt, and subservient people, who have ever recovered their virtue and patriotism? Their doom has ever been the lowest state of wretchedness and ujisery: scorned, trodden-down and obliterated for ever from the list of nations! May Heaven grant that such may never be our doom,"

Without going to the extremes of thouglit, much of what that statesman had said applies to the present time, Not all by any means; because, owing to the foresight of the people, the combinations of wicked men who would venture to assert their foul supremacy, have been dismembered, and their terrible, awful treacheries exposed. The followers of the great political parties resident in Elkliart county have made their voices heard in their cries for reforra; they have scanned tlie actions of tlieir legislators with jealous eye, and rewarded or punished where justice pointed, and thus secured, and now essay to secure, a fair representation in the legislative chambers of the State and of the Pi,epublic. They understand the principles of liberty, they possess a good idea of all that is due to the Pepublic, and seldom fail to reduce theory to practice by choosing men wlio believe as they do, and who desire to stand by the public good in every emergency, Nativeism, sectionalism and all tlieir coucomitant vices are almost dead ; but, unhappily, enough remains to cause some little disunion, and so destroy what would be otherwise a magniticent solidarity. The envy, the anger, the jealousy, the pride, and above all, the irritation arising from the civil v.-ar, hold a place in the hearts of a few. The place must be closed up forever. Meicy, justice and patriotism require it for tenancy; so that sectionalism must die with all other vices - must fall l)efore advancing civilization, and let Peace rule over the land.

One of our economists has said that it is a crime against humanity to maintain this sectional irritation. On this continent of the West we have endeavored to set up a republican government, a government of liberty - and a government of liberty means a govei'ument of equal right. The sun of liberty quickens men as the natural sun quickens afield of grain. The myriad shafts rise upon the even bed of earth, bathing in the common rain, strengthened by the generous heat, and lifting to the God of light the abundant fruit on every head which his equal justice has given them all to bear. Kepublican institutions, as has been well said, the last hope for the redemption of man, must be maintained and can only be maintained when a spirit of fraternity runs through and permeates the citizens of this country.

"VVe cannot live as a republican government and maintain perpetual war. Even in the household and family, where the ties of blood are nearest, we must exercise charity and forbearance or there oftentimes will be discord. How much more so, in a broad land where the interests are diverse and people are separated by man}' miles of territory, must we exercise forbearance and charity and human kindness! The appeal goes to the better nature of men. It is an answer from the very heart of every man who has a heart to the taunts and flings that have been hurled against the unhappy people struggling to lift themselves up again to peace and prosperity and fraternity. This appeal is not to the selfish, except it be but an enlightened selfishness which perceives your own good in the good of your fellow men - the appeal is to a higher selfishness than that which is looking to the spoils of ofiice, which is only considering political questions with the greed and avarice of power. The appeal is to our Christianity, to our humanity.

To render these assertions positive, it will only be necessary to review the vote of the county as recorded during the Presidential campaigns from 1S32 to 1S76, the Gubernatorial and Congres- sional contests ol 1876-1S7S, and the names of the Senators and Eepresentatives who have received political honors at the hands of the people. To this end the following statistical tables and names are o:iven:

In the above table there is no mention of tlie various candidates in 1S36 who drew but a small and insigniiicant vote in the United States, and for whom there were no tickets run in this county. The figures do show, however, that Elkhart county partook of the spirit of the whole country at each election, and did its share in aiding every new departure. For instance, while in early day it was strongly Democratic, yet it gave Harrison (Whig) a majority of 49 in 1836, and a majority of -ii in 18i0. Since 1S56 the county has been, on national issues, strongly Kepublican.

In the table on the following page the vote of each township on the national ticket is given, and the figures serve not only as a record for general historical reference, but also a source of reflection npon the causes which may have existed in various parts of the county for the variations of public sentiment from time to time.

State Representatives

1831, Samuel Hanna (Allen, Elkhart and St. Joseph counties); 1832. Geo. Crawford (Allen, Elkhart, St. Joseph, Lagrange and La Porte counties); 1833, D.H. Colerick( Allen, Elkhart, St. Joseph, Lagrange and La Porte counties); 1834, J. B. Chapman (Lagrange,

Section 1. That the State of Lidiana be divided into thirteen districts for the election of Eepresentatives in the Congress of the United States, each of which districts shall be entitled to one E,epresentative.

The bill concludes with the usual clause repealing all laws and parts of laws which might come in conflict with this act. The bill had a majority of three in the Senate and twenty in the house.

Toe Election Statistics

of the Congressional districts in connection with the great political parties of the State may be given, since such a compilation must be interesting as well as instructive.

Tlie vote of 1S7S cast in the thirteenth Congressional district, according to the new apportionment, was as follows: Republican, 13,900; Democratic, 14,582; National, 2,731. This district now comprises the counties of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall, St. Joseph, La Porte and Starke, and in the foregoing statistics it will be understood that the figures given for 1876-"78 refer to the counties named.