the hope to
contribute, to the best of my abilities, not merely to the success
of my party, but to the good of the whole country.

"To me the national government in our system is the _father_, the
protector of our national honor, our defender against enemies at
home and abroad, while the state is the _good mother_ who guards
sacredly the home, the family and the domestic interests of life,
to be beloved by every good citizen of the state, the fountain and
source of the greatest blessings of domestic life. Ohio can justly
claim to be the equal of any other in the sisterhood of states,
central in location, rich in resources, the common pathway of all
the states, containing over three millions of people as happy in
their surroundings as those of any community in the world. We must
do our part to advance and improve our condition by wise legislation
and by the moral influences of education and religion. In this
way only can Ohio sustain her high and honorable standing as a part
of a great country, eloquently and truly described by Canon Farrar
as 'in numbers the greatest, in strength the most overwhelming, in
wealth the most affluent, of all the great nations of the world.'"

My speech was well received by both Democrats and Republicans.

In the evening a general reception of ladies and gentlemen was held
in the senate chamber, when hand shaking and social congratulations
occurred, participated in by citizens of Columbus and other places.
The next day I returned to Washington.

I observed closely the course pursued by the press of the country
in respect to my election. As a rule it was received with favor
by papers of both parties. The election of a Senator of the United
States by such frauds as had been practiced by Democrats in Cincinnati
would be a bad example that might be followed by other crimes,
violence or civil war. The weakness in our system of government
is likely to be developed by a disputed election. We touched the
line of danger in the contest between Hayes and Tilden. Some guards
against fraud at elections have been adopted, notably the Australian
ballot, but the best security is to impress succeeding generations
with the vital importance of honest elections, and to punish with
relentless severity all violations of election laws.

During this Congress, by reason of my position as presiding officer,
I participated only occasionally in the current debate, introduced
only private bills, and had c