The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-10-23
PRINCE JOHN VAN BUREN'S PLATFORM.
ms SPEECH TO THE SOFT SHELLS At OsWEGO.
BE Stands Square on the Slavery Question, with
o Leg on Each Side Of the Fence.
He Goes First for the Nebraska Bill, and
Secondly for Making Kansas
Free State Any How.
GLORIOUS PROSPECT FOR THE DEMOCRACY


addressed the democrats Of oswego at their City Hail.
Friday evening last The spacious hall filled to its
utmost capacity and the audience greeted the speaker
he assembled the platform with the most enthusiastic
cheers Quiet being restored, after some time,
Mr. VAN BuRES said: -citizens-Having recently
70 be supported by the suages of the electors of this
State and the conduct Of that convention having very
largely been the subject of remark il given me ye.y
great PLEASURE, have had the opportunity to
address the electors of this State with view explain
some OF the propositions which that convention put for
ward and also to ask the attention of electors of the
STATE to the principles maintained by the party of which
am member, and to the candidates which have been
presented to the people for their support. You undoub
eddy are all aware that far the election is
ed the interest which every of you the
canvass, is the my lam of the cand
dates presented for the popular suffrage; have
been, and trust in God, / may be. But have
been member of the democratic party from childhood
have always felt deep interest In its success, and
never more anxious than for the ascendancy oil its
principles and its candidates. 1t has not been convent
ent for during the past year. to address very fire.
quenty the electors Of this State STILL circumstances
have occurred in the county OF ST. Lawrence which led
feel great soctude to the of the electors Of
that county, and induced to visit it, large meeting
held at Canton Tuesday evening last which ad
the wish address the democracy of this place which
feel deep interest. 1t Is not worth while to
It's prosperity, which strikes every beholder A
beautiful town you have, beautiful night this to
see it in beautiful assembage Of people to address in
the shape Of democratic meeting, and as think,
beautiful set of principles and candidates for which to
solicit your support shall proceed directly to call
your attention to some of the principal propositions
brought forward by convention because of
those who believe that the people should agree in prnc
pie they to act together they do not agree
they certainly ought not act together Parties
ganzed in advocacy Of certain sets Of principles for that
70 Be achieved It is only desirable because that
establishes correct principles in the government of the
country Two weeks from Tuesday you and vote, and
take share in the government of the country have
~ selecting others who discharge the duties the
Institutions Of our country are founded It is desirable
that these duties should be discharged neiigeny and
time in the history Of this State when the people have
been more disposed to do 50. When was there ever
every principle and every who is presented to the
people for their supporH That is highly valuable fea
ture Of the present time One of The most interesting
questions this year before the people, the financial po
hey Of this State and its internal improvements far
they affected by the election of the officers to be
chosen this fall The convention Of which was
her was claim the representative of the democratic
party of the State. The difference between democrats
those known the Seward wings is radical and fun
damental regards the internal Improvement policy
The democrats have always been friendly to the construc
ton Of canals by the State Every canal commenced
in our BORDERS commenced under Democratic adj
ministration. Every canal ever completed, has been
completed under a democratic administration. Every
paid by democratic administration. The democrats
are canal building and debt paying people Their
nominated Seward whigs-are non.canal budl &
and non-debt paying people, They incur debts, add
succeed to power (Applause While this true there
has always been in that party few old fashioned debt
paying people, who have demonstrated at least often
the tax gatheger comes around, against this IMPROVE
dent sqnanderng Of money and reckless ineurring Of
debt, by their Seward associates but they have
strated in vain One feature Of that Seward policy which
has been the chief origin of the debt of this State the
enlargement of our canals by means of loans When the
ommissioners-od fashioned acknowledgement that
the canals should be enlarged by applying the surplus in
come thereto each year, until the enlargements we're
fcprg inc ypra
Bouck A. C. Flagg John A. Dix Greene G. Bronson Mr.
Campbell and Mr. Hoffman This, their policy, was
commended to the Legislature III 1885, and IL acted
upon up to 1885, which the time of the advent upon
Che political board Of that gent who has since SO largely
VIM. II. Seward He annouhced that losing
rank and caste among the States around us which
developing their internal policy. lie announced that
it was to incur forty million debt because the
of the canals would pay the interest upon ID
and because BY that means the engagements might go
on more speedily The democrats insisted that the true
policy to apply the surplus u the eula
men Now TO the result. The surplus income of the
canals above the expenditures from 1885 to 1885,
ISL 000 The fairly estimated surplus 1864 was
300 00 and will be much in 1856 an 1856. That
would make the surplus the twenty years s3s 600 600.
That would enabled apply s2s 600 600 to the
Erie enlargement--which it Is conceded would have
81 900 COO the Black River Canal; 50 900 o0O the
0swego Canal would have left surplus to be applied TO
the extngushment of the State debt Had this policy
been pursued what would have been the Consequence
The State would have been free from debt and the mill
tax, which is the object of the tax gatheer visit
And the tolls could have been reduced twothirds,
hree.quarters. Now, the mill tax must be en-.
tolls must be kept up at the same time Now this state
debt after applying the 81 600 600 recently raised will
0CO and the canals st in unfinished state But
told this party which has been formed intends
carry out the Hoffman plan, and that It Is the old
fashioned democratic party with new name-ths repub
hcan party The ground upon which that asserted is
that Abjah Mann-who lived in Herkimer 1fteen years
agohas been put upon the ticket for Attorney General
Well take IT a man might have lived in Herkimer
fifteen years ago, without being strenuous advocate Of
Hoffman policy stand ? Looms the colleague OF
Hoffman. Wlden the democratic candidate for Attorney
General, was the colleague Of Hoffman a committee in
the Constitutional Convention, in naugurating policy
by which he attempted to provide for the payment Of this
debt stetson the democratic candidate for Comptroller
ticket called the republican ticket is Seward wing ticket
and nothing else and proposes to form Seward Canal
Boarc-Raymond, Comptroller Cook, the Secretary of
State the Attorney General Abah Mann, the State En-
gpeer Mr.. Geddes the Treasurer, Mr.. Williams and the
Seward whigsto carry out the policy inaugurated by
Seward In 1885, and which has been adhered to by his
sociates from that time TO this But there two
things which occurred in that called republican
ton which strkingly show what kind Of Seward whggcry
II they intended inangurate in that Canal Board
ofhose who form the Canal Board little better
than the rest but the stealing kind is the worst Of the
whole aughter) The query is, how much Of that kind
look TO The Office Of State Engineer which is one Of the
most important He has to determine the character Of
The work. to determine the kind Of excavation whether It
judgment millions Of money frequently paid out
Well now there state Engi aeer John I. Clark hold
ing this Office when this republican convention assembled
aman unquesonabe capacity Of ability and what
was entirely too much fer this republican convention
man q s,scs integrity daughter and appanse) In his
report OF last year he reported to the Legislature what
stsangs were going along the lines Of the canals and
alluded to the gross exravance Of the present system
Of canal enia cement No will deny that the canals
can be maintained for much less than II costs Ii the
expenditure .hoad b entrusted to judicious expe-
renced and thoroughly honest men free from the con.
troll ane dctaton which politicians have heretofore ex-
ercised the expenditure Of this branch Of the public
service. The evil lies in selecting for ONCE from
considerations Of paftzanshp rather than OF 1T
for the duties of the Office. The honesty OF this OH
fatal TO him. He the first thrown over.
board when the convention assembled. Some will siy
that Is true; but that they desired TO take
New men Why, did you before such a SET OF
cid upon tickctS The idea Of passing such as
Mann, Williams and Jim Cook Tor men Why dia
they retain Cook Il they 20 take mem Weed
said Cook could not be sparedhs peculiar fitness