The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-07-08

mR. gRouGM,s SPEECH.

Serenade to the Hon. John Brough.
MIR. BROUGHs SPEECH.
Saturday evening the 9th ult., crowd of
our most respectable citizens assembled in
front of Mr.. Brough's residence on Prospect
Street, to welcome him to the city on his re-
turn home, and to express their sense of his
nomination as candidate for Governor. Lee
lands Band did their best in the way of in
strumental music, while a club of our most
celebreted Cleveland vocalists gave an addi-
tional charm to the serenade. After music by
the band, and patriotic pieces by the club,
Mr. Brough was called out. He was intro
duced to the assembly by the Hon. Amasa
Stone, Jr., and was addressed as follows by
George A. Benedict, Esq, of the Cleveland
Herald: a-.E a.sa
"Mr. Brough: Your neighbors and friends
have assembled here this evening TO give ex-
preston to their feelings of personal and po-
litical regard felt towards yourself, as we'll as
to endorse your nomination by the Union
Convention, as the Gubernatorial candidate
for the next campaign. We doubt not that
you will pass through the approaching con-
test with success and honor, and that you will
take your seat in the Gubernatorial chair with
the confident assurance of a grand political
triumph"
Mr.. Brough said: sr
Personally my friends, 1 desire to thank
AZ.
of your regard But would be arrogating a
great deal TO myself, I would be guilty of
great thoughtlessncss and vanity, did not at
| tribute some of the kindly enthusiasm with
which you have called upon me to represent.
There is one point upon which would ex-
| press my agreement with the party against
whom we are about to fight. They denounce
the government because its civil and military
authorities have, as they say, sent out of the
| State man whom those authorities did not
wish to see at the head of the State Execu-
live. feel equally restive under the dictum
which has made me a candidate for Governor,
since am by no means pleased with the ty-
rannous decree. As I, however, am disposed
to yield to any popular law or decision. and
to show no rebellious disposition, acquiesce
in the nomination; but must say, as did the
late Hon. Silas Wright when nominated fol
the governorship of New York, that 'can
only give a reluctant consent ro serve.''-
| There are many heavy burdens of business
pressing upon me, yet though could desire
to be left TO tend to them, there are many cir
cumstances which compel me to yield to the
wishes of the people, l therefore accept the
standard of the party, and shall bear it TN
hinchingly throughout the struggle; and
whether to victory or defeat, it shall be fol
those who have placed it in my hands to de-
termine. [Cheering,]
Yet word in relation to personal matters
though, what l have already said is somewhat
er<onal. l have been, and shall probably be
still further injured by abuse and misrepre
sentation as to my past political career anc
doings.
have for five and twenty years been some.
what drawn into public life, and l should
have learned but little were 1 not able to re
ceiye my portion of partisan calumny with.
out being disturbed. I wish, therefore, tc
tcorrect point in history more than anything
i else. The present times and questions seen
to demand that party lines should be obliter
ated, that platform distinctions should be laic
aside, and still 1 would desire to show that
have not wandered from my party, as my en-
emies seek to demonstrate. l have been
/. Democrat these many years, and yet naoder7
men, men of yesterday, read me out of th'
party. They say that in 1916 left the Dem
ocratic party for want of an office tolc
Mr.. Polk that he was my best friend, for hat
1 not been relieved of public duties then,
should never, perhaps, have left the Turmoil
of politics, and ins cad of having accomplish
cd something which might make ME entities
to be considered useful and honorable citi
zen, might have degenerated into tricky
time serving politician. They say that lef
the Democratic party, and yet for many year
l was connected with the Cincinnati Enquirei
which was rumored, among those who wer
g thought to know, to be the leading organ c
the party. ~
would say another word. Once when
had the honor to be connected with the fnar
ces of the State, as Auditor, in 1912, tn
question was raised by certain parties whethe
the law which had been passed in 1920. cor
fning the receipts from the Ohio Canal to tn
payment of the interest which was due thos
who lent Nancy to build that public worl
should not be repealed. Certain other me
to whom the State owed money, bona fde pei
haps, clamored for payment, and a resolutio
was introduced into the Legislature to repe'
that law, to take away the security whic
those who had helped to build the Cans
then held, and to suffer the State interest t
go by default. They reported then that thei
was man in the State Auditors office VIII
was opposed to the swindle, and that he ha
declared that his right arm should withcr u
sooner than have it employed in drawing =