Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-10-11

times more heinous and outrageous
} than all the stealing of money, and
the Democratic party has stood be-
} hind these frauds frauds which have
made the State return a verdict
: against herself; frauds which have
made me victim when had right
to be of those who, being in the ma
!. jOrity, record the verdict and deter
mine what was the opinion of the
State of New York. Those political
frauds, so abominable, strike at the
very foundation of government, for
the worst possible despotism is a des-
potism Of bogus voters. Far worse
even then the despOtism of the Car
Nicholas or that of Napoleon is a
government maintained by fraudu-
lent, irresponsible voters. Yet such
a corrupt system has been maintained
for years by the Democratic party, by
the eonnivance of men too respecta-
bic to be active agents in it, yet not
too respectable nor too honest to pocket
the gains of it, or to shout victory
over success won by gigantic fraud.
HORACE GREELEY's PERSONAL Ex-
PERIENCE.
was a candidate two years ago.
very much against my will, for a
State Office. Now in the city Of New
York there was, for certain reasons, a
widespread personal good will to-
ward me, and 1 received, doubtless,
many votes that were given for other
than political consideration. vet I
was beaten in the State by some twen-
ty-twO thousand votes. How d? The
Sixth Ward in New York gave some
thing like five thousand majority
against me, and yet there are not
three thousand voters living in it.
| Loud laughter.] In the Tenth Dis
trict Of that ward there were pOlled
against me more votes than the GEN.
sus-taker q few months before had
found men, women and children liv-
ing in that district. Laughter.
There are men who are Sena-
tors, men who hold the highest
places in your State. who are usurpers
by virtue, or vice, of their ability to
poll illegal votes. 1t is a government
based on repeaters. Such frauds are
often a thousand times more sconse-
quence than mere financial dishOnes-
ty which so alarms the country. I
have been for forty years trying to
! have them arrested, and the Demo-
cratic party has been fighting me step
by step from beginning to end. How,
then, can 1 feel auy respect for the
would-be respectable portion of that
| party when see that it eountenanees
and eOnnives at these frauds which
strike at the very vitals of the Gov
eminent? loud applause.
SHORTCOMINGS OF THE DEMOCRATIC
POLICY.
Fellow citizens, I desire to say
few words upon the questions which
fundamentally divide the two parties.
Questions not of to-day, but of all
time, divide us. I saw the other day
for there is nothing incredible or
impossible that does not get into
the newspapers suggestion that
would probably be the best Demosra-
tic candidate to run against Gen.
Grant for President. 1 thought that
about the most absurd thing I ever
heard or read I; for though General
Grant is not Democrat, he was one
once. / never was at any time of my
life; and if the Democratic party were
called upon to decide between Grant
and myself, 1 know that their regard
for what they must call principle
would induce nine-tenths Of them to |
vote against me. Why? 1 am a de- !
eided enemy of that party, even in |
its most respectable aspects.
With regard to those principles
which commend it to the good will /
of some men whose good will is wor- !
thy of respect; if, for instance, there |
be anything which characterizes and |
distinguishes that party to-day from |
the Republican party, radically, fun |
damentally, it is the idea that govern
ments should be restricted to the I
narrOwest possible sphere.
l presume there are Democrats pre- /
sent. If so they will agree with me
that If there is anything which is a
vital and indispensable principle of
the Democratic party; it is this, that
Governments ought to be restricted
to the narrowest sphere in which
they can move; that when they have
to the best of their ability kept any
evil disposed person from robbing my
house, or cutting my throat, the Cow
ernment has performed all the duty
it owes me, and has done all the work
in which it can wisely and profitably
be employed. I think any Democrat
will agree with me that if there be
one principle among the shifting
phases of political contention which
the Democratic party,
1t is this, of restricting the National
in the most rigid manner
to the duties which no man can deny
belong to it. So with the State Gov
ernment; regarding it always with
jealousy, limiting its powers, lettering
its operations, keeping it within the
sphere where its duty shall be to pro-
tect individual rights against violence
and overthrow. Now 1 dissent from
that. / am not believer in that idea
Of Government. On the contrary /
believe that Government has other
functions, beneficent, eherishing, \
fruitful, besides that of merely pro-
tecting my person against violence,
and my property against spoilation.
| hold this, indeed, to be among its
most sacred duties, but insist that
there are other duties which it may
and should perform and which, fail
ing to perform, it goes entirely be-
yond its legitimate duties.
Take, for instance, that great work
which made the city of New York
.he commercial emporium of the New
World, the New York and Erie Canal,
Ifthe Democratic principles are right, /
hat canal should never have been
or, at least, not till in
iividuals put out their own money
and constructed it at a venture with
heir own means and at their Own
'isk. If that had been the case it
might have been delayed for hun
lred years. And the sceptre would
ong ago have passed from Yew York,
md Baltimore or Philadelphia would
lave been the emporium of the New
World. New York is purely such by
means of the Erie Canal. Had not {
hat work been constructed she would
nave remained as she was, inferior to
Philadelphia in population and wealth
md inferior to Baltimore in her OPP
)Ortunities of reaching the people Of
his mighty valley of the Mississippi &
md the Ohio. {
l say, then, that If the fundamen- {
al Democratic principles are true, q
Sew York has no right to bethe great c
ity Of this continent, and the State
loright to bethe Empire State. They t
we're made such by q deliberate de- q
lance ofthat cardinal principle which,
more than any other, makes the
Democratic party respectable. 1 do I
lot believe in that principle, / be-