The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-02-16
MR.. HELM AT SYRACUSE.
Editor Democrat:

Syracuse Democratic Club on last
Saturday, by invitation. He reviewed
the prominent issues which divide the
two great parties of the present day
in such a manner as ought to carry
conviction to the minds of all reason
able and thinking men that Demo
cratic principles should prevail, and
the party be once more placed in
power, so as to administer the gov
eminent of the United States on the
the old principles of the Constitution,
such as had prevailed throug,at q pc
Rod of near 20 years of prosperity
and peace. The speaker showed that
Democratic principles still remained
the same as when they were in power;
that they had administered the gov
eminent from its inception, until the
present Republican party came into
power, with the exception of a very
short period; that the Republican
party had in the course of ten years
radically changed the whole principles
of the Constitution, by what is termed
the 14,h and 18th Amendments, thus
Introducing new issues unheard of
before, with all their ruiaous conse-
quences; that the Administration of
President Lincoln, bad as it was,
might be termed good when com
pared with the Administration Of
President Grant, whose policy was to
increase his patronage and power by
the creation of new offices, encourag-
ing fraud and peculation in every de-
partment of the government, which is
nov beng plainly shown by able and
leading Republicans themselves. He
spoke of the ~corruptions of Secretary
Boutwell,, relative to his management
of what is called the Syndicate fund
also the effects of the United States
bonds not being taxable; that he was
in favor of some law being passed to
tax at least all new issues of bonds;-
that the partial liquidation of the
public debt as represented by the
Republican party, was measurably a
fraud on the people; that instead of
being paid it was only changed into
another shape. He spoke of the OPP
preston of a high protective tariff
that its operation was against the la
boring class, the consumer, and in
favor OF the capitalist, building them
up in wealth and power, while placing
burdens upon the shoulders of the
poor man; that Democrats were in
favor of equal and exact justice TO
one and to all alike, and opposed to
all class-legislation. He urged all
Democrats t o be wide awake to all
such Entertainments upon their rights
and liberties; that all the monied in
corporations of the country work
against the interest of the people,
that the great fight now was capital
againt labor-hence the NECESSITY of
a strict watch on every hand hat
he was opposed to Congress giving
to such mouopolies the public bonds.
which had been designed for home
steads for the poorer classes, by the
former actions of the Democratic
party while in power, which land
grants to those monied interpretations
are building them up in wealth and
power in opposition to the laboring
interests of the country. He said that
he was not opposed to the improve
ments of the country, but that he was
in favor of giving all needful encour-
agement to such improvements; but
needful laws should be passed TO
keep them from encroaching upon the
rights of the people. He spoke also
of the interference of Congress with the
rights of States in regulating the man.
ner of voting.
In relation to the idea of new de-
partures and passive policies he said
he was opposed to all such innova-
tons, the encouragement of which
had already and would still tend to
the disorganization of the Democratic
party; that we wanted peace and
harmony, but not at the expense OF
principles; that the arguing in favor
of such principles was uncalIed for
that the Democratic party, three mil
lions strong, should be Passive, and
let a few discontinued Republicans
take the lead, would be madness in
the extreme.
Thus the discourse closed. I can
not depict in its proper colors the
merits of the speech, therefore, / have
only limited at some of the most prom
inent points.