Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-10-10
WHOLE ' NUMBER 2S5.


date. You rejoice in it becauseIt Sc ems to
aid or to promote your prospects of an cleo
tion." Well, feIlow-citizens, tried most
earnestly four years ago to have the Demo-
cratic party take the step it has now taken.
then desired it should nominate Chief Justice
Chase as the candidate for President Not
that cared SO much for the man, but that
did an1iously hope and wish that the Demo-
cratic party would step upon the platform
where it stands now. A platform of pure
Democratic principles, platform which
regardless of color. IF that party had
chosen to do so four years ago, by nominate
ing Chief Justice Chase, this country would
have been very far advanced, very much fur
ther advanced on the right road than it now
is. Hence, for my couDtry's sake, for the
sake of its peace, its Advancement. its pros
perity, did gladly desire that the ground
should be taken which has been taken now,
| Fellow-citizens, they tell you that the Demo-
| cratic party is not sincere in taking this
ground? Why not sir cere What is to be
| gained by false practices 1t alienated some
supporters it cooled the zeal of others.
! Why should great party pretend to be
thing it is not? I tell you, Abolitionists, that
| such step once taken never can be recalled.
| There can be no advantage, there can be no
| purpose, in taking the backward track But
| no, that backward track viii never be taken.
The shadow will not go back on the trail.
| Whatever may be the result of this present
| election, whether it shall result one way or
| other, there will never again be serious
| question as to the rights, the equal rights, OF
|
ment, and 1, who have grown old, who have
Witnessed during quarter of century a
controversy respecting the black men and
| their rights, do earnestly desire that this
| struggle should cease, and cease now. (Great
applause hope l may live to see the end
| of it, and hear it said that whatever the peo-
| pie may divide upon, or quarrel about, they
| have done with conflict, they have done with
controversy concerning the equal rights of
man. For my part do greatly rejoice that
this movement has been made. I rejoice
that my name, however humble, has been
| identified with it. Lshall rejoice in success,
| if success crown our efforts. viii rejoice in
| defeat, if defeat shall be encountered, that
eandidate an end has BEEN nut to All conten
| ton concerning the equal righss of man.
| [Cries of g Good" +" Good.'1 And ask the
| old-time Abolitionists of the Western Reserve
whether they ought not to rejoice with me.
Fellow-citizens, it is time that we were done
90 That's SO, ~ Good, - :. Good.'] There are,
| of labor, the interests of labor, the duties Of
labor, that struggle now for public attention.
| We want to commence this discussion. We
| want to- know, to comprehend, to realize
what measures are necessary and expedient
to advance the interests and secure the
| rights of honest, useful labor. IApplause
| and cheers.l In order that we may do this,
we desire that the rubbish and debris of the
| ol1-time controversy be swept out of sight.
There is no longer reason for contention
| concerning the rights of the black man.
! They are securedby the stltution.E They
| are bolted riveted fastened, double fastened
| by the Constitution. All we need now Is a
| cheerful acquiescence of the people of all
| parties in the Constitution as proclaimed,
and secured by that we shall have it Fellow
| citizens, to-day portion of our citizens are
| disfranchised, are denied q voice in the gov
| ernment of this country because they were
| rebels eight or ten years ago. think that
| an Injurious prescription. / ask let 1t be
| swept out of the way, that it be finished and
| put aside, in order that the questions of
| taxation and finance, of labor, and the uten-
slls of labor may come to the front The in
stinct of the people on every side say 80. We
| cannot begin, to quarrel about tariffs, and
| tied that all the white men of this country
| should have equal rights with all the black
men. Let us decide in this election that
| there shall be no more prescribed ciase, no
| more disfranchsed class, no more, as in
| Arkansas, 10000 men, white men, citizens,
| who have willingly conformed to all rights of
| the Government, and are still denied by an
| infamous registration board. and by State
| legislation, any voice in the disposal OF their
| property Debts are charged up against
| their property by the votes of men who have
| no property, and they, the planters OF that
| great State, are denied any voice in the Gov
| ernment which taxes and robs them. i de-
mand for them, and for every American, en-
| franchisement. demand liberty. We have
| liberty now for those who were once In slave
/ ry. I demand liberty for those who were
| never our slaves and are now our country
| men. Give us universal amnesty along with
| impartial suffrage which we have, and we
| will sweep out of sight the rubbish of past
| contention. We will begin anew, on the COM
mon platform of equal rights, a new race, a
| new progress in liberty, new progress In
prosperity. [Applause.l We will, as one
people. maintain our union evermore. rejoice
| in the prosperity, in the greatness, and In the
glory of the American Republic. [Trsmen-
dous and prolonged cheers.]