, 1872-10-23


in. Indiana, that Fifteenth Amend
1neat has been declared BY the political
departments Of the Government to have been
decided, apd the Supreme Court Of the United
States, when Chief Justice Tauey Was at its
head, declared the American doctrine to be this.
that when political question has been decided
by the political department Of the Government,
the Court cannot reverse that decision. Aud 30,
according to that deciEou of American law,
stand upon the declaration of tho platform that
the amendments to the Constitution must be re-
spected aud obeyed.
UNIVERSAL AMNESTY.
Next in the platform is the declaration that
the rights which have been denied, because Of
participation in the Rebellion, shall be restored
aud that means Universal Amnesty. [Cheers:]
Let there be no proscrlbed class or caste IN this
country because of the Rebellion but let the
white man oEce more be restored to his rights
| and to his responsibilities as q citizen.
! [Cheers.]
LOCAL 6ELE-GovERGlIESTS.
Noxt i'll that platform. to which I will call
your attention, is this great and important
declaration ''Our policy shall be to maintain
local soH-governments, and not Capitalization;
the writ Of habeas corpus shall be- respected and
promo over the military power" [cheers.l
To that declaration Horace Greeley and Gratz
Brown have pledged their faith and their honor,
and what Democrat is not satisfied with that
| declaration2 We will stand by the local self
governments, and we will oppose the encroach-
| ments Of Capitalization. I ask you if you are
| willing to throw away the opportunity to restore
TIE TIE state governments to their legltlmattee t. and
we aro."l I ask for the States no powers, no
prerogatiyes, not recognized by the Constitution
Of the United States. But the tendency Of
General Grants Administration has been to
'np powars and prerosatiVea and
to c{othe the central power with
these prerogetives. And every man
that is in favor Of maintaining the legitimate
l T.. T4,-
is asked to rally around the flag, now floating in
the political sky, upon which is written tie son
timent that have just repeated from the plat
| form.
CIVIL VS.. MILITARY AUTHORITY.
Next, my countrymen, in this platform, as
have repeated. is tie declaration that the civil
| authority shall be supreme over tho military
| power. The tendency of the present national
! Administration has been to establish the military
power supreme over the civil authority: ask
that law that hangs over you as q protec5,
ton to you, and to your families, and
to your property, ak you to atand It, q
be supreme over the military power" [cheers.1
It is that civil power that takes the poor man by
the hand into tho courts Of the land, and holds
him up as tue equal OF the richest; that civil
law takes the weak and the humble by the hand
and holds them up in respect to their rights as
the equal of the strongest and The proudest in
the land The protection Of person and Of prop
erty and of reputation ought not to be LEFT, and
Il shall not detain you to speak
Of the writ of 1aJeas corpus. That IS to
he naintaiued-that right that secures to the
citizen freedom against unlawful arrest. It's
the inheritance OF the American people, which,
they will not allow themselves to be robbed Of
80 long as they ara free people. lcheersl.
| CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Tho next proposition in this platform to which
would call your attention is this: "There shall
be 4 real and not pretended reform in the civil
service of the Republic" There should be Q
real reform; not pretended reform IL shail
found, it shall be cut out, 60 that the service Of
this country once mora shall be according to the
spirit and sentiment Of honesty and Integrity.
/ know very well that it is claimed that There
is no corruption in General Grants Aaminis-
tration: know that it WAS stated in the United
States Senate that General Grants Administra-
tion was the best our country has ever had
do not admit that. You know it iB not 80. You
Grant men know very we'll that this Adminlstra-
tion is not as pure rs the former Administrations
Of this country and need scarcely furnish ar
gument upon that subject. Every man feels,
conscieutiousiy, that there is necessity for
! reform.
| ADMINISTRATION CORRUPTION.
But let me call your attention to one or two
facts. Do you know that during the last ees-
sion Of Congress nearly every Department at
Washington was put on trial before Congress
sional Committees upon charges of fraud end
corruption2 Aye, but do not you know that the
leading Republican Senators, in their places IN
. the Senate, declared that the Departments
would have been convlcted if the committees
had not been organized to acquit? But the
Grant men say they we're acquittcd,-yes, with
. divided report, the proof conyicting them IN
ciate Judges under the laws Of the State Of In
diena when I WAS yet a young lawyer, and
, then attended one OF the adjoining courts, q
Court in an adjoining county. The day got
111l1 EHaf f1 aya
. his seat upon the bench, and come down and
{ stand at trial before jury upon an Indictment
j for perjury. Well, it was close trial, and the
t evidence was little conflicting, and it is
I | technical case to make out, and So finally, the
/ jury acquitted tue Judge, and thon LIE said he
l believed he was the only Judge in the State Of
Indiana who had record evidence of his good
: you tonight that General Grants Administra-
tion is tho only one III the history of this coun'
try that has that sort of record evidence OF ite
: good character. There ia no such record eyi'
. donce Of the good character OF John Quincy
: Adams' Administration there ia no such record
0 evidence Of the good character Of Gen.
: era! Jackson's Administration there is nj
i: such record evidence Of ,un1 the s.uo gooe ;s
n Why? Because in those days there were NJ
Committees Of Investigation, and there we're nt
charges; there were no suspicious Of fraud ant
corruption in high places, but the pubic service
: OF your country and mine was honest and pure
8 Aye, during those three Administrations that
a have mentioned, covering period Of sixtcer
J., years of our countrys history, believe not ont
n single dollar Of the public money was loet-no
3 dollar, perhaps; aud when the Secretary o
q the Treasury: year or two ago, was called upo1
9 for report of the number Of public otticerl
It whose accounts we're not settled at th'
n Department, it was above 800 in mum
It ber, and more than $2o,ooo,0oo re
Il manned rnaccounted for. Oh! they say tha
d that is a good public service that that is th.
I best public service in the world! II that be tn
y best public service in the world heaven help th'
3 poor country that has the worst. lCheers.1
b TIE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
Now, my fel1ow-citizens, an not going to oc
cupy much Of your time in reading tonight bu
1 wieh to cali your attention to report made tt
y the President of the United States, and by hin
n laid before Congress Mt the last session, whicl
y settles this question; say it settles tn
l. for General Grants reelection vote
J. to continue q system Of publi'
3 corruption unknown in all the former days O.
a our country. lChecrs.1 This subject has oc
8 cupied 50 much Of public attention that yea