The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-04-18

The equal rights OIL Ali were eStaDilSneu
throughout the land. provision made
for the debt incurred in maintenance
of the Union, and that payment Of
bouDties and pensions of soldiers
should be forever sacred, and that the
debt OF the rebels and payment for
slaves should never be made. Since
then provision has been made by
which the debt incurred is in gradual
course of extinction, to-day all the
States are restored to their former re-
Iations in the Union, and what now is
there 10 disturb the happiness and
peace of the peopic5 There are sew
eral causes for dissatisfaction of the
people, which can only briefly allude
TO on the present occasion, and shall
not touch upon many which ought to
be discussed before the people at large.
But one cause of complaint Which
produces alienation in the late lnsur-
rectionary States, and keeps alive the
hates and animosities eHgendered by
war is the continuance 0fpolitical dis
abilities after the occasion for them has
passed away. In consequence of this
continuance the government in the late
insurrectionary States have fallen into
| the hands of inexperienced men, and
in MANY cases of corrupt adventures,
who have plundered the people of
those States, scarcely less than you in
the city of New York have been
plundered by your former city gov
ernment. Applause. Why are these
disabilities continued? ? Why are they
not removed. and all people enfran-
chised think there are two causes,
and two alone, which prevent it, enc
9TH r,n1SfsaoI Tho
mercenary one is that these adventur-
ers should exclude from Office in these
States former leading men that reside
there, of large experience and -eapaci-
sy, and although they were traitors
during the war they were not thieves
nor plunderers. fLoud Cheering. l.
Their exclusion has thrown these gov
ernments into the hands of men who
have used their power to plumber the
people over whom they rule, and the
debts of the Southern States have been
swollen in some instances twenty fold
from what they were before the war
began, and they don't even have what
they had in the city of New York to
show for the money expended. An
other reason for the continuance of
these political disabilities is, as said,
authority use political disability as so
much capital upon which to trade. To
illustrate what 1 mean, will refer to
what occurred in the State of Georgia
few years ago, when a man named
Bullock was Governor. When the
Legislature of that State was about to
be organized, it was understood that
certain persons had been elected who
10 11u.7o1. HlnlifioaI n 90 hill.
ties. They were given to understand
that those of them who woHld sastain
| the Governmenecould have their po-
litical disabilities removed, and those
! who would ll0t could not be permitted
| to take their. seats in the Legislature,
and the reseilt was that the political
| Disabilities were removed from such
as acted with the government and
| otfSehSSwere excluded, and he had con-
tEol.ef that Legislature, and succeeded
<iMDastening upon the State debt the
dfscovery of which of late caused
him to flee the State and escape the
gxehishment which would have fol-
| lowed the frauds commi5ted. So it is
with members of Congress elected
from the Southern States. They prom
ised to remove political disabilities
from their adherents, and they are al
ways ready to do it where they can
gain favor.
Three cheers were here heartily
given for Horace Greeley, who was
espicd on the platform.
Senator Tfumbull.-I am glad to
hear such cheers here, in honor of the
! first champion, [ believe, and he pro-
claimed it boldly, of universal amnes-
| fy. CRenewed cheering.f One greet
measure, then, which is demanded in
the name of honesty, in the name of
peace and best interest, IS the passage
of the general bill removing political
disabilities. Great cheering.
Another cause of complaint among
the people is the way in which the
patronage of the government is used
used as if it were SO much money to
carry elections, not in the interest of
/ the party, even. 1t does not rise to
that high dignity, but in the interest
4 of a faction of party. Great ap-
piause. 1t is notorious, you all know
it in the city of New York, for it has
been disclosed by an investigating
committee which sat in this city. that
your custom house is here filled with
men who. Instead of having received
/ their appointment in consequence of
their fidelity, their ability and their
capacity to discharge the duties of
/ their offices for the best interests OF
the country, are appointed because of
the interest it is supposed they can
exert at some primary election or
/ State convention, or in teaching you
people who to vote for at the polls
/ J[Laughter.l This civil service system
of ours is the parent of many, very
many evils. l cannot stop Tonight to
point out the officers in many locall-
ties who are taxed portion OF their
salaries for party purposes, and ifthey
do not perform the political duty re-
quired of him, he very soon is re-
moved, and others substituted who
will be active in politics.
Passing from this question of the
Civil Service System, which wonld
occupy an hour to discuss properly
before you, come to another measure
which should create an alarm through
out the country. l allude to the as
sumption of unwarranted power on
the part of the federal government
and departments of the federal gov
ernment. [Cheers.l Te illustrate, a
military officer in command in Geor=
gia, issues an order prohibiting cer-
tain men to sit in the Legislature, and
allowing others to take their seats in
direct defiance of act of Congress, and
which should have subjected that Of
ficcr to an imprisonment of not less
/ than two years in the penitentiary.
Was any notice ever taken of it2 Yes
the matte. was referred to the Com
mittee on Judiciary in the Senate OF
the United States, and a report was
made by that committee, drawn up by
Senator Edmunds of Virginia, an ar
dent friand of the administration, and
expressing in mild terms that the COM
mittee were constrained to say that
the action of the military authority
was contrary to law. Applause And
that is the only notice ever taken OF
that outrage, of that encroachmeni