New-York tribune., 1872-09-13
spEEcH oF rRANCIs KERNAN.
IN Pari-At Tamuany Han

she Great and cordial greeting which you nave gwen ~
accept my cordial thanks. 1t affords me very sIo".
satisfaction TO meet at thsiime so large anu
a body OF the people of the City of New-York, ana 10
pni,e with them in expressing our appreciation ana ap
ureya of the platform Of principles adopted at Chclha
and conArued al Baltimore great appauseI 10 the enu
that those principles should be put in praccal eecV III
the administration Of the Federal Government We arc
here tonight without regard TO past differences III our
oltcs TO pledge ourselves to honorable exeruoh
90 eoct 10 the Office OF President and Vice President
Horace Greeley and Benjamin Gratz Brown Immense
npplause and three cheers for Greeley and Brown NO
norton Of our people have deeper interest in the ques
tons TO be decided than the people OF this great
cial and financial metropolis Corruption ana maladmn
istron are seriously detrimental TO the welfare OF our
people wherever they are, throughout the United states
But maladniaistration and corruption are speciany
fatal to the peace, good order and good government u
great financial city like this.
TIL DANGER OF PREJUDICE.
Fenow-tizeas the questions involved in the DISCUS
son the debate which now going on among the poo-
pie OF ali the States OF less concerns the peserNa
zion OF your political institutions, and touches nearly
upon the happiness prosperity ofour people through
out the states In such debate such discussion there
should be no appeal TO passion or prejudice The ap-
neal slOud be TO the reason the Judgment the inteu
gence the conscience Of every voter throughout the
land Prejudice and passion overtime" Ie"-
Son Hate and bitterness crush out the life
in this debate Indulge in ytuperation or attempt 10
str up bitterness or hate among the people We should
carry on this great discussion earnestly, hut we shoud
carry il on as brethren having common interest In the
welfare Of the country and, being convinced that we
are right should try to convince our opponents that
they can do their duty only by going with u ana over
throwing the msrule which ruins and the admnistra
tfon of physical force. FeOwcitzens, as your Chair
man well said the question is whether we shah have
reform in the administration OF public affairs whether
we shah elect to Office who viii exert every power
of the Government with view and for the purpose OF
giving an honest administration Of government
with view and purpose Of good govern
,oent a good administration to the great
masses OF the people in every State In this Union
The question is whether we shall elect TO Office who
will reform the abuses which we say have existed
in the administration Of tho Government during
The last few years. Now, fellow-citizens, that
that there are abuses, that there Is maadministraton
that there is "a necessity Of reform submit to every IN
feigent man upon facts within his own observation
IAppausel Is il not true that corruption, venaty,
sehshncss has crept into nearly all the departments OF
the Federal Government Why, you saw in your own
city how the Leets and the Stockings were bleted on
your commerce. Laughter and applauseJ And when
a aeommittee Of investigation pressed you saw how
n was resisted and you that when the Committee
was appointed in the United States Senate none OF the
men were taken who wanted to prove the charges or
show that there had been maladminstraton; and you
wrongs and injurious conduct toward the merchants and
The commerce Of the city. Have they been corrected
Have they been reformedi lCries of NO. no." and
appausel Aud ask merchants. and business men, and
laborng men, whether the present Administration has
done its'duty in reforming these abuses l"No no.
Applausel -
You have the Caseys and Others welding Federal
Office as he had done in NewOrleans and you have seen
them not deyotng themselves TO the duties OF their
Office but devotng themselves their patronage and their
influence to stir up strife and to interfere in the elections
of the State And IN regard 10 Casey Republican Com
mttee made a report from which it seen at once
that he ought TO be removed from Office example;
but you that he is at the Customhouse in New
Orleans to-day And yet you told there is no need
OF reform Applause.l You another spectacle,
which in the earlier and better days Of our Republic,
would have raised the Indignation Of the people. Why
we have all been taught, all know that the man who
accepts Office in honor and duty is bound TO devote his
time devote his energy 70 devote his abilities to guard
ing the interests Of the people, and properly discharge
The duties Of that Office He must remember that he is
servant Of the people, not their master He is not to
come down and dictate to the voters in reference TO
their exercise of the elective franchise Yet you have
seen in this very that party affiliations have
REQUIRED a Secretary OF the Treasury, a Secretary
Of the Navy Secretary ofthe Postoce, to neglect their
duty and leave their posts and 80 into North Carolina
and Maine and Pennsylvania, and Michigan TO make
coerce and dictate TO the citizens how to manage their
OFFICIAL COERCION OF VOTERS.
Now call your attention TO this, you intelligent think
ing men, 10 you how long Institutions will stand
a. their fathers made them, your servants attempt to
become your masters not only in Federal affairs but in
local State elections [Applausel. But said that
needed great reforms in the administration Of Federal
affairs and call your attention to the testimony from
who clearly prove that they are required You will
remember that there great complaints made Of the
lnsadmnlsTaton by Federal officers. You will re-
member that during the last session Of Congress- Re
pabIeans, representative men, who aided in build
ing up the party, who held Office within the party,
who pointed at by members Of the party when they
wished to show the character Of the men who
honOTed IL. You remember that these men
made an effort for reform. They tell that there
great evils and dangerous corruption going in the
OF the Federal Government, under the
present Administration They are Sumner Immense
and Trunbu lapplausel and Schurz lap
plausel and FentOn lapplausel and FarnswOrth and
AIvord and Lttlejohn and DOnnan, and thousands Of
Others They declared that there were dangerous and
gross abuses the administration Of Federal affairs,
and told you that they had stven 10 reform the Repub
party and had utterly failed through the power Of
the Office holders welding the power of the Federal Ad
They fortified their words by dheir
tiOns They found that the time had come when they
must sever the ties which bound them TO the party
which they had aided TO build up, and acted with for
years. They must decide whether they
would sever their bonds to the |
party their faithfulness the country. thank God
they stood by their country gTeat appause and dsre
garded the ties Of party. Those deserve well Of
their eloweitiEens Of every party They preferred to
take all the Odun that attaches Ionorty, all the
OF the party in power and place rather than
any longer act with the party that refused reform
gros and dangerous abuses which threatened per
ant They da-
cared the sentiments Of their felowcitizens and we
the representatives Of these have named and
Of great mass Of honest, practical Republicans from
every State gather together at Cincinnati 10 SOC how