Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-03

pie have in themselves, and for a long time
popular reform movements will not rise again
under the weight of dscredit you will have
| brought upon them. Is it possible that such
should be the result of our doings? 1t is posi-
| BILE, if we do not rise to the full height of
our duty; it is possible, if, instead of
following the grand impulse of the popular
heart, we attempt to control and use this move
ment by the old tricks OF political trade, or fritz
ter away our zeal in small chickering's and mean,
selfish aspirations, We have come together TO
give shape, point and practical productive force
10 this great upheaval of popular conscience. 1t
is our business to lay down certain principles
and propositions of policy, and we have to pre-
sent to the sufirages of the people men for the
highest offices OF the republic, who, if elected,
are to carry those principles and propositions
| into living reality.
| As TO our PLATFORM we shall be wise enough
| to keep IN mind those things which a republic
| stands most in need of. The very fact OF our
| having come together is proof OF our substan-
| tial argument. Let us only, in what we promise
| to the people, be honest and straightforward
/ and not attempt TO cheat those whom we ask TO
| follow our lead by deceitul representations
As to the men whom we shall present for the
| high offices of the government, let us, | entreat
you, not lose sight of the fact that the great re-
| forms, the overthrow of inveterate abuses the
| establishment of 4 better order of things are
not accomplished by mere promises and declara-
| tlons; but require wise and energetic action of
statesmen, if this is 10 be truly reform move
mept, and if it be not merely on paper. But it
must be embodied in the men we trust with
| power to infuse spirit of reform into practical
action. If you want to know how reforms are
| not executed, look at those now in power You
will hardly excel them in profusion of high
| sounding professions, and you will never
excel them in the art of how not to do it, Re-
| form must become farce in the hands of those
| who either do not understand it or do not care
| for it. If you mean reform, entrust the work to
NUb IN mn, Il nd h,,,,
do and care more for it than for their own per
sonal ends. Pardon me if | express myself on
| this point with freedom and frankneSS | have
| not, assure you, come here for the purpose of
urging the claims or advancing the interest of
| any one man against all others. | have come
| here with a sincere and ardent devotion to the
| cause, and TO use my best endeayorS to have
| that cause put under the care of men who are
devoted to it with equal sincerity, and possess
| those qualities of mind and heart which will
make it safe in their keeping.
earnestly deprecate the cry we have heard so
| frequently, Anybody to defeat Grant" There
| is something more wanted than to defeat Grant.
| Not anybody who might by cheap popularity
| or by aStute bargains and combinations or by
all the tricks of political wire pulling, manage
| to Scrape together votes enough to be elected
president. We do not merely want another; but
| we want better president than we now have
| We do not want mere change of persons in the
| administration Of the government; we want the
| overthrow of perncious system; we want the
| eradication of flagrant abuses; we want the in
fusion of a loltier moral spirit into our political
| organization; we want government which the
| best people OF this country will be proud of.
Not ANYBODY can accomplish that; and
therefore away with the cry anybody to beat
Grant'-a cry too paltry, too unworthy of the
great enterprise in which we are engaged.
do not struggle for the mere punishment of an
| opponent in temporary lease OF power There
is to me thing no lesS-nay more-important
even than our success in this campaign; and
that is, that the American people shall not be
| disappointed in the fruits which our victory is
| to bear. If we should fail to select men who
| will carry out the benefcent reform we contem-
| plate, then-let me say it boldly-it would be
| better had this movement never been underta.
| ken; for the continuance of those in power who
| possess it now would mean only a reformatory
movement deferred, and an opportunity lost.
| STILL while our failure now would mean great
| reform movement sunk TO the level of a farce a
| great opportunity lost, and the hope of the peo-
pie turned into Encouragement and disgust, let
us discard at least the fatal error into which
many seem to have fallen: That no statesman
ship is required to conduct the affairs of a
| great government. | candidly believe the peO-
pie are waking up to the truth for unless |
| greatly mistake the spirit of this day, what the
| people now most earnestly demand is not that
mere good intentions but that a superior intclli-
gence coupled with superior virtue, should
guide our affairs; not that merely an honest
and popular man, but that statesman, be
put at the head of our government.
In selecting candidates for office, politicians
are accustomed to discuss the question of avail
ability. What does availability mean in our
| casep Let us look for the best men we have
and among the very best let us select the
strongest. The people earnestly desire a thor
ough reform of our government. They want
not only change but change flor the better
They want also, therefore, to be assured that il
| Will he for the better and that the hest IL
date is likely to be the most available. If we
| present men to the sutfrages of the people
| whose characters and names appeal to
| the loftiest instincts and aspirations of
| the patriot citizen, we shall have on
our side that which ought to be, and now trust
| will be, the ruling arbiter of political contests
| the conscience of the nation. If that be DONE
| the success will be certain Then we can appeal
| to the minds and hearts, to the loftest ambition
| of the people, with those arguments and en-
| treaties which spring only from a clear cOnvic.
| ton of right then we shall not appeal in vain
| for their support to those of our fellow citizens
| who hitherto were separated from us by party
! divisions; who desire honestly 10 work for the
| best interests of the country in this crisis, and
| whom we shall welcome with fraternal greeting
| in this struggle for a great cause, whether they
| call themselves democrats or republicans. Then
| we shall successfully overcome those prejudices
/ which now confront us, and the insiduous accu-
sation that this great conp6Dtion is mere gath
1
| will fall harmless at our feetj for we shall have
| demonstrated by our action that we were guided
| by the purest and most patI Otil Of motives
and this can be done. Letus hespiss,as unworthy
of our cause, the tricky manipulations by which,
| to the detriment of the republic political bodies
| have SO frequently been controlled. Let us, in
| the face OF great things 10 lie accomplished rise
| above all petty considerations. Personal friend.
| ship and state pride are noble sentiments; but
what is personal friendship, what is state pride,
compared with the great duty we owe to our
common country and the awful responsibility
| resting upon orr action as sensible men. We
| know that not every one Of us can be grati6ed
| by the choice of his faYorite; many of us will
| have to be disappointed, But in this solemn
hour our hearts shOnld know but one fayorite
| and that is the American republic,
Pardon me for these words of warning and en-
| treaty, trust nobody win consider them mis-
| placed, ferVeptly hope the result of our de-
| iberations will show thar they were not spoken
| in vain. know that they have sprung from the
most anxious desire to do what is best for our
| country, and thus appeal to YOU with all the
ieryor Of anxious interest. We stand on the
| threshold of great victory, and victory will
| surely be ours if we truly deserve it.
The committee on rules organized by electng
Theodore Tilton, of New York, as chairman
| ana ID, l.. Burnett, of Ohio, as secretary. Ali
nut three OF the states were represented The COM
mlltee reported as follows First, that the rules
anu regulations governing the house of repre-
sentatiyes of the United States shall be the rules
governing this body; provided, that no dele
gates shall be entitled to speak more than once
upon the same question, and shall be limited to
hVe minutes, except the mover thereof, who
in the closing debate shall be entitled to five
minutes more.
Second, the delegation from each state shall
cast the entire vote of the state, and every dele
gate shall represent such proportion of the en-
tire vote as he shall be of the delegation pres
ent, ana his vote shall be reported TO the CON
vention by the chairman of the delegation as
cast by the delegate.
Third, in voting for candidates for president
and wee president of the United States, a ma.
Jority Of all the votes shall be requisite to a
choice.
Fourth, to facilitate the business of the con.
veniion, the yeas and nays shall not be called,
but division of the convention may be had by
a call OF the states.
The committee on credentials reported in the
case OF the contest in the New York delegation,
after fully and carefully considering the subject.
In the matter of the protest they reported the
following resolution
Resolved, that in the opinion of this committee
the contestants in the convention from the state of
New York are not entitled to seats in this eonven
ton.
And, in relation TO the California delegation.
the following resolution;
n. a. a.