Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-09-03

cinnati Convention, if you had them all under
hydrostatic press. (Applause.)
But Horace Greeley won't steal; oh no, and
you feel assured because he is honest, every
follower is honest too. But Greeley has done
one thing which, had i; been done BY any man
no matter how pure and consistent before, It
would dammn him tdeeverlasting political dis
grace. He has put down under his feet a
great fundamental principle, for which he has
fought all his life, till now. What principle
has he advocated more strongly than that of
Protection, as the foundation and bulw ark of
American prosperity? Now behold him, vol
unfairly ainging away that great leading idea
of his life TO get votes for the Presidency
Now please stand up here, my Liberal friend,
and point out any political turn-coat dodge
you think more dshonorable!
What proof is there that the mass of our party
is so corrupt? We know that there are few
rogues in every party, and ours is no excep-
ton to the rule. But | understand that we
hav'nt so many this year as we had last,
(laughter,) and think we can spare yet
few more. There is great indefinite clamor
that the Treasury has lost money, and so the
books have been fully investigated. (The
Senator here read figures and statements from
the report, proving that the losses formed but
most insignificant fraction Of one per cent of
the amounts collected.) Now some Of your
bankers, merchants or money-lenders may do
better than that in making close collections.
Some OF you, dealing with your own picked
customers, on your own capital, at your own
risk, may have reduced your losses from bad
debts and dishonest men TO lower rate than
that. Have you ever done so? No; see
by the faces OF some of your business men,
that they cannot hope TO transact thei- own
affairs with such success as has been proved
by the financial ability of the present admin
istration.
(Mr. Howe here gave brief defence of the
acts OF Secretary Robson in paying iust
claims in an informal manner, which had
been fully investigated by a House Commit
lee, and which triumphantly exonersted
Robson from all blame
And what say they of the N. Y Custom
House? Mr.. Barber.-"They say you init
mated the witnesses and would'nt let them
testliy.") Yes they do say that And Mr.
ITumbull in late speech says that Republi-
can Senators opposed the investigation. Now
MIR. Trumbnll and were both right there, and
| say that Conkling moved for the invesiga-
ting committee and that not single Republi-
can Senator opposed it. Either Trumbull
or | lie. There were men of both parties
on that committee. | was member of it.
We went to New York and sat with open
come in. We heard testimony every day
from 10 A. M. till 10 p. M Whoever
wanted to testify, did so. | myself told the
members that | should object to no question.
We let witnesses tell all they had seen, heard :,
thought or dreamed about the Custom House
tell you, we just sat there and held buck
Ell into which all that was vile in N. Y. might
vomit. Yet they dare TO say we ntimidated
witnesses!
Mr. Howe gave much time to the
results of the investigation, but as
we have articles soon to appear, am
ply refuting al the trash about Leet
and Stocking, it is unnecessary to
repeat il. The remainder of his
speech, with an eloquent peroration
that reused the audience 10 intense
feeling,is omitted from lack of space.
After an inspiring piece of music,
Pres. Ryland introduced the next
speaker, Hon. G. L. Gill, who held
the great assemblage silent and in
terested for another hour. His
speech was full of pungent hits that
drew forth rounds of applause. and
we would like to record some of
them if possible.
The meeting was then closed till
evening by several rounds of vocfer-
Gus cheers for our candidates. Ma.
ny drove home and the multitude
scattered in search of supper. But
in the place of those who left were
doubly filled by fresh strings of teams,
pouring in to see the evening display
At the booming of the gun the peo-
pie reassembled at dark and the Ian.
caster Tanners and Cobblers fell int
line. Torches were lighted. and the
street filled with people. The Ian
caster Tanners, 100 ia number, were
the first company TO light their
torches in Wisconsin for the present
campaign. An addition has been
made, of so Cobblers, with torches,
paper caps, and working aprons,
Those who wore these humble badp-
es in imitation of the poor apprentice
of the last and awl, who is to be our
next Vice President, were chiefly
from other towns. Transparencies
were carried, and the martial music
and semimilitary drill brought back
many war memories. The fiery
ranks under Capt Baxter went
through their most beautiful and be.
wildering evoIutions; of these the
serpentine and the labyrinth were in
describably beautiful.
The meeting was called to order
around the stand, where the torches
ruddy glare lit up the whole square,
and, set off by the green trees and
black sky above, formed a picture in
memory that will not soon be effaced.
After more music, James Ross. the
talented speaker and reporter of
Madison, mounted the table and gave
one OF the most witty, earnest and
telling appeals, to which no report
here would do justice. He drew forth
the loudest and widest cheers of the
day for Grant and Wilson, and closed
by calling for three cheers for VIM
Pitt Dewey, to whose labors the vast
assee bly, was most indebted for the
pleasures and privileges of the day.
They were given most heartily.
The fireworks were displayed, and
there seemed fountain of rockets
and colored fires shooting up from
the Square. After moro marching
and music, the crowd slowly dissolv-
ed, distant delegations took the way
home. the artillery started for Platte
vile, and the Square at 10 o'clock be.
came dark. Only few solitary
torches glimmered on the distant
roads, lighting the Tanners on t. cir
homeward way.
OF the numbers present there are
various estimates, from 5000 to 5000.
nN.In 1853, Mr.. Wilson and his
friends, in conjunction with the
Democratic party, undertook to
amend the Massachusetts Constitu.
ton. Senator Wilson, who was then
IL