Middletown transcript., 1874-06-20
SPEECH OF HON. B. T. BIGGS
AT THE DEMOCRATIC COUNTY MEETING, AT
NEW CASTLE, SATURDAY, JUNE 6Tn.


retirement am as you know what is called a
plebean, and my mind is directed in other cham
nels. It was only yesterday that | arrived
home, tired and worn out, but felt 1t to be my
duty TO come here and meet my fellow Demo-
Gratis of New Castle county.
Disguise il as you may, hide it, mystify it,
gloss it over as you please, there is something
innate in the heart Of every true white Delawa-
rean that leads him instinctively to the Demo-
cratic party.
As entered the room friend said to me that
If this is to be like the last campaign we might
as well 60 home now. That is true but this is
not to be like that. We have nc strange gods to
follow this campaign, and therefore let white
men rally around the old standard of Democracy.
For fifteen years the Republican party has ruled
the country, and how they have ruled it you
need not be told, but thank God, they have
never ruled the chickens of the Old Blue Hen
They attempted to overawe us with troops, they
compelled us to approach the polls through two
lines of bayonets, and | regret to say my own
native county Of New Castle went under, but the
other counties stood firm and in spite of bayo-
nets and in spite Of danger, gave us Democratic
legislature.
Compare this convention with that which last
met in this town. To-day our honored Chair
man, our vice Presidents, our Secretaries are
white men, but at that negro was the Secretary.
But what do the Republicans care for the black
man All they want is his vote. The people
are disguised with his tricks and if we are true
to ourselves New Castle county will lock hands
with Kent and Sussex, and this Radical party
will be buried beyond the hope of decent
resurrection.
What are the signs of the times? From be-
yond the wsstera mountains, from the far Paci
fc slope, tn. news reaches US this morning that
the first member elected TO the next Congress is
Democrat, and that Oregan has elected a Demo-
cratic Governor and and full Democratic State
ticket and then turn to the East, and we see in
Connecticut, in the very heart of Yankeedom, a
Democratic Legislature which has just sent
Democrat to represent that State in the United
States Senate, and he is no milk and water DEM
ocrat either. Buckingham, the Radical walks
the plank with his head off, and Eaton, our old
States Right Democrat, takes his place. The
people OF Connecticut thus say that the constitu-
tion shall be respected once more, and that the
equality between the executive, the legislative
and judicial branches Of the government shall
again be asserted and maintained. Ohio, too
elects Democratic Legislature, which sends to
the Senate, Thurman, man who would grace
the Presidential chair. Thus, from every side
come evidences of the success of the Democratic
party, and while welcome all white men 10 its
ranks, want no man of African descent to help
swell its triumph.
| If the Civil Rights bill should pass, as | hope
| il may not and as | believe it will not the at
tempt will then have been made to force the COM
| plete equality of the races The slave of yester-
| day is made our equal at the polls to-day, and
tomorrow will be cur equal in all respects. !
feel no unkindness toward the African race, !
would treat the negro kindly and pay him for
| his labor, but lie is not the white mans equal,
and cannot be made SO, and negro suffrage is a
failure and farce and you got TO abolish it yet
| Look al the results OF negro rule in the South
eru States. In Alabama the tax is SIS on the
SI00; In South Carolina So, in Florida $ll so,
and in Louisiana it amounts to absolute confs-
cation. II Delaware take no active part toward
ayertng this disastrous negro rule, how long
before it will be the same here. | was in
Carleston county Va. the other day and there has
been issued 1900 wrts against property for
taxes which the owners were unable to pay, ant
the property has been forfeited to the State
Look at the condition to which this party ha
brought our National finances. A great countr,
like America, with its mines of iron and Goa
and copper and gold, with its vast agriculture
resources, to be brought to the condition ii was il
last Fall by one little man. For he was very
little man who banked more on piety than an,
other man ever knew. When a man like ia,
Cooke can get an island on which to entertain hi
ministers, and can subsidize the whole press o.
the country, except, indeed, that of my frent
here on my right, our secretary, who was no
owned by Jay Cooke, and thus gain the reputa
ton which will enable him 10 get the people
money, and when on the failure of such man
we are all scared like pack of sheep, there is
screw loose somewhere. Why this failure com
|, PEELED your bank here at New Castle to suspend
and they thought it would do it with our banl
at Middletown, but we just told the frightene,
people to send in their checks and we would pa
them as fast as they came, and discount thei
notes besides.
am not prepared to recommend remed
now, but intend 10 study finance bat in m
humble opinion the next financial panic in th
} country will come through run on the saving
banks. In New York to-day, houses in variou
stages of ncompleteness stand untouched, an
thousands in that city are without work, and ye
: these thousands have two hundred and eight
; millions Of money in the savings banks. The
, must draw it out to live, and when they aitemp
it, will come another panic, verse than the last
But we do net want any penics There is n
J necessity for them. The way 10 prevent theI
is to root these Republicans out; drive out thes
a corruptionists, who are expressing and robbin
tie people, and put good honest Democrats in
Here some one in the audience shouted, NV
] can't stand it much longer"
0 Mr.. Bggs continued All my friend, yo
!, have probably felt the shoe pinch. have fe
the pinch myself have been to the CARR,
: after some Of my old clothes. We have &C
= to come back to more simplicity and economy
r 1t used to be that one hack would do for a ger
tleman, now he must have three or four.
: used to be that eight yards would make dre
for ones wife, now it takes twenty-five. 0nt
when was at a reception at Secretary Fish's,
saw lady standing in the parlor who could n,
move because some one out in the entry WI