The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-10-05
SPEECH or
NON. G. y. GMMDNM,
On State and National Toricr--De.
liyered at Chenille, Sept ~.

lhplSu ~ HAehNhhei oNPh -
Ftlloy. Cili=eaI Of Gamer Canntg -
n the courtesy ofyoIr eliinAble Judge I am
permitted 10 render unto you an account Ofmy
stewardship as your representative; and, rs
an humble member oflhr Democratic party
10 speak OF its history as compared With that
Of tie oppoIlti on, whose representatives RTe
here before you, asking that you turn your
backs upon Democracy, and take up with The
false gods they wOrIhip.
FeliOW-citiitnS, my earliest associations
were with the people oIwhat llnow the eOun.
~ Of Gilmer. BY them have been repeatedly
honortd. and 10 them my most sincere grail.
tude Is due. And 10 my experience with this
people have found them 10 be men olhOEor
and intelligence; men who were not accuS'
toned to
"CrOok the pregnant hinges Of the knee,
That thri1 might follow awning
And In what shall say 10 you to-day, ]
propose 10 discuss The issues before the people,
truihrully and plainly. The Democratic par
" The Safe and nation have no conceal
meniSio make, butwe court this Investigation
VI the public, only asking from friend or foe a
fair and impartial examination flour record
What was The condition OF affairs In this
State prior to the coming into power Of The
Democratic paTiyl Well do all The citizens o
Gilmer county reeollcct. A few short years
have not blotted from your memory the fact
that hosts Of your best citizens and largest tai
payers were dlSfranrhised and the "egro en-.
iranehlsei Nores within The sound Of my
voice, although they were compelled TO con.
tribute largely to the support Of the govern
mert, wer denied any participation therein.
Near NE see many eminent members OF the
bar, and among them the distinguished Judge
Of ibis circuit, who Hrrs denied ibe right TO
practice their profession. Looking around
me see school teachers, men noted for their
talent astducators, who were prohibited from
teaching your children by reason uftheir lack
Of ''loyalty !" and worse than this, II worSe
ran lie, see many before me who could not
sue for just claim because they were first re
quired 10 subscribe 10 a test oath which the
Radical party knew they could not take.
Every community In your county was divided
AgainSt itself; the disSrnsiohs engendered by
the war were famed into bitter hatred By the
preseripti7e legislation forced upon the Coup-
try. And desire 10 call your attention to
the fact that all these rutFages upon liberty
and proprieiy were declared valid and con-
Stitutionsl by the highest rUurtsoi the State.
The Constitution OF 1909, framed amid the
clash and dn Of wal, whra lis opponents were
prevented by force Of arms from voting
AgAinSt the iniamy proposed TO he forced upon
them. permitted NIL these things. Out u
so, 0 voters, 10000 voted on the QUESTION.
And this instrument, imperfect AID odious rs
Il proved itselfiO be; an instrument under
who's provisions our State was being depopu-
lated, and our people impoverished, WIS lilo
organic law which the Radical party asked Us
10 retain when we came into power, and were
responsible for The government Of the State,
Instead Of a Constitution adopted by the SOW
tfeign voice OF the wHoLE PEorLg, adopted At
an election when rvcri MIN was free 10 vote
A. lest SUITED him. and when the largest vote
was cast ever pUiitd In The State. DO moi
claim that this new Constitution was perfect;
perfection Is not attained IN this world; but
compare Il with lis predecessor. lsNny man
disfrHnChisCd by this Constitution? Can , OIL
point the 10 any instance wherein my citizen
Is, or can he, dep lived Of any right enjoyed
by another citizen Nay, not Que The
Democratic party, my friends
Sounded the loud ,nbrcl,
Der Egypts dark sea;
Al list right has iriumphed.
The people are free
And when ii Demo :rdllc party came into
power, what did tlcv dot Did they ,nctuntcG
by spirit of l@ycnsc, enact rrialiatury mei,.
slrcS2 Not so, hut granting freely 10 all
ollerl tie same rights ey asked for them.
selves, they spread Ger The land The lroad
banner Of lca e; and this peace was no mock.
cry, hlta peace which ll-s won for The pem-
ocratie party the eonfjehre aud csicrln 81 the |
people OF the State, snd which has HilHran. |
ted 10 every man the protection OF the law,
In tue inalienable rights VI 'life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness"
lPhnt was the condition of lie Stats when
The Democratic party secured the Rseendencyl |
Not only was the State Treasury bankrupIctl |
by reason ur the extravaganza Of our prtde
crs'ors, but u State debt, certainly OIL
tG,4oo 81, the misapplled portion Of the
school fund, and perhaps when matters are
fully adjusted, ofSl20,00 which hung like
a milestone upon the necks Of our legislature
and people. This liability had been incurred
by the lmfiUper use Of the school fund, and
by appropriations, for the payment OF which |
10 funds bad been provided. The new Con.
stlluiion having been adopted, changing ma
,erially the rules and principles Of govern.
nient as 1t existed under the previous Can.
stiiuilon, aud doing away with special ltg
iSlatiou, which was heneCfurill to be SUPER.
ctded by general laws, required very larse
amount Of Legislation, thereby protraCt.
ing greatly the length Of fbe session.
These laws could not be ma,ured and
passed during tho time allotted for ordi.
nary sessions Of tho Legislature, and II
il gratifying 10 every lover Of the State
u kroS that since The Democratic par.
~ has assumed the rcins OF government
in tbs Stale. they have mt only paid
off the legacy referred to, ttqucaihod
20 them nv the Republican party 10
their rxitsyagant and proligaie Ell rts
Ut disfrauehi.emcnt, without abatiug
one jot nr title of all the liberal appro.
priaticns To carry On the educational
and charitable institutions Of the Stlte,
and TO build up the reii,eniiary to sup.
press crime; and instead Of Increasing
taxation they lluve reduced the State
,ax from % 10 % cents on the 800
un,l ut ihi. day have u treasury fully
rrplrliislIed with ample funds necessary
to meet all tho expenses Of the govern.
mint.
!, was The practice Of the Rpputli.
can' to put til surplus money ns col
lreicd lrom taxation frmh iine to time
nnd mot needed imncdianly into favor.
i'o banks for Them To use aud pcculatc
upon without paying anything to the
public for the use Of tue money. but In.
Democrats hhre pns o stop TO this ia.
toriiism, aud require the money to be
plac',l IN tl'e banks Of The several zen. |
4