The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-09-09

Delivered at Cleveland, Ohio,
august 28, 1875.

MIR PRESIDENT AND fELlOW'SlllhHNa
Only nine months ago the Democracy
carried over twenty States of the Unl0n
A vast majority of the American people
arayed themselves in opposition to the
Radical Administration. Thousands of
men who had never voted a Democratic
ticket voted il then, Thousands of
others who bad been staunch Republi-
cans stayed away from the pOlls--not
vet ready to vote with US, but fully de-
aermined not to vote for the Administers
ton. The majority in the House of Rep
resentatives in Congress was changed,
and for the first time in fourteen years q
Radical President finds himself unsup-
ported by the law-maKing power. The
eansee of this revolution are too obvious
20 admit of dispute. 1t was not the. cur
renCy question, OF the so.Called Specie
Redemption Bill, by which it was effect
ed. That bill had not then been passed
Os even proposed; aud as to the curreAcy
question, it had so little to do with the
result that our majorities were larger, or
wore. significant, in the hard'money
Sl0tes than in those which are called,
enormously as think, the paper.money
States. Indiana gave us twenty-three
thousand majority; but New York gave
az more than twice twenty'three thous-
and Ohio gave us twenty.seyen thous-
and but Massachusetts exhibited a
greater and more significant revolution.
North and South, East and West, from
Canada to the gulf, from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, there went up one grand OK
.lamation of the people; /" We are tired
Of Radical misrule and corruption we
Sre determined to have once more con-
ssitltional, economical and honest gov
eminent" And this sentiment it was,
his well.lounded opinion that q change
Of rulers he's become great public ne
ctssity that in no other way can the
public service he reformed and the free
institutions of our fathers be preserved;
thaJ gave us the most signal victory our
party has ever achieved since that initial
triumph of Democratic principals that
placed Thomas Jefferson in the Presi-
dental chair. And now, my friends, is
it not strange that the causes that gave
us victory only nine months ago are al
aost dropped out of sight in the discuss
IONS of this year? That the Radical
leaders should seek to eVade their dis
aussion and divert public attention to
some other theme; that for this purpose
they should falsely pretend that our
common schools are in danger, or that
she Catholic Church is public enemy.
Gan excite no surprise in those who re-
member the Know Nothing party, its
principles and achievements, twenty
years ago. But that Democrats should
ignore the questions on which they were
triumphant only nine months ago, and
thereby help the Radical leaders to OBJ
titerate them from the public mind, that
they should speak of the currency ques-
tion as the only question worthy of con-
sideration, rs if the Democratic party
bad but one idea and was utterly desti
tute Of fundamental principles, is one OF
the strangest that has ever occurred in
American politics. What have our Rad
seal rulers done, or omitted to do, within
the last nine months, that should make
us forget the questions Of last year, or
that should reverse or even mitigate the
judgment then pronounced by the Amer
lean peopleP Have they paid more
respect to the Constitution and the rights
Of the States and the people? Let the
fraudulent proceedings of the returning
board Of Louisiana last December, the
armed invasion of the Legislature of that
State by the Federal military last Janu.
sry, the quasi sanction of these enormi.
lies by the Federal Senate, the unre-
buked message Of the President propos.
ing to overthrow the Constitution and
s. Government of Arkansas, the passage Of
The Force Bill, with it's suspension Of
hRbeas corpus, BY the House of Repre-.
sentatives, and its defeat in the Senate
only by the determination of the Demo.
cratic Senators to speak continuously tc
the end Of the session rather than let il
pass, let the frauds that have come tC
Eight in almost every department of the
Government since the last election, the
straw bids in the I ost-offiCe, the larcen
ies in the treasury, the corruption in the
talstOm-houses, the frauds in the interna
E8yenue service, the untold millionI
tiehed by the Indian ring let these fact
answer the question whether our Radica
ruttrs are more entitled to confidence
now than they were nine months ago.
Why, my friends, if there could bC
nothing trul v alleged against them bu
what has occurred or come to light with
in these nine months, if all the grounds
upon which they were condemned By
the people last year were sunk into OBJ
iyion and nothing remained but the
history of the last nine months, it woulC
be the sacred duty of the American
people to declare that change of ruler
IS demanded by the highest public con
alterations. For what ought most tC
interest the people of America Is i
not, first, the preservation of our free
institutions, the preservation of tina
wonderfully wise system of mixed gov
eTnments, Federal and State, by which
the strength of nation is given to the
former within its delegated sphere, anC
the right of the people to local self-gov
ernment is secured by the latter2 And
secondly, is it not that we shall have
whatever party may be in power, wise
honest and economical government
Are not these the great questions thai
'Oyershadow, and must forever over.
shadow all others, however important
the Others may beP For what freeman
would be willing to accept despotisn
because the despot might be wise, honest
and economical, or who, that is capable
of reelection and is yersed in the history
of mankind, believes that free institu
tons can be perpetnated where the gov.
eminent is habitually and thoroughly
oorupt2 No, my friends, if you wish tc
live under a government of the people
you must see to it that the governmant
be wise and honest, if you wish to escape
the despotism that has 80 often been
built on the ruins of republics, YOU mus