Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-01-02
A DEMOCRATrC LOVE Feast.

elect Tilden and Mayor elect Wickham
which was attended by prominent Dem
oerats of twenty States-from Massa
chusetts on the East and Louisiana il
the South to Oregon In the West. Ten
nessee found a representative in Fred
erick P. Stanton, who was Congress
man rom this State for the four terms
from lS47 to 1855. After the recep
ton proper, brief speeches were Of
course IN order, August Belmont open
ing with an expression Of the gratifca,
ton to the Manhattan Club, that two
of the members should be chosen, the
one by the Empire State, and the Other
by the commercial metropolis, to guard
over their governmental interests. He
said the Club had been called the Sill
Stocking 'Aristocracy of the Democra,
cy, bat they were no such thing; they
were, every one, hard workers in the
good cause.
Gov. Tilden's remarks were brief
He would not exhaust their patience
as he was preparing a document in the
shape OF an inaugural message, that
every member of the club would be
bound to read, even though it should
prove as long as the famous message Of
Silas Wright. Mayor Wickham, also,
was brief, but managed to explain the
real trouble with New York City, as
follows:
OF the planks in the Democratic
platform, under which we gained cur
victories throughout the country, none
had a greater hold upon the people
than that sentiment, Home Rule and
Local Self-Goyernment. Applause
Now, 1 apoly that to this city Of New
York, overburnened and tax-Tidden by
Albany legislation, as much as the
States Of the South are overburdened
by Washington legislation. ZAP
plause.) The beginning Of all our
misgovernment dates with 1857, when
The Legislature at Albany took in hand
the government Of the city, and from
that date was foisted upon us the CON-
missions, who were not responsible to
the people, and not elected by the
people, and over whom the people had
no control. My we not hope that,
under the auspices Of our Governor
elect, In the future may be restored the
good old times when Local Self Gov
eminent and Home Rule characterized
the government Of this city? (Great
applause.)
Judge Bedle, Governor elect of New
jersey, followed, with remarks on the
great responsibility now resting upon
the Democracy The great point ought
to be to take up men who are true and
faithful Men Of easy views are gen.
orally of easy virtue. Trimmers, and
men whose exact position is not known
should be avoided. We can find plenty
Of good and acceptable men without
using such doubtful material. Pru-
dence is required, and broad states
manlike policy demanded. Let bygones
be bygones. We must look to the fu-
ture, press onward, and be true to the
destiny Of the country.
Gov. Ingerson, Of Connecticut, spoke
next. Abiding to the still dominant
party, he said the late elections showed
that the people had concluded it lacked
either the viii or the ability to deal
with the problems of the day. 1t has
been unable 70 lift itself from the pre-
iudices of the war with which the peo-
pie throughout our land are weared, or
create Of itself any policy Of admins
tration unless 1t was a policy Of carry
ing elections by some means or other.
They have lost by it. The people say
we are drifting away from the old land
marks Of the country. 1t is the duty,
and It is expected, Of the party which
succeeds 70 the administration of the
Government, that they would bring the
country back to it.
Hon. Charles J. Faulkner, Of West
Virginia, drew the followingsharp con-
trast between the usages of the two
parties:
The name Of Samuel J. Tilden is not
unknown among the mountains and
valleys of West Virginia. He Is fully
recognized among US as one Of those
Efficient leaders Of that great reform
movement which wrenched your city
from a band Of cOnspiratOrs and pub
lie robbers; and the exposure and pros
cution Of those people has done much
to secure TO the Democracy the conf
dence of the honest men throughout
the country. No party, gentlemen,
can be exempt from the intrusion of
corrupt men. The doors are open to
all, and the bad as well as the good
enter there. Exceptional cases Of
crime and corruption cannot of them.
selves STAN the purity or mar the rep
utation Of any party; it is only where
fraud having been once discovered is
excused; where notorious corruption is
mildly and feebly rebuked; where the
mantle Of insensible mercy Is passed
over the guilty actors. 1t is then that
a party becomes responsible to what 1t
leads to. The elections we had IN De-
tober and November have justly dis
eliminated between the course that
you pursued and that Of the Republi-
can Congress dealing with the dis
closures Of corruption when made be-
fore that body.
Mr.. Belmont then introduced Mr.. r.
H. Mari, Chairman Of the Louisiana
Democratic Committee, saying: 81
hope he viii tell us that the true and
honest men Of Louisiana viii bear up
under this oppression a few months
longer, and give their oppressors no ex-
cuse for harsh measures. The pith of
Mr.. Marr's speech may be condensed as
follows!
One day beforeyou gained your great
triumph, the people of Louisiana, bat
Ting against their oppressors, gained a
victory as decided. Yet the miserable
Returning Board have the effrOntery
to attempt to defeat the will Of the
4 L. III 4