The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-10-01

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the Court House. Fiadlay. o.. Saturday Evening,
sept. %. ON the Wood County Bribery InTesti-
gaii0n.
Ny FRIENDS: / am here on my first
visit to this thrifty and prosperous coun-
ty, upon the invitation of my old friend,
DeWOlfe. Years ago, 'Joe"(as used to
familiarIy call HIM and | labOred to-
gether, not only for the cause of Repub-
licanism, (in which cause, i am happy to
say, we are still cO-labOrers) but for the
procurement of our daily bread. Our
business was one in which we happily
blended daty, pleasure and profit. We
then did, what my friend still does, pub
lish n Republican newspaper, the loyalty
of which was never questioned, and of
which neither of us has ever been
ashamed. My friend has remained n
faithful labOrer in that most useful of
arts-printing- have chosen that
professiOii which is popularity conceded
to be the most hOnest-the law.
say the most honest, my friends, and
for this reason: An agent, to obtain lu-
crative employment, must be what his
employers want him to be, OF they will
not seek his services. Now, we lawyers
are not like legislators, or members of
Congress, or like public agents, general
IL, in the nature of our employment.
The public agent is selected for term
of years, and unless his conduct is gross
ly bad, he serves out his term. The law
yer is not so; yOu employ and discharge
him at will And. therefore, the people
being, what firmly believe they are,
honest, make their lawyers what they
are themselves
Speaking of Legislators and lawyers
brings me to the point for which we have
met together tonight. You are here
for the purpose of hearing what reasons
and arguments the speaker of the even
ing can present to you. as a justification,
for asking you to continue the Republi-
can patty in power in the Nation, and to
restore it to power in the State. / be-
lieve both should be done, and will give
You my reasons Why. Bnb before doing
so, let us enquire upon what points do
our Democratic friends differ with us
The Republican party came into possess
sion of the National Government in 1860
The election of Lincoln was followed by
the secession of n number of States, in
all of which the Republican doctrine and
the members of the Republican party
were in a considerable degree of con-
tempt.
The Republicans declared that the
Union must he maintained intact. The
Democratic President said there was no
power to coerce q sovereign State. A
sharp difference of opinion existed upon
that point, but now our Democratic
friend., admit the corn, 'Is it twere, 'and
say it was very proper thing to do to
maintain the Nation intact. And on
that point we no longer differ with our
Democratic brethren. ''Iu the course of
human events, ''it was deemed proper by
the Republicans to put an end to the de-
grading and soul destroying heresy that
capital should own its labOrers. Again
sharp and bitter difference sprung up
between the Democratic leaders and our
selves. The emancipation proclamation
was issued; the slaves were freed; the
bitterness of our Democratic friends has
passed away. On the question as to
whether the soil OF free America should
be polluted by the foot of slave pressing
uDon It. there no longer exists a differ
encc of opinion.
The slave, being freed, must have pro-
lection. The Republican party said the
ballot viii be his shieId-we will make
him voter. ''Nay, never" said the
Democrats. A struggle, exceeding the
other in fiereeness, was entered upon
For n time the struggle seemed doubt
fuI one. At last right and the Republi
cans triumped over wrong and the De-
mocracv. The fifteenth amendment be-
came. like the thirteenth and fourteenth,
q fixed fact. For years the Democrats
threatened to repeal the three amend
ments. together with all Of what they
termed was legislation, just as soon as
they would be restored to power But
hanpiIy the evil day Of restoring them to
mower was put of long enough to give
ms time to convert them, and now they
have declared both ia State and Nation
al Conventions. that the amendments
and the war legislation are fixed facts;
lint in addition they are and were moral
Iy and civiIIy right. As to their sinceri-
ty. confes. have lingering shade of
doubt. but will not ask you to share il.
IL ma- be that desire to obtain Office
and power has nothing to do with their
conversion. Be that as it may, we 10
longer differ Oh that point.
The issuing OF greenbacks, in order TO
obtain the necessary means to prosecute
the war and carry on the Government,
was a matter concerning which the diff
ferences between the parties were well
defined and long continued. In Con
eress the Democrats bitterly and deter
minedly opposed the issue of paper mon
ey. From the balls of Congress- they ap-
peaIed TO the people, but again tine iudg
ment was against them From the de-
8 fsh ha nj
question, on appeal of the Democratic
politicians, was carried to the Supreme
Court, and finally decision, which con
cIuded discussion on the subject, was
rendered by the court Of last resort
And now, not only do the Democrats not
differ with US upon the question of the
power and prOpriety aud necessity of
them, but they are ont HerOding Herod,
and ara now demanding that they be
Uermittad TO issue an almost unlimited
supply OF green eolOred promises to pay.
| But upon the policy of Onr issueing.
which would be Just as suicidal as not TO
| have issued at all, the Republicans
| have called a halt. In fact as national
| party they are not Offering any issue up
| on which we can differ with them
They are as 2 house divided against it
self. In Ohio and Pennsylvania they are
for soft money; in Maryland, Massachu-
setts, Minnesota, Nebraska and Nevada
they are for hard money. In Ohio they
accuse the Republicans of contracting
the currency, while in Maryland and
Massachusetts, they accuse. the RepubIi-
cans of initiating it. Both cannot be
true. But, while they do not differ with
us in regard to anything that we have
done in the past, and while they are in
fact giving the highest testimony to the