Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-08-07

| fiationists. The question is not
strictly party question. Honest
men Of all parties may be found on
its opposite sides, and so 1t has
ever been after every great panic
by which the country has been
afflicted. No man ha .ncs con-
victions on this subject than ] have.
They are the result of much ex-
perience, and of a long, patient
and cons .ientious study. | have
expressed them time and again. in
conversation, in public meetings,
and in my place in the Senate. l
stand by them, whatever may be
my political fate, b at / do not as
sumo to be infallible, and ruthless
ly condemn men as sincere as | am
who entertain a different opinion !;
much less can / sanction disrup-
ton of the democratic party be-
cause, in single State, it has hap
pened that II convention chosen to
nominate State officers only
officers who will have no juris-
diction over the currency question
has upon this one question adopt
ed platform that my judgment
does rot approve. / have been a
Democrat all my life, and when
and where to be Democrat was
to be politically ostracised. / have
chung to the party in its darkest
hours as we'll as in its brightest,
with something akin to devotion,
because my head and my heart APP
proved its fundamental principles.
yet look to 1t as destined to re-
store to the Republic constitution
al, and honest and economical GO
vernment ito promote fraternal
feelings between all its parts, and
to perpetuate free institutions for
ages to come; and cannot by any
act or word of mine contribute to
its overthrow. / know that it Is
not infalIible, for no party is infal-
libIe. know that it has commit
ted errors; and that every party
has committed them but / also
know that its fundamental princi-
Piles are sound; that its purposes
are honest and patriotic. 1t, there
fore, we'll deserves and commands
my support. and although my in
f1uence may be small and my SER
vices of little worth, it has a just
claim to them both. cannot deny
that the hard money Democracy
of Ohio with whom L act have
been tainted and ridiculed, and
eelf-respect, and the duty / owe
them demanded tina / should say
frankly and clearly what they and
1 believe, and that l should set
forth why, without Inconsistency,
humiliation or loss of honor we
can support our ticket. | have said
and repeated il that we ca with
out dishonor or surrender of any
principle, support the ticket, and
/ have given you some reasons for
this opinion. No platform was
ever adopted by any party conven-
ton that in every particular re-
ceived the approval of every men,
Der of the party. There is always
something inserted or something
le.s out that causes criticism.
People have. to great extent, lost
faith in platforms. Again, the cur
rency question, so lar as legisla-
ton can affect it, rests with Con-
gress. The officers to be elected in
Ohio this year will have,as l have
already said, no jurisdiction over
it. 1t is national, and not a mere
State concern, and, although every
State has a perfect right to express
its opinion upon 1T, and may very
properly do so, yet its solution is
devolved upon the representatives
of all the States in Congress assem-
bled, and the drafting of a nation
al party platform upon 1t, to be
submitted to the people, is the of
| flee of national convention.
Mr.. Thurman also reviewed the
action of the Government in re-
gard to Louisiana and Arkansas,
and the National Administration
the past fourteen years, charging
the latter with great corruption.