The daily gazette., 1876-06-20

as rule, Sucn truetS were committed
to good and true men; but, of late
years, the rule has been greatly chang
ed, If not wholly reversed, aud now to
hold an official position is very often
to raise suspicion of venality, ii not
OF actual guilt. This is most deplor.
able state of affairs, and the most
deplorable part of il is that the people
themselves, of late years, have learned
to look upon with Indifference. or
tolerate with lenity, official conduct
and transactions which, generation
ago, would have been viewed with
horror. and stamped out of existence
with Indignation.
The root of the evil, as well as the
remedy, lies with the people them.
selves. Let them see to it before it be
too .ate. Our motto must he Reform
and the reform must begin at the bot
tom. The people must take it into
their own hands, and see that their re-
presentatives from the lowest to the
highest are honest and capable; men
who not only wish to do right, but
know how to do right. Let our best
citizens turn out to the primary meet.
ings and select good and true men to
oSh w ehShh III thCll
they do this, they, in turn, will Mons
mate good men for the different off
ces, and we will then have true and
radical reform, and the developments
that have recently disgraced the nation.
al character will be impossible.
And let me say, my fellow Demo-
Gratis, that no more favorable time and
no more proper place could be chosen
to sound the tocsin of reform than
now and here. From our somewhat
isolated position, leaving us out of the
common track from our small territory,
bringing us into close contact with, and
knowledge of, each other. and of the
public business and expenditures, and
thus inviting investigation and criti-
cism; from our habits of economy and
thrift; from our moral and religious
training; or from all of them together.
we have been enabled to preserve our
reputation unsullied and our integrity
unchallcnged, amid the alarming and
shameful corruption of the times. And
to-day we can say 1T proudly, because
we can say it truly, that there is not a
State in this great sisterhood of States,
and we love and cherish them all,
where the people are governed SO
cheaply and SO we'll; where the bur-
den of taxation is so light, and the
rights of person and property so secure
as in our own little commonwealth.
We pay our debts before they are due;
we collect our revenue without loss
and appropriate it to the specific OBJ
jects for which it is raised; our offices
are not bestowed as personal favors for
personal services, but conferred upon
the deserving and trustworthy, that
they may be executed for the good of
the people, and we have no defaulters.
This is true to day, and has been true
ever since the Democrats came into
power in this State. 1t is proud
position, and it teaches an important
lesson in political ethics; and that is
that those who serve the people honest
ly and faithfully may rely upon their
confidence and support. That is tie
true secret of Democratic success in
Delapare. Let Democrats remember
it, let Republicans learn it.
And now at the close of the old and
the opening of the new century, with
such record, and occupying such
position, are. we vain or are we pre-
sumptious in presenting to the national
Democracy, and to the people of the
country, for the highest office in their
gift, a candidate who is a representa-
tive of ur principles, of our position,
and of our success? One whose ability
has been proved on the highest civic
theatre of human action, whose honor
and integrity are unquestioned, and
whose training has been in the school
of strict construction and economical
and honest administration. Such a
man we offer to our fellow Democrats
of our sister States for their endorse
ment at the national convention. We
believe he Is worthy, we believe he is
qualified, if we did not, we shouldnot
present his name; and if any more
worthy, if any better qualified, be Of
fered by any of our sister States, north
or south, east or west, we shall cheer
fully yield our preference and rally to
his support;for we believe that neither
local prejudice, nor State pride, nor
personal preference, should have any
controlling influence in the selection
of the candidate; but that the best man
between the Atlantic on the east, and
the Pacific on the west, and the lakes |
on the north and the gulf on the south |
should be selected as our standard |
bearer. And then invoking the spirit |
of the first seventy-six, that spirit that
for country could sacrifice all but
honor, we will enter the contest with
full assurance of success; and labor |
until our national honor be redeemed |
and our country saved.