The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-02
DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Address Of e. ]. Phelps, Esq.

ing with democrats and republicans, and
ladies, who may, perhaps, be cassed Gs in
dependents. There undoubtedly would
have been many more present, but for the
very Indictment weather, it having rained
almost continuously from about p. m,
and being at the hour for opening the
meeting dark, drizzly and disagreeable
night. The hall had been deliberately deco
rated with flags, banners and notices. The
arrangements were under the direction of
j. j. II. Randall, and he was assisted in an
efficient manner by several gentlemen from
both clubs, both before aud at the
meeting. Upon the stage were several
tables each decorated with flag and motto
and surmounted by elegant boquets of
choice flowers To Mrs. N. L. Davis, Miss
Ella Olmstead, Mrs. Stephen Clemens, and
Mrs. L. f. Roys, the gentlemen of the Til
den and Hendricks clubs are under oblga-
tons for enabling them TO make 30 credit
able floral display.
The Middlebury cornet band, under the
leadership of that accomplished musician,
Prof. Hatch, and directed in its admirably
militaire movements by their capable and
handsome drum-major, 7. w. Fletcher,
marchel to the hall carly and took posi-
lions upon the stage. Their well chosen
and we'll executed music added largely to
the success of the occasion.
AT about o'clock J. J. II. Randall,
Esq, appeared with the speaker of the
evening, Hon. L. j. Phelps, of Burlington,
who upon being introduced spoke for about
an hour and half in an able manner, his
arguments and illustrations being excess
| tively acceptable to those on his side, and
not overwhelmingly distasteful to those on
the other side among the audience We
will attempt brief abstract of
MIR. PHELPS ADDRESS.
lie explained that he belonged to that
class known as the Independent voter, who
think as they like and vote as they like,
and are not marched up to the polls by
| party hacks to vote at the dictate of a eau
Gus for this or that candidate. He had
usually voted with the democratic party
since 1862, but had, when he had seen fit,
voted against them, and would do so again
if need be. lie was no candidate for
office, had nothing to do with party ma
| chinery and did not care rush who filled
the offices, except as it affected the honor of
the country and the interests of its citizens.
There have been set before you two men,
| one of whom must be the next chief mag
istrate of the United States there is no
| third choice; we must take one of these
two. We have 10 chance to show our
preferences between the two but on next
Tuesday. For whether Gov. Tilden gets
5000 votes in November, or $4,000, as !
hope he will, makes bat little difference,
but the moral effect Of next Tuesdays vote
will be universally felt. All parts of the
country will fcrutinize our vote on Tues
day, to see if there are signs of cloud,
even no bigger than a mans hand up here
in the north. On that occasion you virtu-
ally vote for president all you can.
| Docs 1t make any difference which man
is elected? There is now prevailing n
state of affairs unparalleled in this country
and which, if we ever get out of it,
trust, in the mercy of God, may never again
be seen. Business is discouraged, property
deprecated, the banker, the manufacturer
and the laborer are oppressed. Every man,
woman and child suffers in consequence.
That is not all. Public affairs are in de-
plorabe condition. The national honor is
sulied. The occupants of high places are
| in disgrace. Let the students of history
seek, by the midnight lamp, for the page
where there IS recorded corruption so
universal, from tbe occupants of the highest
places to the lowest officials, and a degree
of infamy in men, from Colfax to Babcock,
so general. Corruption exists in every
| department of the government. All know
our condition. If any one here is satisfied
with this state of affairs, let him 20 home
about his business. If there are any dis
satisfied, let us see what is the cause and
the remedy. Plenty of orators, of late,
most of them office holders or those who
expect to be, highly intelligent class of
men, say the government has nothing to do
with this. France, Germany and Great
Britain are similarly affected. There are
some men whose cara are larger than their
brains, who hear more than they can under
stand. The state of affairs abroad is but a
reflection from this country, for we are the
market of the world, and when we become
too poor to buy from foreign producers
they suffer. These wise men say that our
trouble has een-over-production Now,
what is this over production Does the
earth produce too bounteously? No. Have
| our manufacturers made too many things,
created too many goods No. Men do
not manufacture so foolishly as to pile up
goods they never can sell. True, there are
some business concerns which are over.
stocked. But that is not because our man
ufacturers have made more than they
ought, but that the people have been too
poor to buy what they wanted. Let us
throw away the discussion of what it is not
owing TO, and find out what it is owing to-
say our distress IS entirely and solely
owing to misgovernmenr. Any intelligent
school boy can be made to understand that.
We are taxed to death. For eleven years
we have paid S400,000,000 taxes. How
long are 40,00000O of people going to
stand taxation at that rate The whole
south, the market before the war for the
north, is utterly laid in waste. We have q
ruinous tariff. Our ships have been swept
off the seas. 1t is impossible to build ships
This condition of things is directly due to
the government. What has become of the
money we have paid in taxes? 1t is thrown
away or stolen in the infinite profligacy of
the times The newspapers have Informed
you of that fact, though where one case is
exposed numbers never come to notice.
What is the remedy? l will not talk
politics. But ii what we have been hay
ing is republican let us have something
democratic; and if it is democratic, for
Gods sake let us have something republic
can The country needs change-for its
honor, for its prosperity. Here is our side.
We ask our friends in the republican ranks
how we will get this change. The answer
is-rally round the flag beat the drums
let us have one more grand crusade
against the south. Have the republicans
any other argument in this campaign
That distinguished statesman whom the re-
publicans found up in Malone bank for
the second place on the ticket cries that
the bayonets of Gettysburg must be an
swered with ballots.
When the rebellion was put down
the southern people were put down too,
beyond the power of resistance. After
the war an army of carpet-baggers, potato
bugs rather, swarmed over that fair coun-
III