The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-09-14
SPEECH OF
GEN. DURBIN WARD
At sPRINCPIEID. a.. Sept. cd. Z
AT SPRINGFIELD. o.. SEPT. ed.

My COUNTRYMEN: Our institutions
again require us to consult and'deter-
mine who shall be the next Chief Mag.
istrate. Few of us come to the con-
sideratiOn of that question without
precOnceptiOns and previous party al.
liances. Party organizations have their
evils, bnt yet they are necessities in
everv fl ee government. They are the
machinery thsOueh which the popular
will is collected and Expressed. Often
clumsy and imperfect, they sometimes
fail TO select the best candidates or
bring forward the wtsest measures.
Nor are they always free from cOrrup-
ton and fraud. Toe often they sub
serve selfish greed and sinister ambi-
tion. But in their average results they
work out the popular will. Sometimes
the popular will is for the time being
warped by passion or clOuded by pre-
judice, and parties could hardly be ex-
pected to be more virtuous than the
people whose creatures they are. But
in the long run truth lives and error
dies. For twenty years I have been a
Democrat. When the Wing party
ceased to exist, for years ! silently
studied the principles of parties, and
tried to take an enlarged view of their
object and tendencies. The republi-
can party was just coming into exist
ence. It grew up from the roots OF
the old Abolition, Liberty and Free
Soil parties. 1t had no principle but
opposition to slavery, and sought no
result but is destruction. Whatever
stood in its path 1t dashed out or tram
pied down. Neither laws nor consti-
tutions, neither past teachings nor ex-
amples, not even religious orthodoxy
itself could stand before the resistless
march. 1t would have abolished the
Federal Union or remodeled the
church itse.f rather than slavery should
continue in the South. II was aggress-
i've, belligerent, revolutionary. [ did
not study the rise of this party impd,.-
italy, for the Whig party, in which l
had been bred, went into it almost e,i
n,0sse. Most of my intimate friends
and political associates went into it.
My ambition, for like most young men
I felt that stirring passion, prompted
me to join the strong side. My State
my Congressional District, my coun-
ty, township, village, school district
were all overwhelmingly Republican.
| ShNs Out ouO AC'atO Bh ShO OhiNtts III
1855, had Democratic Governor. The
shadows of the dark lantern cloutied
the whole land. will, therefore
frankly confess that the temptation TO
join the majority was strong. Every
one would have thought il SO natural,
considering my antecedents AS Whig,
that no one could have accused me OF
ambition, or doubted my sincerity.
The Republicans considered them
selves the natural heirs of the Whig
party and entitled to its assets. To join
the Republicans was the road to pop
ularity and power; 10 Join the Deinoc-
racy was to become the mark of OblO-
quy aud detraction, with scarce hope
of future Office within my reach in the
State. All these things were weighed
long aud painfully considered. And
then my decision was made. The Re-
publican party meant, as l thought,
war aud possibly disunion. The Dem
ocratic party was peace, Constitution
al guarantees, perpetual union. L
chose the latter, and have steadfastly
adhered to it through storms OF abuse
and almost constant defeat. During
these dreary revolutionary years ]
have not always favored the policy of
my party, though always devoted to
it's principles. Its unwise Kansas leg
islstion, its unwise opposition to the
late war, its paltering III double sense
on the currency question, haye failed
to command my approval. But the
great principles which underlie the or
ganization--its constant devotion to
the Constitution, the Union, the rights
ofthe States /; its broad policy Of equal
ity to all industries, all opinions. all
religions, all social ideas and its stern
rebuke of monOpOlies. OF class legisla-
tiOn, OF official corruption and carpet
bag robbery and oppression in the
SOuthAhave bound me to it's forms
through veal and through woe. True,
it has had little power, and l have
held Office under it but single wear
in twenty-one but an opposition par
~ is often useful. and the steadfast
and high-toned opposition Of the Dem
Ocratic party to kadical policy has, l
believe, saved the Constitution from
practical overthrow. t.....fl..E ,i..,,-
tn54.,..y OLD ISSUES. rsipq95l o..
But do not desire to dliscnss again
the issues of the past. Nor do I mean
to charge the Republicans with a lack
Of patriotism. Their idea of Govern
lnent is essentially paternal. They
would clothe it with the functions OF
q father in his family. In their creed
the people must look to the Govern
ment for guidance, not the Govern
ment to the people. Their greatest
leaders maintain that the United
Sta tes is q complete and full sovereign
~, holding its grasp on the States as
the States have on the counties. The
! States, cay they, are created by the fiat
of the Nation, and exist only during
| its pleasure. These are the two great
generic ideas that separate the parties.
The Democrats hold that the people
are the source of all power, and must
guide the Government, and not be led
by the hand of the Government, as the
child is led by the hand of the father.
And they believe, too, that the States
are cO-Ordinate with the Nation, and
have equal right to full and perpetual
existence. Each has its own functions,
which the other has no right to alter
or exercise. That the Republican par
ty has done some good in the course
of it's career may we'll be conceded.
But it's former policy has now passed
from the arena OF discussion and in it,
Centennial year we look forward and
not backward. The late Constitution
al Amendments, though The work Of
revolution. are definitively acquiesccd
in by all parties, and will be treated
fOraver hereafter as a part Of the Con.
stitution, aud cordially respected aud
Obeyed as such.
CANDIDATES..
In considering then. my fellow .citi-
zens, the choice Of Chief Magistrate,
VIC are led TO survey the present con-
ditition of the country, and give the
preference to him who, without refer
ence to past issues, will give us the
best administration in the present and
the future. True, we can not over
look the antecedents of men, for that
would b0 to ignore the lessons of ex-
perience. Sc DO men gather grapes of
a III Los 2O