The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-09-14
Political Speech Of Hon. ]. ". Ferris,

Political Speech Of Hun. ]. W. Ferris.
According to previous announcement
Hon. j. w. Ferris, of Grand Rapids,
addressed the citizens of Baldwin and
vicinity, on the political issues of the
day, In Court House Hall, last evening.
There was II good audience; quite a
number Of ladies.
The speaker opened with a review of
the record of the Democratic party.
One prominent point made was i'm
showing up the evil results of the poll
cy of the Democratic party, years ago,
In establishing system of State bank
ing institutions. The people at that
time had no confidence in their own
money, and would sooner receive Can
ada money. That money system grew
out of the perniciOus doctrine Of State
rights, which has always pervaded the
Democratic party. He cited the DEM
Ocratic party as always having been
| opposed to the enactment Of home
stead law. A bill passed Congress i'm
Buchanan's time; he vetoed 1t; and it
was not until after Lincoln was elected,
and the Republican party had gained
complete control, that the present
homestead law was passed. He also,
reviewed the action of the ruling spirits
in the Democratic party in opposing
the war, and in the carrying out of the
emancipation measure, after the law
had been enacted.
He next spoke of the financial ques-
ton, and drew q striking contrast be-
tween the present money system, by
which the notes of any bank were good
all over the country, and the misera-
bic system of State banks, where the
notes issued i'm one State were at large
discount in another, &c. Many cop
perhead Democrats, i'm 1S62-63, snecred
ut the grecnbacks, and declared they
were not worth the paper they were
printed OIL. Now, they pretended to be
very fond of greenbacks. 1t was sim
ply desire to get into power that they
might disgrace the currency, rather
than to protect it.
Next, he real number of extracts
from leading Southern papers, showing
the bitter, disloyal spirit existing in the
Southern States last year; cited the fire.
qucnt riots and murders, read the re-
port of the committee appointed by
Congress to investigate the cause of the
troubles in the South, and showed con.
clusively that the acts were committed
for the sole purpose Of establishing
reign of terror, in order that the col
Orcd voters might be deferred from vot-
ing, so that the rebel Democracy could
have 1t all their own way. The speak
er thrilled his hearers with descriptions
of some of the dastardly, fieisdish ass
assinations and murders ofloyal Repub-
LEANS in the South.
In comparing the amount of cXpcn-
diturcs of various administrations, he
showed by figures indisputable that the
great prepOndcrance of losses to the
government, through dcfalcations, &C.,
rested with Democratic administra-
tons. He showed the present Repub-
lican administration as paying off the
national debt as rapidly rs possible;
stopping the leaks and losses to the
treasury. Did the people want Il Dem
ocratic "rcfOrm" backward? He was
sure they did not.
The speaker next contrastcd the
methods of the two opposing parties in
treating corrupt men; abiding partic-
ularly to. Tildcn's perjury, and con-
Guiding this branch of his subject with
the telling hit that the Republicans
punished corrupt men by placing them
in the penitcntiary; while the Demo-
Gratis were trying to run theirs into the
Presidential chair.
He next proceeded to explain the
cause of "harl times" and stagnation
i'm business. 1t was not thr0ugha lack
of grccnbacks. What good would it
do Us, if the government issued u hun
drcd or more millions of grccnbacks, if
VIC could not buy and Use them? The
trouble came through lack of diversi-
ty in manufacturing and producing en-
tcrpriscs. Some were OvcrdOnc; others
were neglected.
After contrasting the characters of
the Presidential candidates, he closed
with stirring appeal to his hearers to
stand by the party which stood by our
country i'm its hour of deadly peril; to
vote for Hayes and Wheeler, the cham
piOns of loyalty, honesty and good gov
eminent.
Sheriff Grant, who presided as chair
man, now called for three cheers for
Hayes and Wheeler; and three more
for the speaker, which were given with
will, and the audience dispersed.