Middletown transcript., 1876-10-28
SPEECH OF AN 1nDEPErDErr.

SPEECH OF AN INDEPENDEHT.
The address Of Mr.. Parke Goodwin,
former editor Of the New York Evening
Post, to the Cooper Union, in New
York, on October 10, was on "the
issues involved in the present canvass. !"
The fact that up to the close Of General
Grants FIRST term of Office Mr.. Goodwin
was an earnest republican, and subse-
quently joined the liberal reformers
gives peculiar interest to what he says.
This address Mr.. Goodwin had been
invited by many Of the more promi-
nent bankers and business men Of New
York to deliver. He started out with
the proposition that the questions which
originated the civil war had been def
nitely settled, and that there were other
issues to be adjusted that were vital to
the prosperity Of the country. There
issues. be contended. the dominant
party was incompetent to deal with.
The fruits of the wal were demoraliza-
tion Of the public service, heavy taxa
tion. and impoverishment of the people.
Confronted with these great evils the
leaders Of the republican party either
evaded or triAed with them.
From the beginning Of its career the
republican party had no policy, and it
had never succeeded in framing one.
at was originally" he said, "a war
party, organized for particular pur-
pose, and outside of that purpose, in
the field Of craftsmanship, was without
definite principles Of any kind" Made
up Of fragments Of pre-existing parties,
it was Heterogeneous in its composition.
Having no obvious. or consistent politi-
cal convictions, it had been .driven
hither and thither by many warning i'm
pulses inside Of itself growing out Of
the various afluities of its members"
By what he styled ''a master stroke Of
policy whilst the nation was emerging
from an exhausting war '.our financial
managers thought the best thing to do
was to pay of debt that did not mature
twenty years to come" Instead of
practicing in all departments Of the
government the most rigid economy,
"the5 plunged into such extravagances
that.in this last year Of its power, the ex-
penses of the administration have been
one hundred millions more than in the
frst," whilst their estimates for the
next year were twenty-five millions in
excess Of the last. He arraigned them
for special legislation, and for making
the tariff subservient to private inter-
ests.
Turning to the merchants be said
"Where are your clipper ships, once
our pride and the admiration of the
world? !? Where is your tonnage, the
second in the world +? Where are your
stately steamers dotting the sea Gone.
taxed out Of existence. and the tariff
which straddles your interests, like the
old man ofthe sea straddling the should
ers of Sinbad the sailor, still remains,
and will remain SO long as the domi-
nant party is in control" He spoke
of Mr.. Morton as Senator governed
by no fixed principles. Sherman's bill
for the resumption Of specie payments
be described as "the Sherman sham.
In the administration Of civil service
reform two evils, he said, were promi-
neht. One, the usurpation Of the
power of appointment; another, .'dis-
pensing these appointments as rewards
for partisan servility." Insecurity Of
tenure in Office led to official corruption.
During the Grant administration the de-
falcation, had amounted to Eve millions
Of dollars, larger sum than had been
stolen prvieously in the whole period
the government had been in existence.
In drawing toward the close of his ad-
dress Mr. Goodwin remarked:
-Four years ago prominent republic
can said, Our party is rotten from
rind to core -Four year ago Charles
Sumner denounced the San Domingo
job as. a monstrous iniquity. Four
years ago Carl Schurz said the sale of
arms to France had disgraced the United
States in the eyes Of the civilized world.
Four years ago Mr.. Jacob Cox was
shouldered out because he attempted to
inasgurate reform. And four years
ago, in 1872, many Of its best and
most honorable members left the ranks
Of the republican party, utterly dis
gusted with the corruption into which
they saw it sinking. Yet the admins
tration four years ago was as an angel
of light and purity compared with the
dark and sinister forms it bad since as
sumed. For before 1872 the bayonets
Of the United States army were not
considered necessary to influence elec-
tions and overthrow appointments fairly
made by the people. It was since that
time, too. that the Speaker Of the House
of Congress had shown by his own let
ters that he had been the helper and
supporter Of jobbers. whose favors he
he had secured BY the influence of his
official position"
Finally, Mr.. Goodwin paid glowing
tribute to Governor Tilden, denounced
the rancor with which he had been
assailed by republican journals and
speakers, and wound up by declaring
the hope of the country to be in demo-
cratic success at the November elec-
tions, and that Sin the centennial year
a democratic victory would be harbin-
ger of another century Of peace, pro-
gress and development"
A CENTENNIAL DANGER.