The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-07-12
Symop.i~ e TX GoVernO- Brow n'-
EssaEsfra. inn speech ssG Ter
ry, .suIy A-t 1875

1
feature reform platform. lt had been laid
down by master workmen who understood
their duty and meant To discharge lt iailh-
fully. Through its length and breadth II was
an appeal for reform, aud solemn pledge
to the country that the candidates VINO
stood on il, would give us reform, real, SUD
stanral. aud vital. He spoke of the Re-
publican platform. and said THAT Ike all
the outs wings OF that party it was tuI II
fair promises. But like it principles, after
it had served its purposes itwould be quiet
~ 90 signed To Il lumber room, and not
Thought OF again until the meeting OF an
other convention. No wonder the Repub-
licLnS made one platform last so long.
They used il as a man did Sunday suit.
They brought il out on holiday occasions,
gave it "a little extra brushing, spOrted IL
for an hour or two. and then laid il care
fully away to be brought OCT on tho next
grand occasion; rs To using il as thing of
every day wear they seemed 10 think that
ii little short of Sacrile2P.
Professions were one thing, practices an
other. For sixteen ears The Republicans
had been deluding the country WITH fair
promises, aud during all that time things
had been growing from bad 10 worse. anu
now have the same old promises, the
same old platform dragged ont aud brush
eel over wifh very thin coat of fresh
paint and offered To us As something entire
~ new.
It has been said il a man dcceivcs us once,
il j. his fault. il he does il twice, it is ours
SO with parties. That the country should
at one time have trusted the Republican
party is not perhaps surprising. But II
after wears and years of tliyrant deception,
fergiversation, fraud. and undisgui>cI and
unmiligated theft and plumber, the people
still trust that party, farewell to every
thought of honest government.
You have said the speaker, heard the
D.-mucratic platform read. For its terrific
arraignmeAt of the Republican leaders Oh
charges OF fraud. peculation, SANDER.
wholesale corruption and general rascality.
the Democratic party holds itself reSpon>i-
bic before the county. Mind, | say, the
leaders. not the rank and file of the party.
The people of one party are about as honest
as the people OF any other party.
The Democrats, in their platform, pledge
them selves for reform reform. broad thor
Ough, widespread, all pervading ana com
Pete.
BY reform we mean that the head of the
government, like pure spring, is TO b.
pure and indebted. Ii gives character to
the main stream, just as the little fountain
away up in the Rocky mountains give
name to the mighty Mississippi. The Pres
ident is the head OF the government. Hi
>ubJrdlnatcs like the rivulets that flow
INTO and make up the great Father OF Wa
tiers, give tone, aud color and character L.
the government. The source may be linn
pid; but if untold thousands OF muddy
streams pour into it, the result must br
that the source is swallowed up, and its pu-
ritv lo>tlike The Mississippi in It's multi
tude of muddy contributions.
Governor Brown had nothing to say
against Governor Hayes. lie might bee a.
pu;e as the limpid spring in which the Mis-
sissippi River had its source, But like that
great stream his au&iliarieS, those who
contribute to give him power were filled
with mud. The Missouri, the Ohio. the
Kentucky, the Tennessee, the Red, Gaz 20
and Black, with three thousand of smalle,
tributaries made the Mississippi the mud
diest stream in the world Hayes might be
pu as ice and chaste as snow, but if elect
ed President he would have 10 rely for sup
port on the men who elect him, and thai
means mud.
Re;Srm. SAID Governor Brown. means i
faithful adherence to the Constitution in it,
letter and in its spirit, the 18Th, 18th, and
18th amendments of course included. Il
means just laws honestly administered bN
honest men. 1t means equal rights to all
men, fair elections, no more bdyonet rule
and the military subordinate to the civil
rule. IL means economy and honesty in
the OF the public money. It means the
expulsion OF prufigate thieves from high
places and the appointment of frugal and
honest men to take their Places. Ia short,
it means the election of Samuel j Tilden.
who expelled the thieves from Tamary,
smashed the Erie ring and in two years re
duced the expenditures of the New York |
State government from sixteen millions To |
eight millions of dollars year. It was i'm
possible to estimate the advantages TO this
taX-riddcn, dOwn-trodden, bayohct-r ruled, |
outlawed and spit upon country, if TilIen |
and reform were made to triumph over
Grant and corruption.
He did not choose to elaborate the idea |
but he would say in plain words that the |
election Of Hayes meant continuation OF |
Grants rule for another four wears. 1t |
was the same as il Grant were elected for Il |
third term.
He wanted not only the fountain, but the
stream pure.
If the Democratic party leaders who are /
but tributaries to the great political stream |
to muddy the waters, he hoped |
to see the people rise up and say the foun-
tain is pure, and you shall not defilo the /
stream by casting into it your dirty linen.
| you are satisfied, support the ticket and /
the platform If you are nGt pack up your
camp, il now the word,
Samuel j. Tilden, said the speaker, is the
embodiment, the personification, the sub
llmated quintcSSence of reform. Tildpu n d |
Reform are convertible terms. When we
mean reform, aud when we say reform. we
mean Ii.den. If you want another defni-
rion of reform, as rendered in the person of
Samuel j. Tilden he asked the audience 10 |
consider what Grant, aud Morton, and
Blaine, and Butler, and tbs shakers of the
bloody shirt generally, were and had been.
and then consider that TilGen stands as far |
away from this dispislble crew, as heaven
IS from the namcless pit ana thus The,
would have some faint idea of what might
be expected in the way of reform. il the
government was passed into the hands OF
the Democracy.
If whnlesale robbery. regulation, inndel-
ty In Office, general decay In public morals
aud Il speedy downfall OF everything that =
once tree, great, happy and prosperous peo-
pie held dear are things to be cherished
then the Republican party ought to be kent
IN power. 1t all this is TO be ,eTSr-ed and
honesty, fidelity, otMGiai INTEGRITY, and
general uplifting Of public and private
morals are To be sought for, then the Dem
Dcratic party offers itself as the exponent
d these principles and as candidate for
popular favor.
He knew Hendricks well and i. ne ,,onld
nave had his choi-e 4homas a. Hendricks
would to-day be the Democratic nominee
or President. His motto was everything
or the cause, nothing for men In
giving up his first choice he felt that lie had
made some sacrifice, tie had done it,
however, Tor the public good as Judged by
MS party in Convention, AMI he had no
complaints to make. HenG ricks was emf
lently worthy of the first place: but he
new his man. If the mighty Democratic
'1rty Of the United States told him tn ride
behind he would do it,
In conclusion, said Gov Flown. allow mo
o say that stand square on the platform
ccept the nominees as entirely sltisf factory |
nd propose as our watchword ~Ttlden and ,
Hendricks, Reform and Ftctary."
ratification Meeting and Picnic.