The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-01
THE NEw YORK DEMOCRACY.
Remarks of U. s. Senator Herman, and
ex-Gov. Horatio Seymour.

Remarks of U. s.. Senator Herman, and
ex-Gov. Horatio Seymour
During the session of the Democratic
state convention at Utica, last week, the
chairman announced that Senator Herman
and Coy. Seymour were in the opera
house, and would address the convention
if it was its pleasure to hear them. Amid
mingled shouts for Seymour and Herman
the latter came forward, and was greeted
with loud applause.
SPEECH OF SENATOR HERMAN.
am grati6ed to meet you, representa-
tives of the Democracy of the state Of New
York, on this occasion. 1t is one which
rises 10 Importance above the conventions
which ordinarily assemble in our state You
have met to select delegates to act for you
and the entire Democracy Of the state in
making those preliminary arrangements,
and in selecting candidates for the Office of
president and vice president of the United
States. You meet in the faith that in the
election which is to ensue this fall the
party now in power will be overthrow,
and the ancient Democracy, with it's honest
principles of administration, will come
again into power. applause And, my
fellow citizens, | assure you that it is none
too 5000 to rescue your country from the
administration which is now in power
(Applause.) 1t is no mere party question:
it is no mere personal question. but it is a
question, in ny judgment, whether the
people OF this country will rescue their
form of government from the destruction
which is now impending over it. L tell
you no news when | say to you-and
say it in sorrow-that there is widespread,
through nearly all the branches of the
administration of your affairs, eXtravagant
corruption and bold and fearless pecula-
ton. Your government cannot stand, and
it will not last unless the people of this
country shall restore Its administration TO
honesty, economy and purity throughout
all its branches applause And | am
reioiceu to believe that the Democracy OF
this state, the people whom you represent,
are ready aud determined that they will
do their share in reinauguratinS Demo
cratic administration that will give US again
purity and honesty and economy in public
affairs. applause
But | want to warn you that there is tC
be no trihing struggle. The men who are
the Office seekers who have been using
your government for the benefit of ring
ana individuals, entirely Eeglecting thu
welfare Of the entire people, will not give
up their hold on the administrator unit
you haye overthrown them by such al
effort as has been rarely made in Thu
country. All that patronage can do, al
that the money that corrupt rings hav
stolen can do. all that the none,
that is filched from the treasur,
under the pretense of preventing crime ant
every other pretense will be used to return
the men who have abused it, to the de
triment Of the people and to the endanger
ment of our government; therefore 1t i
that ! say to our friends everywhere
remember that all mere personal feeling
all mere prejudices and preferences mus
be laid aside and you, as delegates, shoul(
meet at St. Louis, with the delegates trou
other states, determined that i'll selecting
candidates and laying down a platform
with them you will look to the welfare 0
the Democracy of the union. Applause
And from the spirit | have seen manifest
ed here, | feel am not mistaken. fee
that our representatives in that natlona
convention will remember that we are Il
select the men from whom their character
and from their principles and from tn,
record they have made in public ant
private life will give the country pure ant
honest men, who will seek to restore 4
this government that purity, that economy
that honesty that was taught by it
founders, aud under which and according
TO which it was administered more thar
half century by the Democracy tina
built up the precedents which we should
follow (Applause.)
There will be mauy questions, but The
great need of the country-.hat which
every man feels as he sits by his fireside
that which every public man who looks t.
the welfare of his country thinks of:
that we must go before the people witt
the evidence that we are honest and sincere
reformers; that we will overthrow and
eradicate all abuses; that we will drive all
peculators and plunderers and selfish
men from the administration of affairs
that we will install in the high places OF
administration men who will trample upon
rings and corrupt men and administer il
for the benefit of the people. Applause.
My fellow-citizens, everything should
encourage us to cultivate in ourselves and
among our bretheren this spirit OF
harmony, this spirit of determination to
act for the country. We are in, as every
man remembers, the centennial year. One
hundred years ago your ancestors en-.
countered all Of the dangers, all of the
hardships, and all of the risks Of ar
with Great Britain in her power, that they
might give liberty to the people of this
country-liberty of conscience; the right
of pursuing happiness for themselves and
their families the right to build up the
noble and glorious government which they
gave to us. We would be faithless to our
selves. We would be faithless to those
who went before us, we would be faithless
to our creator and to our children, if we
did not bury all differences, and, like a
band of brothers, so act from DOW until
after the election closes that there will be
triumph in the year 1876 which will
hereafter be claimed and believed to have
been the second rescuing of civil and
religious liberty, and the second rescuing
OF our republican institutions from the
corrupt and selfish men who are endanger.
ing them every day that they administer
them. (Applause)
Now, my fellow citizens. hope during
this canvass shall have an opportunity 10
meet you (applause), for God knows feel
earnestly aud | am willing to do my duty.