The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-09-28

in the way of specie payments, they de-
clared by their so-called Resumption Act
that specie payment should be resumed
on Jan. |, 1879. have, on former oCCa-
sions, both in the Senate and before the
people, expressed my opinion of this
measure. / have said what belieyed-
that greater legislative sham never was
seen; that the act makes no practical pro-
visions for return of specie payment;
that to fix day for such return without
providing means to accomplish it was q
false pretehse, and could do nothing but
harm. And now, / appeal to you all if
this has not proved to be true. We are
not one step nearer specie payments than
we would be had that law never been
passed. But while it has proved fruitless
of good, it has, on the other hand, proved
fruitful of evil. For it has completely
unsettled the minds of men at to what
will be the course of the Government.
The President has told Congress, and the
late Secretary of the Treasury told it,
that the law is defective, and that there
must be supplementary legislation in or
der to make make it practical and eff
cient, but Congress has paid no heed to
these admonitions. 1t has passed no
such supplementary laws, and hence no
man can tell with anything like certainty
what our Radical rulers will do should
they obtain new lease of power. I'm
der these circumstances capitalists lear
10 engage in any new enterprise, or to
enlarge their old business, and conse-
quently laborers are wholly or partially
unemployed, and there is stagnation and
distress everywhere. If am right in
these views it is plain that there should
be change of Administration. The
men who have contributed so largely to
bring about the distress are not the men
to remedy it. The same influences that
made them err in their previous policy
will make them continue to err. They
are in rut and they cannot get out Oft.
| (Cheers.)
There is another cause which has con-
tributed to depress the business men Of
the country. Before the war the vast
consumer of the North and the West was
the South. The amount ofgoods ana ag-
ricultural products that we sold every
year to the people of the South far ex-
Ceeded, many times exceeded our eX-
ports with foreign countries. The South
was then in a condition to buy, and the
South, notwithstanding the ravages OF
war, notwithstanding the destruction OF
so much property by the tyranny Of the
arbitration of arms, would be in condi-
ton to buy to-day if Radical rule had not
set it's heel on the property of the South.
(Cries of "That's so" and cheers.) lfthe
men in position by force of fraud in the
Southern States had not borne down that
people, and by suffering insecurity in
personal property, the South, long before
this, would have been able to be what
she once was-our very best customer OF
the products of the North. Cheers. ]
My friends, how was it? You recollect
when from this eastern part of the State
of Ohio cargo after cargo found its way
! down the waters until they reached New
Orleans and were there disposed of. You
know good hogs and cattle, and almost
everything you had to sell, found a mar
ket in the South. You know how manu-
factured articles were consumed in the
South, made by millions at the North,
and now how is it? Why, for the greater
portion of the time since the close of the
war, almost all of those Southern States
in which the Radicals have obtained, a
carpet-bag government has been set mp
and propped up by the bayonet; they
have been too poor TO buy, or contribute
their lust share to the Government. Who
is it that can deny that the Republican
party is not responsible? 1t was they
who made it possible for their party and
carpet-bag Government in the South. II
was they who made it possible to have
such a Government there that all people
who had any subsistence, and those who
had none, found it impossible to acquire
any. That has been the cause there
What are they attempting to do in the
South wherever the white race down
there, or the Democratic party, have OBJ
tained power? Immediately the State
began to be prosperous everywhere, and
proper administration of justice. 80 il
was in Virginia, so in North Carolina, sc
in Georgia. so in Tennessee. All of these
States where the Democratic party has
obtained power Immediately had gooC
government and peace; there they are
prosperous; peace between the whites
and the blacks; peace between all classes
and all went to work to try to retrieve
their broken fortunes. And wherever
the Radicals rule, as in Mississippi, il
Arkansas, in Louisiana, in South Carroll
ma, just precisely the reverse was seen
Take for instance Arkansas. Why, II
was perfectly chaos, both in business
and in society. AS to law and order
there was none all. By the gift of God
the Democratic party obt lined the ascen'
danCy in that State, and then when the
President of the United States sent tC
overthrow the very Constitution adopted
by the people of that State, and the Off
GERS elected under it, we were able to ar
rest it in Congress, and the people were
allowed to govern themselves under oul
own Constitution. And what has been
the result? The state is as peaceful as
the State of Ohio, and the State is grow.
ing Just as prosperous as the State could
be under the circumstances in which they
were placed. Take Mississippi-let me
tell you, that under Radical rule the tax.
es, as gentleman told me who paid
them in his own county, were SIS IN the
hundred, and half at least were stolen by
the officials. Cries of Shame, 'PShaw!
1t got too bad to be borne, and the white
people. and very great many OF the re.
spectacle colored people, too, succeeded
in obtaining that Government. What
have you had since in Mississippi? Or,
der, prosperity, a reduction of taxation
and contented people. That's what
you have had. That's what follows in
stead of these carpet-bag Governments
Now, my friends, you see how the policy
of the Radicals throughout the South
has not only injured the South, but has
deprived you of one of the best consu'
mers you ever had for the production oi
your industries. What do we see now
| in respect to the South? What is this
Administration about now in respect to
the SouthP 1t is not contented with
peace down there. 1t is not contented
with their State Government. In ali the
States, except one or two, we have nc
complaints to make. This Federal Gov