The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-07-05

GEN. McCLERKAN'B ADDRrs.
Gentlemen of the National Den.
cratic Convention. l thank vou g.
the distinguished honor which -,
have done in directing me to p.e.,d.
over your deliberations. You =.
the delegates Of the Democracy !,
the whole Union Of thirtv...,..
States, once unnaturally estraD,.a
but now forever united in one ,nM
visible republic, brethren Of On. !.
litical family, With the same h.r,
tage Of liberty under equal l.v. ana
heirs of zone destiny. Shall No pr.,
serve and transmit that great b.,;
tage'
Shall No make that destiny i.
most glorious in the history Of . -.
people? II your deliberations, t,llo,
Democratic, today shall BE- vi,,. !,
your perception Of the nsces,iti.. !,
our country, our politics, sh.ll i.
just and saeatiou', il your synp.th,
shall DO quick with the hearts q
great people, then beyond al p.r,d.
venture We shall transmit to ~,
children and our children's child,.n
unimpaired, this priceless hsri..o.
Yours will be 4 better reaown than
the renown most priced BY Roman.
oo''d'tore ;nperierso.- far create,
than the founders Of empires, Q, II,
preservers Of republics. There =.
no enemies Of the Union today a.
this continent, except that Admins.
tration. Centralism, which !, con.
costing At the capital currents which
ought to flow out through every part.
giving life to the farthest extremi.
ties Of the body polite, and ene,g,
to all its members, except that cor.
ruption which is the curse that e,a.
tralism has never failed in any see 0,
land to entail upon any government,
Centralism and corruption have
imposed upon the States the raps.
cious tyrannies Of carpet bag rule.
and since peace, have added $780,.
600, 600 to their debt; they have in.
fected the government Of our North.
ern States and Northern cities With
the same disease Of sxtravagance
and fraud; they have debauchsd tho
Federal Government itself, and mad,
the names Of scores Of it, high Oh.
GERS and public men, our public scan.
dial, our open shame, = record Of hor.
rible incapacity, venality, waste and
fraud; and the party which has been
powerless to break down aud tram.
pie under foot its corruptionists, With
stupendovs efrontery pledged itsslf
to reform of which it has become
incapable; 90 that party pledged il.
self to restore specie payment, anil
every year taking ns further from
specie payments; so it pledged itself
to civil service reform, and then
dropped and Knocked its retorrner.
So it pledged itself to protect
American labor, and with its noa.
strous custom house taxation ofoysr
three thousand articles, it has in.
poverished American labor. A few
score Of monopolists, 3 few thousand
corruptionists, have been enriched,
but capital in the hands Of those that
earned it by industry and saved BY
frugality, is everywhere distrustsd
and rusts unused, while honest labor
goes about the streets begging brsad.
IL this, then, the final outcome Of
a century of Republican selfgorern.
ment? God forbid it. Gracious God,
but We have wandered far from tho
right path. We must return TO the
constitutional principles Of the tn.
gal expenditures aud the administra.
tive purity Of the founders Of the
Republic. This ID the first the
most imperious necessity Of our day
and nation. This Is the appeal "
have to make to our fellow citizens
Of every former political Affiliations.
This, the one supreme, command.
ing issue, to which all others AZ 10.
terior, all others trivial, Reform, Re.
form, Reform. You shall recognise
the imperious necessity. Il you
shall guarantee in your platform tho
successful achievement Of this ardu-
Gus work Of national regeneration; Il
you shall select standard bearers
true to your own high purpose snd
faithful to your pledges, victory 10
the November, victory in the Oeto
Der contests are already yours.
s.assAs ~ ~