New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-04
DEMOCRATIC ARGUMENTS
ADDRESS BY DAVID A. WELLS

GOVERNMENT IN THE SOUTH.
The last of the Tilden and Hendricks Con
trail Campaign Clubs Friday evening meetings was bels
last evening at Cooper Institute. 1t was Indicative ~
the waning feryor OF the Democratic canvass that :,
prominent speaker as David A. Wells OF Connection,
was merely able TO draw cOmfOrtahlyseaed audleno.
which began TO dwndle Is minutes after the meetns
opened. This all the noticeable inasmucb a.
Mr. Wells expected TO the great speech q,
william NJ Evarts. Besides Mfr. Wells was reSniorcaS
by james Thayer, and by calcium light and br,s,
band. The hearers exhibited the usual DemoeratIo
characteristics with the addition Of extra infusion q,
intelligence, due 10 Mr.. Weiss reputation as political
economist The body Of the audience, however lstepa
to the address OpenmOuthed, and appIauded with IN.
regularity Of clockwOrk, the incentive being usually
comma breathngspen in the address. When 4.
genuine opportunity for applause occurred TIA
! audience checrcd vOciferously Howard Potter
president OF the meeting, said he had been induced to
come before the people for the that led
distinguished Ont Evar,sl 70 say that should
be silent who could speak. Mr.. Evarts had mads
| valuable remark relative to the three motives which
Influenced citizens vote. There the motive Of per.
sOHal interest in the fortunes Of candidate, OF dis
Interested zeal for the candidate, Of choice cona-
dence in the principles professions Of party above
another. To these he would add fourth aud, as he
thought, more important motive. II referred TO the
known past and not ike Mr. Eyarts's three to the I'M
known future. IL had reference TO a vote Of coma
dence or want OF confidence The reason for hold
ing elections at all was found in tho fact thai
administrations might occasionally be changed. To the
question, Has the record OF the Republican party
been such command the confidence of the countP
be answered No; :" and there were few responses
from the audience. The present Administration, be
said, was not by the people, for the people, butg
the office holder for the oflce-holder
Thomas Cooper Campbell read list OF 43 yicepTed
dents aud SECRETARIES Of the meeting, ana the crowd
checrtd each name irrespective Of it, degree OF ami
arity but especially appaudcd the mention OF August
Belmont, W. f. Dodge, jr.. Abram s Hewitt Smith Ely
ir and Edward Cooper only " whom present
Mr. Potter then introduced David A. Wells as who
had been an Oicc-hoder under President Lincoln when
il was no disgrace to he 0hceh0lder. Dir. Wells alter
brief apology for reading from manuscript, said that
for years he had been in thorough sympathy with lE
Schurz but recently they had differed and be desired to
submit TO the public the grounds Of that difference The
times were out Of Joint. capital WIS unrcnuncratcd.
labor unrewared. The question was how 10 change
this condition OF conceded facts. Other subjects
important for instance civil service reform, bat he must
confne himself TO economic details AZ present there
was a great depression Of all commercial interests and
the question be proposed to address himself to was how
the Government affected them and how changed
the governmental system might affect them. There
vas cotton in the SOUTH IN the West textiles in
gland, and no lack of the bases Of prosperity but
commerce sluggish and the whole state suffered
He was not narTOwmlnded as 20 attribute tie whole
evil 10 the action Of the Government Governments not
omnpoten nor absolutely wise or foolish. Yet no one
agency had so much 70 90 with deciding whether the
poor mans LOAF should De large small, whether tho
price of c0a should be exOrhitant or within bounds.
Aud the United states Government extended Itself over
large part OF these interests IL controlled tie impod
lion OF customs On imports, and with Its powers bore
.reIt trusts. " those trusts wisely admins red
there would be nothing prevent general prosperity
D. off .
TIN, lack a, q people We had never been accused.
II apoared by the report Of the Labor Bureau Of Mas
sachusettsa report on very thorough investigation
founded inquiry into the condition OF 10000 work.
nsnen that their average earnings were 7i59 annu-
ally their average expenditures $780, Latc difference
II saving 81 go year. To this they had to
cuuue themselves, for food for their family Tor shelter
c,ohug taxes and an nccessaries 20 Il % per day
this was the rule in Massachusetts, comparatively
wealthy community, how would DE in !es,faYoied COM
muutcsi Suppose mismana cement OF tn" Government
relations between sections OF the country or other causes
broke down this income what would De the rsnti Ihe
labor.r had at most ten days margin between compare
tive scarcity and absolute want The lr.t question
which made the result Of the coming election important
,as whether there should be peace or discori-
10 the laborer abundance or want AhI IN
connection with this was the southern NAY
ter Had we, I'm the words Of Gov Andrew.
prosecuted peace vigorously ie called Charles N"".oh
asa witness concerning the condition OK tAe 7'a'N' 'HH'
the states under Radical conol were deeply n 'eOt IN
Georgia under Democratic management ii,i' was N'o
e, GOOD cr,ll. and low taxation, while even Tie Ne
groes were acquiring property IN Louisiana ana s.'n
Car'iuo hostility Of races aud broader dL.ianec De-
tween Intelligence and ignorance Threatened sa'e
dangers Contrast Arkansas and south Caio'hA' An'
former down 20 I,7l under Republican ruo oa4 'AaA,
ca OF by Republican di',en,ohs' put s'la.A .1- ''I1
judge P5nua rcport. that the vorlshoud belief a'ne'
Why Arkansas bad decrccd spcca. Thanks wing ''. 10
recovery Of the brtllght of free people and S'IAoa
t.lls how il was celebrated! No other aa'e
had made such progress. man HoH
Little Rock. who had come ou 10 procure m'cuHe''
noi told Nj Wells that with it they could m'se more
cotton better cotton and cheaper cotton hah 'hy Quo"
section Contrast that with south Cmolaa! OUT oi
l6O00OO0o of acres Of fertile land only 100000 we're
ruder cultivation. Orc-thrd Of lis Inhabitants eoAd
neither read WRITE yet it spent for public printing
ONE year almost as much the whole expense OF the
government Connecticut in the same year It's Dor
rowugs cost Is per cent year Capital comes OUT u
Arkansas for usc arms ANA ammunition now INTO SCUM
carolina Il would he better e. pay all the southern
claims 10 the uttcnos penny than have continnapee
Of dscord Capital wastes more by dry rot than eYen~
war.
A.to these Southern claims Mr.. Wells argued thN
most @, them were barred by the fourteenth amend
mont But aside from that taxes and expenditures 10
wcl-regulated goyommcnts-Mr Boutwell, IN trying W
pay bt not due, aud not payihS drot u'e' Ia" '"'
this rl,-wore kept in a close relation. If 9JOVV'VVo
were paid for Southern claims, Congress must provide
,Ee money in one of two ways by Increasing the de,t
a thing which. would b. flashed nj once all over lhe
world f. the depreciation OF American secuf.ucs-OfY
added taxaton Neither of these thngs. be llsis.sui
would any Congress permit Some people HAD qlaftet
with their own labor and their own pOckct5O0As UuI
that kind OF quarrel the American people were not aplO
pick mp. -. ~. 10 ., ~ 40,
Ihe present Administration MIR. Wells said, had no,
Tho tr6polis wore also the interests Of thc Government
IL nad cx.etcd S27l 900 r0m New York firm. wilma
I,loy leig, that most of the SUN would 20 mo tDe
nnrk.fs of Republican clerks and mo.ty thieves
And vet Mr. SchuH aud Nr. Eyarts had sMd
the Government OF the country would D. lm