The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-11-02
Great Speech at India
napolis,
ASUPERB SAMPLE OF P0LITl.
CAL IkvECTIvE.
Wit, Sarcasm, Eloquence, and Reason
Combined,


Blue" gathering at indianapolis:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FELLow-c1r1zENs,
AND CITIZEN SOLDIERS: | am opposed to the
Democratic party; and l will tell you why.
Every State that seeded from the United
States was a Democratic State. Every ordi-
nance of secession that was drawn was drawn
by Democrat. Every man that endeavored
to tear the old flag from the heaven that it
enriches was Democrat. voice" Give it
to them."1 Every man that tried to destroy
this nation was Democrat. Every enemy this
great Republic has had for twenty years has
been Democrat. Every man that shot Union
soldiers was Democrat. lCheers-" That's
so."l Every man that starved Union soldiers
and refused them in the extremity of death
crust was Democrat [Renewed cheering.
Every man that loved slavery better than liberty
was Democrat. The man that assassinated
Abraham Lincoln was Democrat. Every man
that synpathized with the assassn-every man
glad that the noblest President ever elected was
assassinated was Democrat; every man who
wanted the privilege of whipping another
man to make him work for him for nothing
and pay him with lashes his naked back
was Democrat [cheersl; every man that
raised bloodhounds to pursue human beings
was a Democrat; every man that clutched
from shrieking, shuddering, crouching mothers,
babes from their breasts and sold them into
slavery was Democrat. [Checrs.l Every
man that impaired the credit of the United
States every man that swore we would never
never redeem the greenbacks; every malicner
Of his countrys credit every calumniator Of
his country's honor, was a Democrat. Cheers.
Every man that resisted the draft every man
that hid in the bushes and shot at Union men
simply because they were endeavoring to en-
force the laws of their country. was Democrat
(Cheers. Every man that wept over the corpse
of slavery was Democrat. Every man that
cursed Lincoln because he issued the Proclama-
tion of Emancipation-the grandest paper since
the Declaration of Independence-every one of
them was Democrat. [Cheers. Every man
that denounced the soldiers that barred their
bosoms to the storms Of shot and shell for the
honor of America and for the sacred rights of
man was Democrat. tCheers. Every man
that wanted an uprising in the North-that
wanted to release the rebel prisoners that thev
might burn down the homes of Union soldiers
above the heads of their wives and children
while the brave husbands, the heroic fathers
were in the front fighting for the honor of
the old fag-every ono Of them was a Demo-
crat. tCheers. l am not through yet Laugh
ter and cheers. Every man that believed this
glorious nation OF ours is confcderacy, every
man that believed the old banner carried by our
fathers through the Revolution, through the
War of 1912, carried by our brothers over the
fields of the rebellion, simply stood for a con-
tract, simply stood for an agreement, was a
Democrat Cheers. Every man who believed
that any State could go out of the Union at its
pleasure, every man that believed that the grand
fabric OF the American Government could be
made to crumble instantly into dust at the
touch OF treason, was Democrat. TCheers
Every man that helped to burn orphan asylums
in the city of New York was a Democrat
every man that tried to fire the city of New
York, although he knew that thousands would
perish, aud knew that the great serpents of
flames leaping from buildings would clutch
children from their mothers arms-every wretch
that did it was Democrat. [Cheers. Recolect
it ! Every man that tried to spread small-pox
and yellow fever in the North as the instrument
talities of civilized war, Democrat. SOL
d!ers, every scar you have got on your heroic
bodies was given to you by Democrat
lCheers.] Every scar, every arm that is lack
ing, every limb that is gone, every scar is SOU
venir of Democrat (Cheers.1 lwant you to
recollectit. A voce-"We will"1 Every man
that was the enemy of human liberty in this
country was Democrat. Every man that want
ed the fruit Of all the heroism of all the ages to
turn to ashes upon the lips-every one was a
Democrat. [Checrs.]
will tell you why This is the only free gov.
eminent in the world The Republican party
made it so. The Republican party took the
chains from 4,0o0,0o0 of people. The Republi
can party, with the wand of progress, touched
the auction block, and it became school
house. lCheers] The Republican party put
down the rebellion, saved the nation, kept
the old banner afoat in the air, and declared
that slavery of every kind should be extir-
pated from the face of this continent. [Cheers.
the only free party that ever existed. 1t is
party that has platform as broad as hu-
manity-a platform as broad as the human
race party that says you shall have all the
fruit of the labor of your hands, party that
says no chains for the hands-no fetters for the
soul. A voice" Amen!' Cheers.1
am Republican because the Republican
party says this country is nation and not
confederacy. am here in Indiana to speak,
and have good right to speak here in
Indiana though | bt hppp
stand II not because the flag of the State of
indiana waves over me. | would not know it
if should see it. You have the same right to
speak in Illinois not because the State flag of
Illinois waves over you, but because that ban
ner, rendered sacred by the blood of all the he
roes, waves over me and YOU (Cheers.] / am
in favor OF this being nation. Think of man |
gratifying his entire ambition in the State of |
Rhode Island. Laughterl We want this to |
be nation, and you can't have great grand |
splendid people without having great, grand, |
splendid country. The great plains, the su-
plme mountains, the great, rushing, roaring |
rivers, shores lashed by two oceans, and the |
grand anthem OF Niagara, mingle and enter as
tWere IN the character of every American citi- |
zen, and make him, or tend to make him a |
great and grand character. l am for the Re-
publican party because it says the Government
has es much right, as much power to protect
its citizens at home as abroad. The Republican
party don't say that you have to go away |
from home TO get the protection of the Gov |
ernment. The Democratic party says the
Government can't march its troops into the
South to protect the rights of the citizens.
1t is lie. lGreat cheers The Government
claims the right, and it is conceded that the
Government has the right to go to your house.
while you are sitting by your freside with your
wife and children about you, and the old lady
knitting and the cat playing with the yarn and
everybody happy and sweet-the Government
claims the right to 60 to your fireside and to
take you by force and put you into the army;
take you down to the valley OF the shadow of
hell set you by the ruddy, roaring guns, and
make you fight for your flag. [Choers Now,
that being so, when the war is over and your
country is victorious, and you go back to your
home, and lot Of Democrats want to trampe
upon your rights, l want to know if the Govern
ment that took you from your freside and made
you hight for it, | want TO know if it is not
bound to fight for youi Cheers.l The flag
that VIII not protect its protectors is dirty rag
that contaminates the air in which it waves.
lhe government that Will not defend its defend
ers is disgrace to the nations of the world.