Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-06-30
55mocratic Convention.

I1E Democratic National Convention as
sembled on Tuesday at noon in the hall
of the Chamber OF Commerce at st. Louis.
The Hon. Augustus Schel, of New York,
called the convention 10 order. He then pro-
ceeded 10 state that its purpose was to nomi-
nate candidates for the presidency and vice
presidency whose election shall change the
government, overthrow corruption, and pro-
duce the administrative reforms demanded by
tho people. He spoke of the democratic party
as the party of hard money from the begin
ming and said that the acts authorizing paper
money and making it legal tender were the
work Of republican Congresses. The remedy
for our financial troubles, he contended, was
neither rapid contraction nor increased cur
rency. He held that the repeal Of the
sumption act and the assumption Of the reins
of government by the democratic party, with
its policy of economy and sound finance,
would bring about specie payments speedily.
In closing he nominated Henry Watterson, of
Kentucky, (edtor of the Louisville Courier
Journal, for temporary chairman, which was
unanimously agreed to. On taking the chair
Mr.. Watterson addressed the convention
10 the course of his remarks he referred
10 the s,agnation of business, ascribed it to
partisan misrule and sectional misdirection,
which have kept asunder the people North and
South, supplied snstenanee TO corruption, dis
eurbcd values, unsettled prices, and made our
whole financial system cheat and a snare.
The delegates from the National Woman's
Suffrage Association asking hearing were
admitted, and Miss Phoebe Cozzens made an
address, and the resolutions she presented in
regard to suffrage at the close were referred
to the appropriate committee for respectful
consideration.
AT eight minutes before two the convention
took recess until P NJ.
The convention reassembled at s. 25 The
committee on credentials reported all States
represented and no contested seats. The re-
port was adopted with an amendment admit
ting the delegations from lhe-bfistfict of Co.
\ -+1Id Territories without votes.
The report of the committee on permanent
organization was read commenting Gen
John A McCernard, of H., for permanent
president with vice-presidents for each Stale
Address OF GEN. NJ CLfNNAND
The report was adopted, and the commit
tee escorted Gen. McClernand TO the chair
who addressed the convention extempora-
neously. Gen McClernand sad
tGentlemen of the National Democratic
Convention thank YOU for the distinguish
ed honor which you have done me in direct
ing me to preside over your deliberations
You are the delegates of the democracy of the
whole Union of ihrty-seveu States, once un-
Ill
, in one ndivisble republic. Brethren of one
political family with the same heritage of
liberty under equal laws and heirs of one
destiny, shall we preserve and transmit that
great heritage? Shall we make that destiny
most glorious in the history of free people?
If your deliberations, fellew-0emocrsts, to-
day shall be wise, If your perception of the
necessities of our time, our country, our poll
tics, shall be Just and sagacious If your sym
| palhy shall be quick with the hearts of g rea
people, then beyond all peradyenture we shall
NAansmit to our children and our chidrens
J ehsIren unimpaired this priceless heritage.
Yone viii be better :enown than the re-
nown most priced by Romans--con9itores i'm
Rcptsrttaisy Far greater than the founders of
empires are the preservers of republics. There
are no enemies of the Union to-day on this
continent except that administrative ceptrali-
cation which, eongesling al the capital the
vital currents v hich onght 10 flow out through
every part, giving life TO tue farthest eXtrem-
ties of the body polite and energy to all its
members, except that corruption which is the
course that centralism has never failed in age
or land to email upon any government.
s'Centralism and corruption have imposed
upon ten States the rapacious tyrannies OF
carpet-bag rule, and since peace have added
two hundred millions of dollars to their debts
They have infected the governments of our
Northern States and cities with the same dis
ease OF extravaganza and fraud. They have
debauched the federal government itself and
made the names of scores of its high officers
and public men our public scandal and our
shame.
"a record of horrible incapacity, veuality,
waste, fraud, and the party which has been
powerless 10 break down aud trample under
foot lis corruationsts with stupendous eff
frontery pledged itself to a reform of which it
has become incapable. So that party pledged
itself to restore specie payment, every year
taking us further from specie payment; so it
pledged itself TO civil service reform, and then
dropped and Knocked its reformers; so it
pledged itself to protect American labor, and
with its 1onstrous eustom-house taxation on
over three thousand articles il has impover-
ished American labor. few score of mono
polists, few thousand eorrnptionists have
been enriched, but capital in the hands Of
those that earned it by industry, and saved il
by frugaliiy, is everywhere distrusifnl and
rnsts unused, while honest labor goes about
The streets begging bread.
'sIs this then the final outcome oc a century
of republican seif-governmentG Forbid il,
God Bat We have wandered far from the
~ light faths. We must return 10 the consIi-