Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-06-28

warm and sultry. oetokening thunde,
a. 80. In llt. IhS delegates were prompt
-. - 'Le' places, but it was twenty min
- past twelve before the convepticl
I was called to order by Hon. Augnstu
! ScheIl, chairman Of the National Dem
! ocratie committee. In the meantim
the military band, perct- in the res
OF me chs'rnn s'rnnn--.,,s desk, keps the assem-
w Interested ty rendering variou
/ lively ale. Mr.. SchelI, In calling order
SAT-:
| GESTLEMEN-As chairman of the Nationa
| De.rocrauc convention, the duty has bee
| assigned TO me to call this convention TO or
Ger. According to the usfgts OF the Demo
crtt party. this large body OF representa-
tiVes, coming f.orn every section Of the Z Unic n
nave assembled Tor the purpose OF nominal
ing tor the Democratic party candidates fol
President aud Vice. President of the United
states, whose election viii m AXE a change In
the administration OF the overnment, and
stay the corruption which is now Destroying
u. IApplause.l The momentous issue before
the country IS outlined and clear, in dis,
tinct form and proportion, and 1t cannot be
overlooked, unuerestimated or avo led. Ad.
mlnistratIys reform is demanded by the
American people, of every class, Applause
and OF all parties. The corruption which nos
exists an the government wAica Is suffering
Ten Il H1nst be puaded and elevated, and
toe question TO whose hands shall
and rsisingi 3; shall It be committed 20 those
whose uncle N hands have spoiled it, No; in
this hour when the national honor, public
virtue, and the moral sentiment OF mankind
demand reform, the drty must and shall be
assigned to the Democratic party. TGreat ap.
plause.l The people will not support this
that the thing 10 be reformed can be reformed
hy itself They Sill answer; IL is necessary
in the case OF an individual who is answer
able TO his conscience and to his God for his
sins but what ia 70 become Of public ofiicisls'
integrity if men to whom is assigned the psr-
formance OF public trusts shall abuse their
power, violate their Obligations and their
o1thsE Ihe people are generous and confid-
ing, ard aIe honest. They may be slow, but
IN the end tn are intelligent and sagacious
Ihe people well comprehend their rights and
tneir interests. Their rights have been fear
fully Violated and their Interests too shame
fully neglected to ever again trust The ad-
mln1stration OF their government 10 the
There is also another issue which Commands
the consideration of the country, and that ia
me currency issue. The Democratic party
mas from It's origin, and through all the time
or Its existence, been what is known as the
hard money party of the country Tspplausel,
and the subtle and adroit effort on the part OF
the Republican party 10 charge upon the
Democratic party the present condition of af-
fairs, and to insist that that party is now the
s-it-money party, is entirely incorrect; for,
let me ask, on what page of the statutes, on
what act OF public authority, in which Dem
ncrats have had the power and the contrO is
there Written one word, one line, one law,
which has provided or caused the present con-
dition of thiDgs' All the acts OF this govern
ment recognize, and the issue of p apeT money
authorizing their use as a legal-tsnder, and
the action of the supreme court in de-
claring the law constitutional unIer which
these acts were authorized were all
done and performed during the existence and
power of the Republican party. What has
been the effect of il? Commerce is parelyzed;
the manufacturing I'M crest almost destroyed
In the country; prosperity has disappeared,
and want has taken its place. Low is it 10 be
ran obi 3aG0 ha rnff - g4,
interests will see hat the remedy il applied
OF a frugal and economical government, and
dim1nution OF taxation. 1t cannot be
brought about by forced contraction. APP
plause.l 1t should not be assisted by addi-
uonal imitation, but take the country as il
stanos, [Applause.l We are called upon to
apply the remedy, and one remedy which
commends itself 10 every honest man and to
every reasonable Democrat is TO demand
the repeal of the resumption act. lAppiause.l
repeat, that act put the government in the
power of the Democratic party, and let them
pursue the course which they will pursue
OF an economical administration of that gov
ernment, and assure you the time is not far
distant when specie payments will be re.
sumed, the prosperity of the country be re-
stored, and the whole American people be
happy once more. Gentlemen, the tide is
auspicious and the occasion sugg aStive one.
hundred years ago The firt Dem pcratic as
met in Philadelphia, representa-
tives OF the colonies of the Atlantic shore of
this country. LApplausel They were under
the guide OF that sage, that patriot, that name
o., D.
plauseL who laid the foundation OF that civil
and Teli sious liberty which our fathers built,
and which we now enjoy on this occasion.
This centennial year The Democratic party
has assembled IN convention once more 10 do
That which our fathers did; that is to say, to
pr claim the clurse and to adopt the means
which shall be necessary to restore us TO our
ancient prosperity. Applause Daring all
Jbe time that the power of the government
has been in the hands of the Democratic
party, during all that time prosperity has
cd Vuh hat
dog has been dropped by The advance OF he
pu 0iiean power: sorrG W and shame have been
onf condition. lApglausel May we not
power, that the Democratic party may assume
Its rightful position before the country? [Ap-
pl use l shall not attempt TO forecast
of the duties which il is called
upon to perform either in the nomination of
a President or Nice-President of the United
states or in the adoption of its platform. The
rules by which this convention is governed
are sucn as to insure the nomination of some
gentleman whose character and position as
81 tatssmau and as an individual Is ripe in the
eXp perience of one and pure and stainless in
his character in the other; who will see that
none other is nominated for either of those
offices. AS to the platform, this convention
viii act wisely ana in accordance with the
that those are best governed who
that much will be left TO the energy, the
and the economy of our people,
ana less to Fe eral legislation, for the future
Il
honor, in the name of the Nat onal commit
te a, to propose for your temporary chairman
Mr.. Henry NJ. Watterson, of Kentucky.
lheersl
Mr.. Wstterson was unanimously elect
ed temporary chairman, and Senator
Bsrnunl, of Connecticut, and Senator
Ransom, Of North Carolina, were ap-
pointed committee to conduct him to
the chair. Mr.. Watterson assumed the
chair and was received with cheers. Up
on the subsidence Of the applause, Mr..
Watterson addessed the convention as
follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONvENTIoE-We are
called together to determine, by our own wis
istered by honest men, shall be restored to the
N Erican people, or to decide by our own
folly that 1t is the destiny of this country to
pursue an endless, eYer.reYolY1ng circle of
partisan passion and corruption, until, with
the loss of our material well -beins, we lose
the poor mans last best hope, "civtl liberty
itself" Every citizen of the republic, be he
OF one party or the other, feels, and has felt
for many Gay, the depressing influence OF
" hat are called hard times. We look about
US, and we see neglected fields and vacant
houses; the factory is closed; the furnace
door is smut; there are myriads of idle hands;
the happy activity of prosperous life is no
where 10 be found; loyalistS fatten, while
honest men starve; empty the mart and ship
less the bay. What is It? What has wrought
so great q change in a land that, under the
rule of an Intelligent, progressive constitu-
half a century, from the condition of .
huddle of. petty and squalid provincial
to foremost place among the
nations of the earth. The reason of men
must answer partisan misrule and sectional
The Republicans, my friends,
are not alone re p Onsible. With them rest
the disgraces, with us the folltes. These twin
agents Of national mlschance, walking under
tue miserable rule OF contraries, have kept
the people of the north and south asunoer,
and have distributed values. They have un-
settled prices; they have made our whole
system cheat ana snare: they
have driven the best elements of political So
ciely in exile, and have organized charlattn-
ism into a sort of a public policy, enabling
the rogue to get a cheap advantage of his
dupe, and sacrificing every popusr interest
to the lust of that oligarchy which has be-
come so encrusted with power as to believe it.
self entitled TO rule by the sheer force OF Its
own Wrong-dOiug. So much let us set down
to the convenient pretext OF war, so much to
the long account of damages between the
orth and the south. IL IS for you to say
whether the same conflict with conSe-
uuences multiplied and msgnided, shall by
any act of yours be inauguratt d between the
east and the west. l shall not undertake on
an Oc easion Of this kind, and in presence so
imposing, To enforce the familiar lesson
of mutual fOrbearance. Nobody doubts our
capacity to make battle among ourselves, en-
{ eating you 20 direct syOur energies to the
enemy. ask Indulgence only on
my own behalf. You have called me TO
place not merely of distinction, but OF difh-
Guilty; 10 a place which requires the best Il am
ing OF a bel. er man than am. In taking 1t
trust to your confidence and good nature, and
to a heart incapable OF an unmanly Or unfair
act. The work bafore us should relate 10 ideas
rs her than to individuals. 1t is the issue,
not the man, that should engage us. We have
come here to make the peoples, not our hght
for free no less than for honest government;