The daily gazette., 1876-09-25
Ovation, 10 Senator Bayard,
His Reception al Cooper
Institute.
A POWERFUL APPEAL. IN BEHALF
OF CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTY.
From the n. Y. Herald. Of Saturday,
Democratic RaIly.

lass MEETING AT THE COOPER INSTITUTE
LAST NlGHT-sENAToR BAYARD's
sPEECH-ADDREssEs OF Mr.. WAT
TERsoN, OF LOUISVILLE, AND OTHERS.
The mass meeting held at Cooper
Institute last evening, under the aus.
pices of the Tilden and Hendricks |
Central Campaign Club, was one of the |
largest democratic gatherings ever held
in this city. Not only was every seat
occupfed ard the aisles filled long be-
fore the meeting was called to order. |
with mass of struggling humanity
packed so closely together that even
the policemen were unable to pass from
one part of the hall to the other but
even the vestibule ..and the stairways
leading from the street were taken pos.
session Of by those who were eager to
listen 10 the speeches. There was be-
sides an immense crowd outside the
doors in the streets, clamorous to get
inside the building-an undertaking
that was found, of course, impossible
of realization, There was on the plat
form a large number of prominent
democrats. among :.others Mr.. Henry
Watterson, Mr. Augustus Schell, Coli
onel Harrison and Benjamin. Willis.
The meeting was called TO order by
Mr.. Peter B. Olney, who after few
remarks introduced the chairman, Mr..
W: II. Peckham. Mr.. Peckham made
short speech, in which he eulogized
Governor Tilden for his efforts all
well known to hImself-to purge this
city from the corrupt men who had
control of it six years ago. He said
that the secret of the intense opposition
manifested to Mr.. Tilden as Presiden-
tial candidate by the republicans was
not so much because he was demo-
crat, as because they knew in their
hearts that, having destroyed a corrupt
ring in this city and another in the
state, he would just as surely as he
once took possession of the White
House expose and put an end to the
corruption that had fastened itself upon
the whole country by the grace of the
present administration. Mr.. Peckham
closed by introducing Senator Bayard,
of Delaware.
SENATOR BAYARD's SPEECH.
The moment the Senator came for
ward on the platform the entire audi
ence sprang to their feet and amid the
waving of hats and handkerchiefs gave
cheer upon cheer, which was again
and again renewed. The band, which
was stationed in the row of seats next
to the front, meanwhile playing "Hail
to the chief" When quiet was finally
restored the Senator, who seemed con.
siderably affected by the heartiness OF
his reception, after thanking the audi.
ence for the warmth of welcome ex-
tended to him, began his speech by
showing that so long as our elections
remain free everycitizen enjoyed rights
that were beyond the reach Of the ty-
rant. The power that each electoI
was able to WELD at the polls, he said,
fixed upon him a responsibility for its
Just exercise. 1t was his duty to ele-
vate his wiil-that was given expires,
sion to at the polls-to the dignity OF
the question that he was called upon
to consider at an election. This pre-
lude to his speech, the Senator said,
, was not meant as mere talk, for he be-
lieved that it needed care and thought
on the part of the American people
that they might be alive to the condi-
tion of the country, else the govern
ment of it might slip from their grasp,
and they might awaken some day to
find it gone from them forever. There
always flowed over this land a great
tidal wave Of public opinion-some-
times for the best, and sometimes for
the worst. Truth and Justice, for a
time, had in this country gone down,
but the instructive sense of justice OF
the American people had again restor'
ed them to their true places.
The Senator then went on to show
the growth of the power of the office
holders under the republican admins.
tration of the government. This power
was exercised Indignantly in the for
nation Of issues between sections of thu
country. This army of Office holders
who were at the beck and call of one
man numbered at least 100 900 They
were men who were skilled, disciplined
thoroughly drilled; who dared not tt
whisper q word that would mark then
as Independent, and whose duty it wa
not to serve their country first, but to T
tain IN power the men who placed ther
where theywcre, fed and ept them in {
flee Yet the number of this class of me
it was designed by the administration
to increase, under the pretence tina
the increase was necessary to insure
4 fair electionl Mr.. Bayard next referret
to the defiance by President Ora mt
followers of the law passed at the last
session Of Congress against politica
assessments levied upon government
employees, and instanced as case II
point a levy of four per cent. Upon tn
Custom House employees of this scity
To illustrate how honesty was despise,
by the present administration and 1t
opposite fostered, the Senator cite,