The New York herald., 1876-10-12
POLITICAL REFORM
Parke GOdwin'S Address to the BuSi-
ness Men Of New York.
ISSUES OF THE CAMPAIGN
The Republican Party Arraigned for Venal-
ity and Corruption.

Last evening large crowC was attracted 70
Union by the OF discourse to business
upon political issues, by Mr. Parkc Goodwin
Among the gentlemen seated upou the platform were
John A. Beall, Edgar A. Turre, James II. skidmore,
Henry Greenfield, Charles D. ingcrsoll, Colonel Thomas
Stokes, William F. Owens, ID. b. Williamson, J. A. n.y.
land. Colonel C. A. II. Bartlett, Austin Flint Jr, N. d.
and Francis Lynde Stctson.
Mr.. John A. Beal called the meeting to order and
nominated for chairman Mr.. Franklin Edson Prcsi-
dent OF the Produce Exchange, who was unanimously
elected.
A list OF ninety vice presidents and an equal
number of secretaries was then read and APP
proved Among the former Howard Pot
ter, William L. Dodge, Jr Royal Phelps, Will
lam Appleton, Henry F. Spauding, Eugene
Kelly Wilson g. Hunt, Townsend Cox. William
o'Bren, S. l.. n. Barlow II. N. Alexander, Henry
Havemcyer, william H. wicxhan, A. L. Orr, G. W.
McLanc. Colonel F. A. Conking, Isaac sherman, Gen.
eral Joseph Hooker, Hiram Cranston l. j. \. Stark
Ca los Cobb. David N. Stone Edward Cooper
Henry G. Stebbins, General Franz Sigcl General Eli
Jah Ward. Charles A. Dana, William Henry Hurlbut
Wheeler H. Peckham and Dr. Austin Flint.
PARKx GoDwiS's SPEECH
After the adoption OF the names OF these gentlemen
Mr. Goodwin arose and was warmly uppiauded as he
began speak He said he would have 10 use as \
prologue tho occasion what occurred opilogue
In OF Shakespearcs plays and give them first his
fears, next hls favor and last his speech. He had
hoped to make two speeches in New York. and es
pecally on the political OF the TO bus
ness men and to The young men OF the DEM
ocrat,c Club. It appeared, however, they had been
conlounded. Perhaps FOR OF the smiling faces
present he indebted 10 the bracing breczes which
had been blowing from The West tApplause)
The aud tho constitutional amendments which
II had made necessary, Mr Goodwin said closed ono
great OF our poiiticsthat which grew out OF the
would be that pcpetuatcd the Union, en- frauchised
the slaves and that II ordained that Deus incurred
while debts incurred ana loss sustained against them
should be forever nvadatcd. tAppausc)
TnIs GRAND coysuMMATIoN
having been. alter proper debate, accepted and
approved by men OF all parties, the questions which
itlnvoved were taken out OF the range Of party
tions and had become landmarks OF history. Whether
wisely nnwsely settled, they were settled and the
nation pass 10 other issues. loud applause
There w,u d be no progress in politics lid OF admit
what English siatesman used 10 call 'lnalityn II,
after question had been discussed by the public and
would become ko the round OF a mil horse and de-
generate INTO nero aabble. SO II was with tho war IS
That great commotlon had supsdcd eleven
years ago; the structural and other dlsocations had
becn concluded, and our concern not with It's
cause or its management but With Its consequences
II had left heavy debt burucnsome taxltlon dis
ordered currency corrupt and expensive civil service
and population Impoverished ana whose institutions
had been upturncd iron bottom to- top II devolvcd
upon the party power at the close OF the war to
duct the sranslion OF the naton from this condition
to state OF peace regularity and order The task
quired s. craftsmanship 10 conduct 1t to successful
conclusion. Tho republican PARTY had failed TO do
that. There had not been clear, consistent and def
mite policy. This was almost the sole question how
10 be settled and Il was to be settled not by appeals
TO outworn passions but by appeals to
reason and fact. (ChcersL Some OF these facts the
speaker hoped tol lay before them ut that time
HIS FIRST REMARK
was that the dominant party had from the beginning
no policy That not entirely It's own fault, tor II
was originally party, and such parties from
their very nature were apt to be Heterogeneous IN
madc up out Of three existing parties almost on the
spur OF the moment 10 meet tho ex,gcncies
OF particular crisis, and outside OF that par
ticular crisis 1t had no definite or consistent
political convictions This great defect the party had
never been able 10 overcome and besides there were
within many elements oi dscord To for this
pecuxrity In Its original makeup 1t had put forth
men to givc it CONSISTENCY Wilderness and organiza-
ton Webster stated of Hamilton close of tho
FIRST revolution that she struck the rock Of national
resources and abundant revenues pushcd forth he
touched the dead corpse OF pubic credit and y
great revolution no Hamilton ap-
rearcd. Instead Of that, eager was the
dominant party for asccniancy and not true mastery
blind II and so deficient IN sagaciy that ut that
time when tho soldiers sword aud the strong hand
should have given place to the stronger nina, that
party chose Tor its leader man wno TO say more
utterly inexperienced n CIVIC methods and quito
ignorant OF civic issues. (Appause) Thus. having no
definite plan and no competent head. that party had
been party OF promises, Instead OF periormanccs-a
perry OF fuctuating counses, Of mpo,ent government
more devoted to partisan ends than to patriotic ends
leaving the ship OF State TO beat about IRON rock
shore the wind shifted or the current sucked.
II plan, foresight UNITY and consistency OF design
iud sable anywhere II was the speaker said
the management OF our hnanccs yet 1t was in that
department that the dominant party had most signaly
iailcd. he nation emerged from the with great
debt, or, in ght say half dozen debts, so many
and so complicated were he issues OF paper that it
tell how many there were and their respective dates
The irst duty OF the government was TO
consolidate these into one grcas debt at low ratio OF
interest," and then TO take the savings upon this great
debt u sinking fund from which to pay the prnci-
pal. But our managers thought the best thing TO do
was begin 10 pay off the debts which would not
come due Tor twenty years to come II was mas
tcryl.) stroke OF policy. And besides illegal,
for The law OF 1869 made It improper to pay
on the interest paying bonds until the
interest bearing debt had raci to a
par with gold But IL mattered no. to
The republican party. Ii sounicd well TO say, ave
paving OF the dcb,n aud so they went redecming
those bonds while tho nstona notes went 10 protest
every day by tue million 1t was no time at the close
OF the war 10 pay oil debts which had been otherwise
provided for, but that was the time 10 economlzc and
reduce unnecessary Expenditures and that was the cc
Mr. Goodwin went on to say that tao administration
had followed this dictate. but had gone on IN
crcasing them until the gross expenditure has been
$l00 900 than II had been the rst year. Tho
speaker dchcd any one to take up the reports OF tho
Secretaries OF the Treasury and lind any specific
mendation for retrcnchment. The methods adopted
by the administration for raising money had bceu
modelled on ,ne irlsnnan's wn.v" aay,Se @ 70 "a
head HIT IT," Whenever they saw head they
taxed IT. In Europe the evyDg Of taxes was an opc.
careful and mntured judgment on the part OF expert
enccd persons. Here ~ said Mr.. Godwin, rhey seem
to be fired oil at Us like French mitraillcuse. which
scatters in = Thousand directions" The schedule OF
tariffs the speaker characterized as great tataoguc
cxactions four i've thousand in kind, not laid for
| revenue but for the dcriment Of revenue, and
laid solely to sustain particular ana fu-
| vorcd interests This declaration eicited loud and
| long applause, and Mr.. Goodwin cont'nued:-"Mer
| chants OF New York, where your clipper ships
| once our pride and the admiration OF the world |?
Where the tonnage OF the country once the second
| turu In fhp world De
largestY Wncrc are your stately steamers pourhing
the ieep under the American nagS Gone. taxed out
OF existence. And the tsrin, which trammels you
tho Old Man OF the Sea sraddled Snbad the Sailor,
still remains and will remain long the dominant
party has the control. Cheers
| THE CURRENCY.
Mr. Goodwin said that IN Its manipulation interest
| and greed had been mixed IN most harmonious proper
tons. Hc quoted Thurow Weed 10 prove that Con.
gress could ten years ago have accomplished specie
| payment without injury to any Interest. but that
| The staesmanship TO do 1t was lacking Mr.
] a.,auldnr nuiAur the Legal Tender act. had