The Osceola times., 1876-10-21
Address by Parkc Goodwin at Cooper
Institute.

lecture by Parke Goodwin. Many prom
inent and influential citizens occupied
seats on the platform. Mr.. Franklin
Edison presided.
Mr.. Goodwin, on being presented to the
audience, said:
81 must thank you for this large gath
ering and kind greeting. No doubt
many Of the faces here present have been
attracted by CHEEKY breezes from the west.
The speaker then began a review of the
political history of the country, dating
from the war and the adoption of the
constitutional amendments. First, he
wanted it understood that the war ended
eleven years ago that as an issue it was
ended, and that new questions and new
interests were now before the country.
The question of this canvass was, have
the party inp power discharged their duties
to the country under the new aspect of
affairs, or have they evaded and trifled
with them?
The republicans, continued the speaker
started without the policy to meet the
exigencies OF particular crisis, so eager
were they for mere ascendency, and not
for true mastery-so blind, 30 deficient
in sagacity, that this party chose for its
leader man who, to say no more, was
quite inexperienced in civic measures
and quite ignorant of civic issues. This
has been party rather of promises than
Of performances-more devoted partisan
ends than to patriotic aims. Mr.. God
win then spoke of the lack of financial
policy as displayed by the republican
party he exposed the exorbitant ex.
travagance Of the administration, and
praised the democratic house of repre-.
sentatives for reducing appropriations
by SSO,0O0,000 or $4,000 for every
congressional district in the country
Our tariff, said he, is a great catalogue of
cxactions, four or five thousand in num-
Der, not levied for revenue, but TO OBJ.
struct revenue, and so aid certain and
special interests. Merchants of New
York, where are your clipper ships {?
Where is yeur tonnage? Where are your
stately steamers? Gone Taxed out of
existence by curse which straddles
your shoulders and which will remain as
long as the present administration re.
mains in power. OF the currency ques-
tion, Mr.. Goodwin read republican testi-
mony to show the lack of statesmanship
and the continued greed and ignorance
Of that party. The republican party, he
said, did not favor hard money. The re-.
publican party, in their wisdom, thought
that the remedy for plethora of paper
money was more paper money. Mr.
Sherman's sham resumption bill the
speaker described As tub thrown to in
hation, while Mr.. Schurz demonstrated
the utter hollowness of this bill, but
voted for it because he thought it might
bind the conscicnces of his republican
friends. The double-dealng and incom-
potency of the republicans were next
shown in the matter of civil service,
Said Mr.. Goodwin, Mark Twain said the
other day of our civil service system
II throws fellow into the custom house
who doesn't know bill of laden from
transit of Venus. During Grants ad-
ministration Office holders have increased
from "a, 900 to $4,000. We hear OF Conk-
ling's men or Blaine's men, not men of
the people. These oflice-hoders are the
retainers of politicians, and when they
put their fingers too far in their protectors
conspire to hide up defalcations for fear
of damaging the party. These are the
men who are assessed to carry elections
or turned out rs bread.and butter bri-
gades, boys in blue. Why, most of the
boys IN blue | have seen must have been
infants in arms during the war. Laugh.
ter.
Mr.. Goodwin next described the civil
service reform humbug of Mr.. Curtis and
Mr.. Eaton. The nepotism of President
Grant was also touched upon, and the
speaker explained that congress could
hardly be expected to reform when it
stood so much in need of reform itself
OF republican reformers Mr. Goodwin had
the testimony of Mr.. Hoar read showing
shameless and colossal corruption of the
administration, and asked, how are you
going to get cleanliness out of such a sty
as that Pension frauds, post office
frauds, contract frauds, building frauds,
grave-stone frauds and freedmens bureau
frauds were next described rs fruits of
republican rule. To prove the wide
spread corruption the speaker appealed
only ytorepublicanauthorities Mr.. Wool
sey, Carl Schurz, clergymen, editors and
merchants were called together to try to
stop this widespread and almost univer.
sal political delay, originated and de-
velopcd during the past ten years. Said
Mr.. Goodwin, some say this is not repub-
licanism, but Grantism. This is like the
bishop who cursed and said he cursed as
man. and not rs a bishop, and some
asked what would become Of the bishop
when the man was damned. II Grantism
is damned, what becomes OF republican.
ism? When have republicans denounced
Grant or Grantism? When one news.
paper or one leader spoke the truth Of
him, he was communicated like Sum.
ner
The speaker then read opinions ex.
pressed in republican conventions of Grant
and his administration, which were saluted
with peals of laughter. Republican cam
paign talk, said the speaker, is but one
long war whoop. They dig up issue,
from the rottenness of the grave in regard
to persons. In abuse they are beyond
comparison, for they have all the resour
ces of billingsgate at their command
Mr.. Goodwin next spoke of Mr.. Hayes a
a republican mskeshift, and said there wa.
but very meagre prospect that he would
turn Hercules to clean the Augean sta
blesot the dominant party, notwithstand
ing that he was the candidate of the re
form candidate who represents the dir
test politics Of the dirtiest political state
in the union.
OF Mr.. Hayes, Mr.. Goodwin would say
nothing, for the same reason that some
one gave for not fighting duel with
with John Randolph: THAT there was
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