The daily gazette., 1876-10-02

"
of the General Government. This
Legislation is only to secure free
ballot. and if a majority of the South
prefer Democratic representatives
this law will protect the people in
in voting for them.
Here Mr.. Macalister concluded, and
with unintended sarcasm thanked his
hearers for "their kindness and atteno
tion."
Levi c. Bird, Esq, was hext intro.
duced. and was received with three
little cheers and big "tiger."
Mr.. Bird alluded to the hard times,
but he said he believed the nation, to-
day, was as strong as ever in the hearts
of the people and the eyes of the
world. The people still believe in the
strength and perpetuity of American
institutions, and our free government
will live as long as time shall last. For
the last sixteen years it has lived under
the rule of the Republican party, and
it will live under the same rule six
teen years longer
MIR. Bird then retrograded to 1856,
and read the call for the Republican
Convention of that year. Like Mr..
Macallister, he galloped on. through
the war, reconstruction, and sub
sequent events. until he arrived at the
present. In 1876 the Southern States
he said, made the nominations for the
Democratic party, and nominated not
the man they loved, but the man they
believed could be elected, while the
man who had ever stood by them re-
ceived scarcely handful of their
votes. In this canvass, he said, we
must look into~the title of the Demo-
cratic party, and Judge of its future
by the acts the past.
On the subject of reform, Mr.. Bird
said there were dishonest men in all
| Governments. In Wilmington, he
said, there are as many honest men in
the Republican party as in the Demo =
cratic party. "Surely," he said, ''the
Democrats don't teink Pm dishonest,
for l get thrde fourths of my business
from them"
Continuing, he said that though
corruption doubtless existed in the
Republican party, it had done more to
clear dishonest men out of its ranks
than any other parto in the World. 1t
could have shielded the corruption
had it desired, but it never did so. The
Republican party is the party of Edu>
cation and reform. and SO long as it
Is such party the people will save
lit.
The speaker next referred to the
liberal element of 1872, and said it
was to day supporting Hayes Sc Wheeler
Getting Senators Cameron of Wis
consin. Christiancy, of Wisconsin. and
Booth of California;. The reason, he
said, was the rebel acts of the last
Congress. Sooner than let such party
control the country, the people would
take the Republican party, even if il
was 10, 900 times worse than it is.
4 Prodeeding the speaker accused MIR.
Hendricks of corruption in lobbying {
railrood grab through Congress-: but
S. j. Tilden he believed to be al
honest man. He denounced the "rcbe
Congress" for cutting down the navy
appropriation, and causing the pay Of
navy officers from $4,000 to $500 pei
anuum.
In concluding, the speaker referred
: to the hard times, and went into q
lprosy argument to prove that they
were not attributable to the rule of the
Republican party, but to the war anC
to the many extravagances which grew
out of the war He thought the panic
would not continue much longer and
that business would soon revive.
At the conclusion of MIR. Bird
speech the meeting adjourned.