, 1876-09-24

DISSERTATION ON DEMOCRATIC REFORM.
The Third Ward Democrats met last night al
No. o73 Wabash avenue, Mr.. c. Price in thu
chair. The attraction was Mr.. W. T. Coolbaugh
who had been announced for big speech
Quite large audience assembled to listen tt
the oratorica1 banker, and seemed to be we'll sat
isiied with the entertainment provided.
Judge Forester was first called upon to ad-
dress the meeting. He made short address tc
prove that there are epidemics in the moral as
well as the physical world. and that one Of dis
honesty and theft had existed in the Republican
party for the last eight years. The learned
Judge Was not very successful in making out
his case.
Mr.. W. F. Coolbaugh next took the stand,
and was met With hearty reception. He said
in time OF intense public excitement and gen.
cral discussion like the present it was difficult
for any man to say anything new. The ground
had been we'll passed over, and there Was little
to say. He intended to address them as b1si-
ness man rather than from the standpoint Of
politician It was the duty, it seemed to him.
Of every man to do what his Judgment dictated
was right to check the present state of things
in the Government Of the country. We lived in
hard and peculiar times. A system of cxtrava-
ganee in national and State administrations had
sprung up which had Impoverished the whole
country. Excessive taxation was our present
great al1tction aud it behooyed allctizens 10 be-
come acquainted with the subject with a view of
finding out remedies to check it. In Chicago,
tor instance, during the last Is years our tax
alton had increased /, 400 per cent. But burden
taxation Of other cities Of the country. Phila-
delphia and New York had Increased almost in
likc proportion; indeed take all the cities III the
country, aud NE would find that while the ag-
;:regate population had increased 70 per cent,
the taxes had increased $50 per cent. There
where are suffering and in distress owing to the
scarcity Of money and hard times. 1t was the
same in the National Government. Statistics
showed that the whole aggregatcd taxation of
the country in 1560 amounted to S135, ,000, ,000,
and i'll 1875 to $50, 1000. The great question
to consider was,
In WHAT WAY ARE WE TO LESSEN THESE
BURDENsa
There was but one way, and that was by econo-
my and retrenchment in the future. Sooper or
basis, but the question was how to get there
Platforms had nothing to do with the financial
question; resumption would be settled by the
natural laws Of trade and commerce, and only
reached by renewed activity in business,
course o which would bring about @ ls re-
trenchment in public expenditures, economy
In private lie and in the Government, would
bring about, sooner or later, that much-desired
result. Carl Schurz and his followers pretended
that the national debt would be dishonored and |
The national credit lost should the Democratic |
party be victorious; but he contended, in spite |
II all charges to the contrary, that no prumi- |
1ent Democrat could be found in favor of re- !
,udiating the public debt. Mr.. Coolbaugh Gu
arged on this point, and quoted, among othcf !
Senator Nlorton's speech On the !
bill to prove his position. The state |
nenG made BY stump speakers Of the other side |
hat the Republican party Has better able aud
more determined to maintain the honor of the |
General Government in redeclning our bonds in
5old than the Democratic party, lacked founda-
ion. This was d question Of business and not Of |
politics, and should cease to exercise any con-
iderable importance in the Presidential canl-
1aign. Before the first Tuesday In November
hey would find the great mass of the voters
narshaleu on their respective sides, and sup
PORTING their respective candidates, without any
egard to the financial question. There was
.rcat deal Of talk about
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
he speaker here quoted largely from speech
rator said that the Civil Service was mere
instrument Of tyranny and scandal and re-
roach on free institutions and demanded an
Immediate and thorough reform. A palmer,
1ure comprehensive and truthful statement Of
he dereliction of the Republican party, said
r.. Coolbaugll, could not be found 4 com
ate the abuses Of the Civil Service,
nd, although it reported that the service was
lauagcd corruDtly aud cxtraVagantly, there
as no attempt to remedy the evils and insti-
ute economy; the report simply turned out,
Ike many other protestations Of the Republican
arty, to be nothing but an clcctoneeriug docu-
lent. scIlurz now claimed be was acruated by
le best Intentions and patriotic desire to
tcure reform; but would he pretend to say !