Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-09-20

the governed. l don't believe we
will ever get a government admins
tered in such way as to secure these
rights at the least possible cost, and l
don't think any of you, if you should
live TO see the next centennial, will
see it. But that administration with
the least probable expense, is the one
you want; it must secure all these
rights, and government that don't
protect more than half the people,
you don't want at all. You don't want
a government at the least possible cost,
with sacrifice of those rights of a
portion of the governed for the pur-
pose of saving few dollars or few
cents if we want that kind of gov
eminent. then we are false to human
ity, to the men who instituted the
government, and to the God who
created us. We cannot afford to do
that. For the last fifteen years the
government has been administered
by the republican party; the party
opposed to it is the democratic party !;
there is another element, but it does
not rise to the dignity of a party +; it
is called the Greenback party; and
tonight we will discuss which of
these two parties-the republican and
democratic parties-will probably Sc
cure to all the citizens of the United
States of America, these blessings at
the least possible expense. The re-
publican party has been in power for
fifteen years. If / am fortunate
enough to speak to any democrat to-
night will put it the other way
if there is any democrat fortunate
enough to hear me speak, i don't
expect they think the republican par
ty have enacted any law that has
proved disastrous to the well being of
the people at large. / can say, with
out fear of successful contradiction,
that the general laws enacted by the
republican party throughout the
land have been in entire consonance
with the constitution, and have had
for their purpose the securing of these
benefits to the great masses of the
people. No democrat will deny it
neither in this house nor i'm any other
house, because they are not totally
depraved yet. Laughter. They can
not point out a single measure which
has brought disastrous results to the
country speak about the general
character of our enactments and the
consequences resulting therefrom.
Take it home, if yon please, and tell
me what law has been passed in Iowa
by the Legislature or the Congress of
the United States that you will say
has not tended to the advancement of
the material interests of the people.
You cannot point out n single enact
ment that has been disastrous to our
interests. Point them out. If this
house was full of democrats, l might
stand here asking them to point them
out. l might wait till Gabriel blew
his trumpet, and they would not point
out one, except the Resumption Act,
and they will admit that was one of
the best things that could have been
enacted. | have not found the demo-
crat that would state that even that is
very bad thing, as far as it is COM
pretended, [cheefsl, and farther than
that, they are not responsible, cheers,
and that "sets them out" so far as
that is concerned, Of an immense
amount of their cussedncss, if l am
excused for using that word. 1t is
Yankee word, born beside Plymouth
rock, and therefore ii is not very
wrong. Laughterl.
There is a party, the democratic
party, that criticizes the acts Of the re-
publican party, party of GROWERS,
growing all the time-it does nothing
but criticize and growl. The repub-
lican party is responsible for the en-
actments now in force, and they are
the objects of criticism Of the party
which has not a single enactment in
this nation; but they have done some
things which fortunately have not
passed into cnactments. They criticize,
and admit to some extent justly, for
no party can be perfect. But when
these enactments were made, were
they not, probably, the best thing that
could have been done? If any dis
asters happen-terrible rains, raids of
grasshoppers, or if your water power
improvements is stopped by floods
these GROWERS complain it is because
of some Internal act of the republican
party.
But they never suggest any amend
ment to remedy the evil of which
they complain, and after they growl
and complain awhile, they come right
along after us and adopt republican
measures, endorse republican princi-
pies. A few years after, when the
proof becomes overwhelming, then
they say it is all well enough, but this
other thing you are going to do is all
wrong and going to ruin the country,
and then year after year, they are in
favor of what we have done years
ago. Yea, more than that, when the
heavens are rolled together as scroll,
and when the roll of all except them
selves has been called in judgment and
Judgment has been passed, they will
come in about "a hours after and re-
solve in favor of the judgment. HIM
mense cheering]. They are the last
ones now in favor of it, [cheers], but
they will come in about "a hours after
and vote for it, that is, if it is thought
worth while to bring them there to
judgment at all.
Now these grumblers gathered
themselves together in the Mississippi
valley, and produced series Of resO-
lutions and nominated a ticket. They
came from the Lakes to the
Gulf, from mountain to mountain,
from ocean to ocean, and would
like to tell you about the kind
Of crowd got together there,
but have not time now. They NOM
mated Samuel j. Tilden for President
and Thos. A. Hendricks for Vice.
and selected a platform and
the watchword of that platform is
"reform !" and in that platform they
charge us with corruption, robbery
and larceny. and that we have been
recreant to the trust committed to lis
by the people. They say there must
be "refOrm )" there must be change.
Now ifI can't find that their princi-
Piles and their candidates are better
than ours then l am not in favor of
the change. am willing to adopt the
party and the principles if find them
purer and better than my own. But
let us see what will be the result i'll
their principles are carried out.
A stream seldom gets higher than
it's source; you cannot find a pure,
lucid stream coming from a foul, cor
rupt source; this is true in politics
as well as in water. Democrats
don't know much about it generally,
but being a cold water man, know
1t. (Cheers.)
Now this word "reform" occurs 80
Times in their platform of nineteen
it is the warp and wool
Of the platform and as Tilden is their
now l propose to see if he
Is man likely to carry out this reform
Mr.. Tilden's political education as a
reformer is excellent. He was edu-
Gated in the pure, holy, and sublime
around Tammany Hall, in
New York "a society that never
claimed to have done really good,
good, thing during its exist
ence, and don't pretend to. A socie-
" which has reduced politics to the
question that the fellow who holds