The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-06-29

here 10 mske the pecple's fight, hot our
| 6Rht Tor NEE no less than honest govern
ment for the reform of the pubiic service
and the regeneration Of the public morals
| for administrative relief from adninistra
! tive rtualism, embraced in the simple creed
Of home rule, reduced taxes AMI lNius
| chance for the South as well rs the North,
for both the East and the West. II any.
| Tn ny comes from our proceeding II must
spring from the spirit Of aspiration or fel
| lowship which warmed the followers Of
Andrew jackson and Silas Wright. OF Henry
| clay and Daniel Webster, whose political
descend ants meet together on common
| ground at last TO wrest the government oi
their fathers. federal. state aud municipal
| from the clutch OF rings and robbers. and
who mean to exterpate these wherever they
are found, and whether they be- democratic
orrepnblican.
The committee on permanent Orgailika
| ton reported. Gen. John a. Met lernand
of Illinois. for permanent president, Will
one vice-presitent from each state: AMI
| :. Il. Donovan. T.. -. Walker, OF Iowa.
| \. NJ. Belle. sam. &. Reed and \. I.
Whttclsey. reading secretaries.
On being escorted 10 the chair. Gen.
McClcrnand said:
SPEECH OF GEN. M'cLERNAND.
| GENTLLMEN OF THE CONVENTION In
choosing me To preside over your dclib-
erations. you have done me AN honor, n
| high and unexpected honor, for which
| return YOU grateful Acknowledgements.
| The duties devolved upon Inc a. presid-
| ing officer OF the convention are. both
delicate aud responsible. II will be my
effort to perform them with all proper
promptness and. above all with fairness
and impartiality. [Applausc.
Seconded by yonr hearty cooperation
and by the rules which You have n. been en-
made clear. or comparatively so. Here
| may be allowed TO remark that what |
| have to say on this occasion Is eNtempo-
raneous or nearly so.
You are met here gentlemen, rs dele
gates and representing the democracy
| of every portion OF this common coun-
try. lou are met here tor a purpose,
and that purpose is to deliver our coun-
Try from spreading, cankering evils OF
misrule. The country is in extrem-
ity. The leaders OF the party in
power have trampled the constitu-
ton under foot and converted
| the republic into practical despotism.
Applause They have deposed govern
Ors OF States and dispersed legislative
y
authority. Applause. They are the
patrons of protection. and have passed
laws discriminating in favor OF particular
classes and pursuits to the injury and
prejudice OF the other classes. They have
embarrassed the currency Of the country
by unwisc legislation, until the country
i, involved IN deep distress. Waste and
corruption are abroad in the land. In.
fidelity and peculation characterize i'll
cumbentS in high places. Taxation is
devouring the substance of the people.
An onerous public debt is grinding the
people into dust. These are some Of the
evidences. and only some of the evil
lenccs of the malalmiuistration OF the
party in power. More than that, gentle.
men. manifestations in Office have not
stopped with SubUrdinatcs in public
places. hut have characterized the con-
duct of ministers of State. We un-
tlerstand that cabinet officer was re-
tanned in his place until the investigations
Of a Democratic congress exposed his
cnormities and showed that he had been
tlallicking with purchasers OF iayor for
money, We have other instances of cor
ruption. gentlemen. We feel Inundated
at home and dishonorcd abroad.
Let me repeat here, gentlemen, You
are here the delegates of the Democracy
of the whole [ mon, thirty-sevcn States,
once unnaturally estran.ed, but now for
ever united in one Hepublic-mcmbers
ot one family, with the same heritage OF
liberty and equal laws, and heirs of one
destiny. Shall we preserve and transmit
this great heritage: Shall We make that
destiny less glorious IN the history of free
people. If your deliberations, fcllow-cit
i'm, tn al l,..H t,nN nI.
perception OF the necessities OF our time.
our country and our politics, shall be
Just and sagacious, it the hearts OF the
great people shall quicken yours, then
beyond all peradycnture we will transmit
TO our children, aud our children's chill
dren, uninlpaired. the princeless hertz
age, and that reunion most prayed for by
the Romans condition. cORdttoHes imper.
iorun. Far greater, far greater than the
founders OF the republic. are the prescrv-
ers of the republic. There are no ene-
mics OF the nation to-day on this CONT
nent, except that administrative central
ism which is convesting at the capitol vi
tai currents which ought TO flow to-day
to every part, giving lite to the farthest
extremes OF the body polite and energy
to all its members, except that corruption
which is the curse OF centralism and has
never failed, in any age or coun-
try to ruin it, Centrallsm and
corruption have imposed upon the
States the rapaciOus tyrannies of carpet
bag rule. which have added, since the
peace, two hundred millions to Our debt
They infest the government OF our north
ern States and cities with the same dis
ease of extravaganza and fraud. They
have debauche'l the federal government
itself, and made the names of scores of
its high officers and public men public
scandal and a public shame. The record
is Enthusiastically, yenality, waste
and fraud. IL has been powerless to
tread and tramplc under foot the cor
ruptionists; with stupendous cflrontcry
il pledged itself to reform of which it
has become incapable. Although the
party pledged itself to restore specie pay
| ments, every year it takes us further
from specie payments. SO it pledged
itself 10 civil-service reform and then
Knocked its own reforms. 1t so pledged
itself to protect American labor,
and with its Massachusetts, custom.house
taxing On over three hundred articles, it
mas impoverished America. A few score
| nonopolists, few thousand corruption.
lists have been enriched, but capital i'm
the hands OF those that earned it BY in
dustry and saved ii by frugal.
lty is everywhere distrustiul, and trusts
unused, while honest labor goes about
the streets begging bread. Is this the
final outcome OF essential Republican
selt-government! Forbid it, gracious
| God, forbid il,
But We have wandered far from the
right path. We must. return to the con
stitutional principles, frugal cxpendIt-
ures, the administrative purity of the