The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-11-01


by wisdom and ability. and by unswerv'
ing fidelity to the reforms that have re-
duced the state taxes one-hali; that are
rapidly extingulshing the state debt; that
have rctrenched two and half millions
year OF the expenditures upon public
works and have purified our
great official treats. (Applause.
He needs and has the right 10 have the
cordial cooperation Oh those officers.
which, in the government of the United
States and other systems, form the Cabi-
net OF the Chief Executive. 10 my iudg-
ment the gentlemen in nomination will
cooperate in the reform policy which
had the honor To inanguratc, and which
Governor Robinson is concentrating.
think that their election and the changes
that will take place from the constitu.
tiOnal amendments adopted IN 1876, Will
give him more united support in the
Canal Board than was able 10 receive
during my administration.
A voice, you're right there. Cheers
| have the more satisfaction In ayow'
Ing this conviction because | believe that
any nominations that did not promise
such cooperation would be dls0wned by
the Democratic masses. lApplausel
| THE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.
The election, although for State otilc-
ers, has relations 10 national politics, TO
which know you will expect me to al
ltlde. A voice--"Ot courSe--go on. y
The condemnation by the people OF the
greatest political crime in our history, by
! which the result OF the presidential cleo
| ton OF 1876 was set aside and reversed, is
general and overwhelming. \ voice
"We're sick it," Applausc.) Her sis.
ter States might afford to have the voice
of New York frittered away or its expires.
sion deferred. 1t could not change his
tory; 1t could not alter the universal iudg>
ment of the civilized world it could not
avert the moral retribution that is I'M
pending. But New York herself cannot
afford to have her voice unheard.
A Voice-"I on were robbed there"
MIR. Tilden-I did not get rObbed-the
people got robbed. | had on the one
hand course of laborlous service IN
which health and even life Itself might
be perilled; or, on the other hand, / mad
period of relaxation. But to the people
it was a robbery of the dearest rights OF
an American citizen. Great applause
The Declaration of independence, tie
bills of right and the state constitutions
all contain assertions OF the right OF the
people to govern themselves and to
change their rulers at will, These decla
ratlons had ceased to I've any meaning
to the American mind. They seemed to
be truisms which there was nobody to
dispute, The contests known TO us were
contests between different portions OF our
people.
10 comprehend the significance of
these declarations it is necessary to carry
ourselves back to the examples OF human
experience in view of which our ances-
tors acted. They had seen the govern.
ment machine and small governmental
class. sometimes with the aid OF the army,
able to rule arbitrarily oyer millions of
unorganized, isolated atoms of human
society. In forming the government ofthe
United States they endeavOred to take
every precaution against the recurrence
of such evils in this country. They kept
| down the standing army to nominal
amount. [Cheers. They intended to limit
the functions Of the federal government
SO as to prevent the growth. to danger
Gus dimensions, OF an oiiice.holding
class and OF corrupt influences. They
preserved the state governments as a
,ounterpolse to act as centres OF opinion
and az an organized means OF resistance
to revolutionary usurpation by the fed
eral government. Applausel, Jeller-
son, the leader OF liberal opinion,
recognized this theory. Hamilton, the
representative Of the extreme conserva-
: tive sentiment, in the FedeyaliSt, cX.
pounded it with elaborate arguments.
Madison, the father OF the constitution,
enforced these conclusions.
TO MUCH FEDERAL POWER.
The increase OF power in the federal
government during the last twenty years,
| the creation of q vast OHce-holding class,
| with its numerous dependents, and the
growth OF the means of corrupt influence
haYc well nigh destroyed the balance OF
our complex system. Ii was my iudg.
ment In 1876 that public opinion, dc.
handing change OF administration,
| needed TO embrace two thirds OF the peO-
4 pie at the beginning OF the CANVASS, in
order TO cast majority OF votes at The
election. (Checrs.)
| Ii this tendency is not arrested its in.
evitable result viii be the practical des.
truction Of our system. Let the federal
government grasp power over the great
corporations OF our country and acquire
\ the means Of addressing their interests
and their fears; let it take jurisdiction Of
riots which it Is the duty 0, Tie tate
to suppress; let it find preieXts Tor in.
creaslng the army, aud soon those in pos
session OF the government will have a
power with which no opposition can sue
cesstully complete. "a Yoice-"Next
time VIII bet on you.') The expert.
ence Of France under the Third Napolc.
on shows that. with elective forms and
universal suffrage. despotlsm eau be cs,
tabhshed and maintained.
In the canvass OF ls7G the federal GOV.
eminent embarked In the contest With
interruptions activity. A member Of the
Cabinet was the head Of a partisan COM
mittee. Agents stood at the doors Of the
pay offices to exact contributions from Of.
fetal suborlinates. CA Voice. "You are
right.") The whole Office holding class
were made to exhaust their power.
Even the army, tor the iirst to the dis,
gust OF the soldiers and many of the OIL.
Gers, was moved about the country as an
elcctl0neerlng instrument. All this was
| done under the eye Of the beneficiary OF
| 1t. who was making the air vocal with
professions OF civil service reform, to be
begun after he had himself exhausted all
the immoral advantages of civil service
abuses.
HOW THE PEOPLE VOTED.
Public opinion in some states was
overborne by corrupt influence and by
fraud. But so strong was the desire Tor
reform that the Democratic candidates
received 100000 suHrages. This was n
majority Of the popular vote of about
100000 and Of $50, 600 of the white cltl.
zens. IL was vote 100000 larger than
General Grant received In 1879, and l.
O,OOO larger than he received in 1868.
Tremendous chppriru