The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-07-12

the pOllCy was auOpteu, anu lno lnRenu-
ity Of men began 10 be taxed for excuses
to support II. Senator Morton is stri-
king example Of what now state. He
10 an able man, most vigorous debater
a party leader of vast energy and expert
fence. In his recent letter he draws
with accustomed vigor what is really an
arraignment Of the Presidents policy.
but reaches the sad conclusion that all
this was inevitable, and hence right; that
defeat would have been certain under
any other policy. And this is the height
Of Senator Mortons statesmanship upon
question with which his name is most
prominently associated. If the Presi-
dents action and policy are wrong in
principle-and no man has shown this
more clearly than Senator Morton-shall
the Republican party be told, or shall 1t
be persuaded, even by Senator Morton,
that ii must save its life by the sacrifice
Of its principlesP Sir, this is suicide.
There are defeats that are victories, and
there are victories that are defeats. A
victory won at the expense of principles
is an irretrievable defeat.
A political party, fellow-citizens, which
can not bear defeat in open political war
fare has little vitality, little claim to pub
lie confidence. But my knowledge of
political history gives me no example of
a party strong enough to long survive ei-
ther the abandonment Of its principles
or timid and tlme.serving acquescence
in the treachery of its leaders. Such is
the attitude, in my judgment, of the Re-
publican party to-day. Whoever has
watched the course Of the present Ad-
ministration has seen the decentralization
which always attends the abandonment
of principles spreading through all the
channels and activities of the Govern
ment. Look at the Civil Service Reform
"a policy, vital, fundamentals policy |
which means the absolute freedom of all |
the servants of the Government, except |
the very few who distinctively and neces.
sarily represent the political opinions of |
the party charged with the Administra-
ton, from all allegiance to or connection |
with the political fortunes of any party; |
the selection of such servants with eyes
blind to the political opinions OF those
who are to serve the Government. This
is the reform to which the Administra-
ton stands peculiarly pledged. Has it
entered upon it2 Has it shown a capac'
ity or purpose to execute itp No; the ne
Cessites imposed on the Administration
in its efforts to buy the supporter silence
the opposition of partisan leaders TO the
Southern policy, has already defrauded
us of this reform. / affirm, as PROPOSE
ton based ON accurate observation, that
to this hour offices have been granted or
refused, conferred or taken away, with
as much regard to political ends by the
present Administration as by President
Grant during any portion of his Admin
istration; and will not forbear to add,
with far less honorable motives Mark
the appreciation of the principles of Civil
Service Reform, when you hear it an
nounced that eight years of service gives
right to the President to remove the
mo faithful officer! Or, again, when
you see the Secretary Of the Treasury
devoting his mind to the elevated work
of removing, without regard to other
causes, all but one of a family
Look next at the relations of this Ad-
ministration to the present financial is.
sues. President Hayes has heretofore
entitled himself to the confidence of
honest men by his course on this ques-
ton. Nothing, sir, but the necessity of {
gaining support for his Southern policy
could have induced him to contemplate
an alliance with the silver conspiracy
a conspiracy which regards silver with
favor only because it has lost all virtue as
a standard of value, and, as a currency,
is cheaper than greenbacRs. 1t is the
inherent and unavoidable weakness of
his present position, the effect of his G
wretched Southern policy, that he must
conciiate an outraged party, so far as is
possible, by yielding now to the demand
for the spoils, and now to the demand
for cheap money.
Sir, there are laws of moral cause and
effect as true and certain as any phys \
ical laws, No political leader, no polit- b
ical party, can forfeit honor or desert +
principles at one point and maintain ?
them at others. Integrity is indivisible.
You cannot be honest on one subject and
dishonest on others. The Presidents
Southern policy, conceived in his own
reckless of justice and constitutional
duty, if unopposed, will more and more
weaken the moral bonds which have
hitherto. in spite of all its failings, secur. 8
ed to the Republican party the conf y
1ence of ma jority of the most intelli- b
gent and patriotic Americans for more D
han twenty years.
But, fellow citizens, this gathering Is l.
not for me alone. Others, whose titles y
10 your confidence and attention are OIL
Ter and better than mine, are here The
vybiob hova dioc,,soad skratobaa !
IN before me, but l must close. We are
to the duty of exposing and
great crime-a crime more ),
Vanton and objectionable than the I
,rime against Kansas, which aroused the o
sleeping conscience OF the North and 9
yave its earliest victories to the Republi-
AN party. That crime was committed @
1y President at the bidding of the par g
" which elected him. This crime has I,
1een committed in defiance of the prin- o
,iples and pledges of the Republican u
party, and in defiance of the personal
and obligations of the Presi-
lent. No man who counts the cost of ar.
aging himself on the side of freedom
md Constitutional principles is worthy to
,nlist in this new struggle for the honor !.
tlu pCdJO. Vi .blAO SOuutAys II L uhfO W. | LC
lay spoken the sentiments of none but a
myself, be it 80, Silence is for me cow y
lrdice, If, as believe, the heart of the i
laiion is true to the old cause, to the n
principles of free Government, to the u
principles of the Constitution and the
Declaration Of independence, then let it (
,e heardl Let it speak by the voices of 4
,ur leaders. Let the memories which
haunt this day be our inspiration. Let -
IS walk again with Adams, and Han q,
,ock, and Jefferson, of our earlier revolu- h
ion; with Lincoln, and Stanton, and 2
sumner of our later revolution. Shades of "a
he great founders and saYiors of our be- n
owed country, bewith us in this strug- E,
,lel Speak to US again your great les y
ons Of patriotism, of courage, of self
acrihcel The marble and the bronze in =
yhich vva have nrpsprypd vOur human