The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-09-24
SENATOR THURMAN.
His First speech Of the Campaign
His Views Upon several Mat
tefH Of General Interest.

MARION, o., September 22.-Hon. AL
len q. Thurman made his opening speech
In the Ohio campaign at Marion, o., this
afternoon. Great interest was manifest
ed, and large audience Of representa-
tive Democrats and many Republicans
were In attendance. Senator Thurman
spoke two hours, and his remarks Gov
cred the questions:
/. Relative to the disputed Presidential
election: Mr.. Thurman claimed the fair
and undoubted election Of Samuel ]. Til
den TO the Presidency; that the count by
the Returning Boards OF Louisiana and
Florida was fraudulent, and the methods
by which the final results were arrived
at In these States clearly illegal under the
law which created the Returning Boards,
10 say nothing Of the constitutionality
OF the act itself. He claimed the Elec-
toral Commission, in reiusing TO hear the
evidence Of want Of jurisdiction In the
returns Of Louisiana and Florida, were
clearly in error. He warned the people
Of the dAngers of closely contested cleo
tions, II such proceedings did not receive
their severe and immediate condemna-
tion. @ vIUN..0.
2. Senator Thurman claimed that the
policy Of President Hayes was precisely
that which no (the senator) had contend.
ed for during the past ten years. He
contrasted this policy with the speeches
OF Republican partiSans laAt year, and
drew the conclusion that the Democracy
were right, as the result in the South has
proven,
8. He showed the necessity Il reform
in the Administration OF the Government,
and called up the speech Of Hon. John
Sherman in evidence, showing by his
speech that an army Of useless relatives
had fed upon the Government for years,
drawing pay for no services whatever, to
the amount Of near. two millions OF dol.
lars in a portion Of the customs service
and Treasury Department, and claimed
that this indicated extravaganza in all
Departments Of the Government and that
reform in the fullest sense OF the word
could only be secured by complete
change Of the Administration, and in all
the Departments and subordinate posi-
tions, by placing men who had no interest
in concealing and covering up The wrong.
doing Of the past.
In reference TO the depression Of buSi-
ness and the want Of employment Of labor,
the Senator said that without referring to
the destruction Of property in the civil
war, and the peculiar circumstances 10
which the war gave rise, there were three
great causes that deserved notice: First,
the effect Of improved labor saving ma
chinery; second, Of exorbitant taxation;
third, Of the appreciation III value Of the
currency, that Is in the purchasing power
of the dollar. He spoke at some length
OF the effect OF each Of these causes, and
in reference 10 the last said that however
desirable return to sound basis for our
currency might be, it could not be denied
that it was severe operation upon peo-
pie or governments in debt, and that expe-
rience showed that We were reaching the
specie basis as fast as just regard for the
interest oftlle country would permit, and
thatto force resumption was neither just
or polite. lie feared resumption could
not be maintained, but thought that with
out arbitrary measures resumption would
take glace in comparatively short time,
and would be maintained. he explained |
the acts Of Congress demonetizing silver,
and advocated the demonstration Of the |
dollar of the fathers as an act OF simple |
justice as well as OF good policy.