Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1878-11-06
SENATOR BAYARD.

This distinguished Democratic
Senator made a speech at Phila>
delphia last Friday night, which is
| in striking contrast with the
twaddle we have heard from the
average Democratic politician, in
the political canvass through which
we have just passed. lie took
strong grounds in favor of hard
money, and is utterly opposed to a
repeal of the Resumption act. He
was listened to with interest by Re-
publicans as we'll as Democrats.
His utterances were patriotic and
statesmanlikc. The Baltimore SIN
says of his reception and speech:
According to the Philadelphia
papers, Republicans sat upon The
stage beside Democrats TO listen ito
Democratic doctrine from one of the
ablest Democratic Representatives"
The Union Republican Club illumi-
mated its headquarters at Chestnut
and Eleventh streets, and made the
streets light as day with fireworks"
as the Democratic American Club,
whose especial guest MT. Baysrd was,
marched by escUrIing the Senator 20
the place of meeting. This generous
union of both parties - do honor o
a statesman of uusullled chaTSc er
and of unquestioned ability Al d
patriotism was cFeditable - all j.
cerned, and, occurring in the Ci y uf
Philadelphia, where party spirit
run so high, is particularly
gratifying and slgnific at. While
IL was Weli-mented = butte
aud compliment TO the Senator and
the man, it was also a popular demon
stration in favor of those principles of
sound political morality and finance
in advocacy of which be came to
speak, and which he claimed as the
especial heritage and tradition of the
political party to which he belonged.
The subject of finance Mr.. BRyard
recognized in the commencement of
his address as one better fitted for the
council chamber and for the political
student in his closet than for the
hastings. About it there is little to
kindle popular enthusiasm and Moth
triVe to be jocOse over the subject of
the currency and TO excite the merri.
ment OF their hearers, for the most
part can only succeed in being anus
ing at the expense of being dlppant.
The subject in its practical
application is too serious for
laughter, in it's details necessarily
dry, and yet, as Mr.. Bayard
justly observed, in its essential prin-
ciples it is one which, in a popular
government like ours, ought to be I'M
derstood by the people. 1t is one of
the responsibilities imposed upon us
by the very nature of our institutions;
fact which only makes the RESPONSE
bility dOubly great of those who I'M
dertOok to guide, to instruct and TO
inform the public miad. IL Is case,
unhappily, where demagogues rush in
where statesmen fear TO tread. All
the more valuable, therefore, are the
clear, Ineligible, straightforward ut
terances of q man like Mr.. Bayard,
who evidently has no concealment to
practice, aud is deferred by no fear Of
giving offense from frank aud manly
exposition of his opiBions. Upon the
relation of the Democratic party TO the
subject OF resumption he was partlcu-
larry explicit and happy. he denied
that there was any hostility to re-
sumption expressed in the platform !
adopted by the national cOnven- |
ton of the party at st. Louis |
in 1876. In that platform the repeal |
of the resumption act was demanded, |
but why ?" he asked, and answered |
it for himself by saying Because it |
was considered an obstacle to resump- |
ton. Was resumption, then, de- !
nOunced? Why, no; the Republican |
party was blamed, and justly blamed, |
for not having taken one honest step |
towards it. If it be rule of law that |
when the reason for the law ceases |
the law ceases also, then further talk |
Of the repeal OF an act that is already |
Is idle. We must not !