The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-08-08
THE FIRST GUN.
sPEEECH OF SENATOR d. w. VooR.
HE'S.
Delivered at South Bend, Indiana, Saturday, July
27th-WOrds OF Wisdom from IndlanA's Flo.
Quent Statesman.

South Bend, Ind, July 27-Fully three thou
sand voters assembled in the Court House square
at this place this afternoon the occasion being the
opening OF the campaign by Senator Voorhees,
Upon being introduced by the President Of the
meeting, Mr., Voorhees, spoke as follows:
FREE DISCUSSION.
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW CITIZENS: The
value of free discussion cannot be OvereStimaled.
It is the vital element Of human progress and the
life Of free government itself The right of un-
limited inquiry into the management Of public
affairs is not only necessary to the creation Of free
institutions, but also to their continued existence
government Of the people, resting upon their
virtue and intelligence, is only secure when the
people then selves assert an absolute control over
their own affairs. This was the problem solved
by the American Revolution hundred years ago.
and the American Government stands alone at
this time among the Nations of this earth on this
principle. The value, however Of this great right
depends mainly, fnOt entirely, on the spirit with
which 1t is exercised Partisan discussion too Of.
ten degenerates into personal controversy. The
success or defeat of individuals is of but small
moment while the triumph of correct principles
and wise policies is OF enduring Importance. In
the contest on which we are now Just entering in
Indiana, 1t shall be my purpose to subordinate all
individual interests to an asCertainment of the
public good and its establishment in our midst
In doing this it shall also be my purpose to iniet
no personal woun on any enc 70 treat the Opin.
ions of my opponents with the same respect ! ask
for my own, end to appeal in the spirit of kind
ness to the honest and conscientious voters of all
parties.
When we look plainly and candidly at the pres
ent position of political parties, we are at once
forcibly struck with the fact that the party row
in power in National affairs is totally destitute of
a single issue in the interest of the great mass of
the American people, on which to go before them
for their confidence and support l ask your
careful consideration on this proposition. In
whatever direction you view the political field
you find absolutely nothing offered by the leaders
of the Republican party calculated to promote the
public welfare. In period of great corruption
and debasement of the public service in the
midst Of official scandals and debaucheries, con.
nected with the last and the present Admnstra.
ton, and bowed down as the people are by the
most appalling business distress ever known in
civilized Commonwealth, challenge the produc-
ton Of a single measure, by those who now lead
and control the Republican party which has in
it the element Of popular relief. 1t is true, when
the present Administration was placed in power,
lofty promises Of purity and reform in the Civil
Service of the Government were proclaimed to
the world, 1t appeared then to be the purpose of
Mr., Hayes and his advisers TO institute q contrast
with the Administration which had Just expired.
1t was given out in formal official declarations
that those who were engaged in the service Of the
| Government should not be the mere henchmen of
| the Administration in power, but that they were
to discharge their duties to the public on an inde-
| pendent and selfrespeCting basis. You all re-
| member how the public ear was captVated by
| statements of this kind, that no man should be
| displaced as long as he honestly ard efficiently
discharged the duties Of his position. You also
have not forgotten the repeated announcements
made by Mr. Hayes and his Cabinet, that the odi.
GUS and corrupt practice of assessments levied on
Government ofiCe.hodeIs for the purpose of car.
rying elections, was thencefOrth to be utterly and
| entirely abandoned. The proposition, in sub
| stance was that the offices Of the Government be-
lOnged to the people, and that while the duties in
whi alone the people are interested were faith
| fully performed the incumbent should not be mo-
Tested nor should he, like slave, be compelled
to pay tribute to the party managers for his place.
| nor was he to be required or permitted to seize
upon local politics by virtue Of the influence Of
his office. How loDg, however, did this vlrtuous
impulse last? In less than six months after its
proclamation the old arts and devices of unscrT-
pueus politicians were again In the ascendant.
The Federal office. holder again resumed his praC.
| tees. He was again the chief of the caucus, of
| the ward meeting, and the controlling spirit Of
| County and State conventions The teachings Of
| the Administration were openly disregRrded and
despsed and 1t had not the courage or sefrespeCt
| to make them needed. Among the best officers,
also many were displaced or sought to be dis.
placed without cause, and in defiance of the rules
laid down, while those who have violated every
principle of the code of civil service reform have
in no instance been punished or even rebuked.
IyFNun han 40 hHNug yI,aN do
hold? The following circular has been issued at
Washington, in the immediate presence of Mr..
Hayes aud his Cabinet, and with their knowledge
and consent, as 1t plainly states
Washington, D. c., May 81, 1878.
"SIRs: This Committee, charged with laboring
for the success of the Republican cause in the
coming campaign for the election of members of
Congress, call with confidence on you as a Repub
liCan Tor such q contribution III money as you
may be willing to make, hoping that it may not
be less than s.. The Committee deemit proper
IN thus appeOling to Republicans generally, to
inform those who happen to be IN the Federal
employ that there will be no objection in any
official quarter to such voluntary contribution"
This circular, after giving some false reasons
for such an extraordinary measure, closes with
the following significant sdmonition
"Please make prompt and favorable response to
hisletter, and remit at once by draft or postal
money order to Sidney F. Austin, E'9, Treasurer,
by order of the Committee.
GEORGE C. GoRMAN, Secretary"
II has been asCerlaned that the amount being
levied upon Federal Office holders is in no in
stance less than one per cent. of their salaries and
1t Otener equals two per cent There are now no
less than $4,000 persons holding office in the Civil
Service of the United States, and is very safe to
assume that their salaries will average 81 600 per
| annum, making an aggregate of SoOUOOO0O An
assessment OF one per cent. on this amount yields
the enormous sum of sS00COO to be used in the
approaching elections. The mission of this mon
ey is TO corrupt the ballot box, to debauch, as far
as possible, the virtue of the people ana 70 iasten
on the country policy contrary to the will OF the
majority. 1t is raised by extOrttOn to be used IN
| jObbery and bribery. A more dangerous move
ment than this can hardly be conceived 1t ts
| full of peril and menace 10 the very existence OF
| popular liberty On one hand 1t seeks to reduce
the entire force in the public service to species
of serVitude and on the other it attempts to poi
son the very fountains of all free government
| I here are over 46,COO pOstmasteTs In the United
| States and this great army Of officials, together
| with Collectors of customs, of revenue and all
their subOrdinates as well as the helpless. trem-
| bling clerks in the departments at Washington,
whose wives and children depend upon their
places for bread are all, Ibis hour Wrlthing undeE
| the party lash, under this cruel demand for party
| tribute, which means compliance with is terms
or discharge from office. II appear lnaI Wllhih
| a few days past some reluctance to comply with
this demand has manifested itself in certain OH
cisl quarters. We therefore find this same Repno-
| lican Committee issuing new order still more
| imperative in tore, and more significant OF dan
ger 10 such as refuse its mandates, This order
| closes by saying:
I'VE have, therefore, arranged with the Treas-'
urer, Mr.. Austin, TO attend at the National Benk,
corner Of and Seventh streets, from four to five
| O'Clock p m, to receive contributions from those
in your department who have not already re-
sponded."
The salaries Of clerkkhips under the Govern
ment range from s7O0 to 81 800 per annum, and in
few instances higher. 1t requires, therefore no
stretch of the Imagination for us to behold, each
| evening of these days, between four and hve
| O'clock, the clerks under this Administration,
| male and female old and young white and black,
! vending their heavy and sOrIowful way 70 meet
| this Mr. Austin the Corruption Agent o the lead
| ers of the Republican party, there 70 contribute
| the per cent of their earnings so sadly neeueu IN
| their stinted and barren homes. Honest voters Of
Indiana, do you not turn with loathng from such
| q speetacle as this? Men of the Republican par