The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-08-16
Senator Tlurman's Speech.

The long expected speech of Hon. Allen
at Hamilton, in that State, on Tuesday, has
attracted general attention, in view Of his
eminence as a sta 2sman and the fact that his
name hps been mentioned in connection with
the Democratic nomination for the Presi-
dency in 1890. Without any equivocation
he endorsed the platform, of the Ohio Demo-
Gratis. He declared his opposition to IN in
flaton of the currency and favored the sub
stitution of grcenbacks for national bank
notes as the paper money Of the country
He argued that nationa-bank currency
means an indefinite perpetuation of the ma
tional debt; that the national bank system
tends to combine, concentrate and intensity
the money power; and that the national
bank circulation is II special privilege that
takes many millions of dollars annually out
of the pockets of the people, The note of a
national bank is debt due by the bank, but
insteld of paying interest on it, said the SEN
ator, the bank is authorized to loan it as
money and take interest on the loan.
Senator Humans speech so far as it re.
lates to the financial question, may not ac-
cord with the views OF the entire Democratic
party but his opinions are by no means eX-
IRENE, and little fault will be found with
them.
The Senator uttered no uncertain sound,
however, and expressed the deliberate opinion
of large majority of the people of this coun-
try, when he condemned the Electoral Com
mission md the great fraud which was sue
cessful by vote Of eight to seven. lie said :
There is one great drama of fraud, one
huge black spot upon the national escutch.
con, that capuot be passed by with mere
allusion The scat of the chief magistrate
that seat that in times past has been, and in
all times should he an emblem of purity and
honor-is occupied by man who was never
elected to it, and whose elevation was nc
comp!ished by the grossest frauds and bold
est usurpations that ever dsgraced the his
tory OF a free people. have no time to-day
To 20 into detailed statement of these frauds
and usurpations. | have no time to show
you how the returning board of Florida, in
plain violation OF the law of the State, in
equally plain violation of the solemn decision
OF the highest court of the State, threw out
sufficient number of Democratic ballots to
give the vot , of the State to the Hayes electors
instead of to the Tiden electors, who had
been chosen by the people. Nor how in
like manner, the returning board of Louisiana
threw out from six to eight thousand votes
given tc the Tilden electors, thereby disfran.
chising the people of whole precincts and
counties, and completely reversing the vote
of the State. Nor how, by n vote of eight to
seven in the electoral commission, all inquiry
into these frauds and usurpations was pre-.
cluded, and the doctrine solemnly announced
and acted upon that no matter by what frauds,
no matter by what illegalities, no matter by
what usurpations returning or canvassing
board may defeat the will Of the people, the
wrong is remediless, the constitution is pow.
erless, the people are helpless, and usurpation
must triumph and prevail,
"These are now all matters of history but
although the erroneous decision by which
Congress counted in Hayes and Wheeler
may not be reversible, that fact only makes
it the more incumbent upon the people to
condemn the decision and the means by
which it was brought about. If such an
usurpation can pass without rebuke it will
soon be in vain to talk Of constitutional
modes and honest elections. If The will of
the people can, with impuniy, be overthrown
by obscure and corrupt returning boards, and
thee is no remedy for the wrong, it viii soon
be the voice of such boards and not the voice
of the people that will make your Pr sidents.
Ana how long, pray you, could your gov
ernment stand under such system, or what
claim would it have to be called govern
ment of the people? My friends, if the peo-
pie ever condone this great sin, if they ever
pardon the guilty men who perpetrat(l it
and nearly every one of whom has been re-
warded by office under the administration
the most sanguiae advocate of popular gov
eminent will have reason to hang his head
in shame, end doubt the possibility ofits sue
cess. Yes, my fellow-citizens, the very exis-
tence of popular government, the QUO ,tion
whether it is possible to maintain it and TO
maintain it in purity, is now on trial before
you. As you love tine institutions bequeath-
ed to you by the fathers, as you reverence
your constitution and value your freedom,
as you esteem virtue and delest all wicked
ness you a:e bound, in no UNI ertain tones,
10 manifest your adherence of the great
usurpation."
. ss-