Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-09-05
SPEECH
GEN. JAMES a. GARFIELD,
MessiIIon, o., Saturday, Aug. "a, 1878
DELIVERED AT

At Republican mass meeting held in MaSSlllon,
on Saturday evening, Aug. "a, Gen. Garfield spoke
as follows:
Mr.. CHAIRNAN AND FELLOW CITIZENS: do not
wonder that some good people grow weary oil the
perpetual wrange of political parties-the ceaseiess
Struggle the charge and countercharge, accusation
sue saTa nnnbtIsss tas Sc5 of acrmony on
both sides is unnecessary and UNJUST; put
may console ourselves with the fact that all Tree
governments must of necessity be party govern
ments and it is only in the conflict OF opinions that
truth finally makes its way TO triumph Inc people
OF Ohio are now entering upon another oil tnese co
ficts 1t is the same old contest-the struggle on the
one hand TO maintain and defend the logic OF our
history and the necessary course OF events on the
other to aSsail what has been done 10 attack
the established order of things to charge upon the
Republican party all the evils that aiet me eouh
try, and to offer the Democratic party as the del'
erer OF the nation.
If we were entering upon a State canvass alone
the issues would be very simple; but the mahage-
ment OF our national government is involved III ue
coming election.
For the fortysixth time since the establishment OF
the Federal Constitution, the American people are
about to elect their representatives to the national
Congress- and thus register their will in regard 70
the manner in which the general government Shall
be conducted.
The two great parties that now solicit the conf
dence and support of the people must siand upon
the records they have made and the doctrines they
profess From fair exposition OF these the people
viii judge and determine.
The recent platform of the Ohio Democracy affords
another striking illustration OF the ease with whch
sisted and denounced. For example IN their Cin-
cinnati platform of June last they declare their oe
voton to the recent constitutional amendments anu
to the equality OF all citizens before the law, ap-
parently forgetting the fierce struggle they MADE 10
prevent 400 600 of people from enjoying equanty
before the law anG ignoring the fact that long aiter
the amendments to the Constitution were adopted
they denounced them as Revolutionary ana volo,
and fought Presidential battle on that denuncla-
ton. Now they declare that these principles which
they resisted so long essential to the preserVa
ton of the government" So say we, all OF us.
They congratulate the country on the adoption OF
'the pacific policy OF local selfgoyernment in the
States of the South so long advocated by the Demo-
cratic party" Yes, they did advocate the doctrine
of local self-government in the South, when local
self-government meant secession and rebellion. We
adopt the policy of pacifcatiOn when ii means ODE
dience TO the Constitution and the free enjoyment
by every citizen of all his legal and political rights
The Republican party holds out the hand OF peace,
of brotherhood and welcome to all Americans
who acknowledge the righfuneSs Of our cause in
the war for the Union; but to those who deny that
our cause just We offer no terms OF compromise
or Cancellation. The war and its victory declared
this Union indestructible and we Will stand by that
declaration. The Constitution of the restored Union
gave political equality to all our citizens OF what
color, and TO that equality pledged for
safe and honorable for citizen of South Carolina to
be Republican it is for citizen of Ohio TO be
Democrat Assure US this in every part OF the
Union and pacihcaton Will be complete.
THE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT OF THE DEMOCRACY.
This talk of pacifcation comes with an i'll grace
from party which has just attempted policy OF
the most dangerous and revolutionary character.
Under the guise of investigating alleged frauds in
the late Presidential election the present House of
Representatives sought to nvadate the title of the
Chief Magistrate of the nation and plunge the
war. They were dissuaded from that attempt
only by the popular indignation that met
| them everywhere. Their effort to Mexicanize
the country has subsided at last into expensive
and profitless investigation, made in defiance of
what that party has always called the sacred right OF
sovereign States to conduct their elections accord
| ing to their own laws The Ohio Democracy de-
nounce the Electoral Commission for not going be-
| hind the returns of Florida and Louisiana Have
they forgotten that the 2th day Of January 1871
when an amendment offered to the Electoral
bill providing that the Commission shall have au-
thority to go behind the finding and determination
of the canvassing returning officers twenty three
Democratic Senators, our own Thurman among
them, voted against it; while no Republican and
only one Democratic Senator voted for it? The Ohio
Democracy denounee the Electoral Commission for
not usurping an authority which Congress refused
| TO grant, and which the Constitution does not con-
fer; and strangely enough Senator Thurman, in his
recent speech joins in this denunciation.
REVOLUTION IN THE NATIONAL FINANCES.
The Ohio Democrats have gone hundred bow
shots beyond their Eastern associates in carrying
the spirit of revolution into their financial policy.
They throw their whole weight against the resump.
| ton of specie payment; demand that the national
banks be abolished; that, ss22 10000 addi-
lection to American industry be overthrown.
These radical and violent changes in the established
Of Ohio in utter disregard both Of the ancient policy
and recent declarations of the national Democracy.
| Have the Democrats of Ohio completely abandoned
| their traditional doctrines of hard money? Have
they forgotten that in the Presidential contest oi
| 1872 they declared, in both their Cincinnati and
| Baltimore conventions, that speedy return to
specie payments is demanded alike by the highest
| considerations of commercial morality and honest
government Have they forgotten that
only two years ago. in the national convention al
St Louis, they denounced the Republican party for
its failure during all these eleven years Of peace to
make good the promise OF the legal tender notes
I,xfaf phan inc ri nf ynl in
hands of the people, and the on-payment of which
is disregard of the pighed faith of the nation?'
more and ST. Louis true or false? Did the national
| Democracy, of which the Ohio Democrats
form SO conspicuous part believe them
| revolution has since then occurred in the immuta
bic laws of value? By some strange act of oblivion
or some still stranger act of aposasy, they have
pudiated ali these utterances and cast loose from
| every recognized principle of the old Democratic
| party. There can be but one explanation of this
strange and startling apOstasy. The new and evil
doctrines of absolute money which have captiYated
SO many shallow thinkers. aud have risen tc
IndinS SwuuTh the Ohio Democracy by the vain
hope that this of unreasonng tumul
| is a permanent force which will carry him into
The present attitude of our senior Ohio Senator on
this question has filed me with surprise and regret
am not so much OF partisan as to be unable te
| recognize high and commanding qualities in the
ranks of the opposite party; and have felt much
pride in contemplating the large culture and sturdy
hitherto resisted the evil tendency of fragment o
| his party 10 abandon the old paths OF Demo
| cratic finance. 1t is true that he and mos
of his party associates in the Senate voted
against the bill for the resumption OF specie pay
| ments. Their reasons for that vote are record
Senator Bayard denounced the bill because it did
not provide for the cancellation and destruction,
| well as the redemption of the greenbacks, and
because in his opinion, it would not bring the
| resumption of specie payments. IN the
course of the same debate, in criticising the bill
Senator Thurman said that if the retired greenback
were again to be issued, it would be a measure o
infation but he did not believe that under its pro
visions more than SS,O00,0O0 would be retired in
four years, and then asked, what kind of eff
cheney would that have in preparing the
country for the resumption of specie pay
ments?'' The criticism of leading Democratic Sena
tors indicated that their opposition to the bill
based upon the fact that it would not bring about
specie payments; and this was consistent with thei
subsequent declaration at st. Louis when they de
nounced the Republican party for not having re
deemed the greenbacks according 10 the promise o.
the law But we now find that Senator Thurman in
his late speech at Hamilton, gives his unqualified
Endorsement to the Ohio platform which demands
the absolute repeal of the resumption act and that
too when resumption is almost accomplished
The only pretext offered by the Ohio Democracy
for demanding its repeal, is the charge tina
the business distress of the country has been
| bx- the onerafOng q the resumDtiOn and bN