Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-09-03

tee that reported and the convention
; that adopted it is sufficient to shi eId i
from the charge of deception. 1t is al
honest platform and meant just wha
it says. It means OF position too spe
cial privileges. opposition to cOntrac
ton of the currency, opposition To tn
decentralization of the metals, oppOsi
ton to wasteful expenditure and op
position to a never ending public debt
And il means equal rights and priv
leges, an honest and staple currency,
strict economy and lighter taxes anC
a faithful payment of the public debt
1t gives no sanction to irreI giOn an6
Communism, bat IL fully recognize
the dignity of labor and sincerely sym
pathizes with the laboring man in hi:
toll and priYation 1t asserts the
| principles upon which The govern
ment was founded and which are es
sential to its usefulness and perpetui
~. 1t promotes fraternal feeling
! throughout the length and breadth a
| the Republic and condemns sectional.
ism a. the worst foe to the Union. In
a word. it is an honest platform oil
honest men, a patriotic platform fol
patriots to stand upon.
| A CHANGE OF ADMIN sTRATIGN NEEDED.
Fellow citizens. If | am not in error
in what have said, have given suf-
! ficient reason why there should he q
change in our federal administration.
If or financial policy is correct, that
of the republican party, or at least of
those who shape its legislation, is
wrong. If this be so, then, as soon as
the forma of the constitution will per-
NIT. that party should cease to rule.
| But there are other reason why
| there should Ire a change, and to some
of them I wish briefly to call your at
| tentiOn.
The claim of party ia power to a
prOlOngatiOn of its rule necessarily in
wolves an inquiry into its policy and
government in the past. If its past
rule has been vicious or unwise pru-
dcnce OviOusly dictates that an end,
for the time being at least, should be
put to its dominion.
Now has the rule of the republican
party since the close of the civil war.
thirteen years ago been wise and be-
neficent? L think that this question
must be answered in the negative 1t
is not necessary to go into detailed ex
animation of all its measures. nor
could that be done in the limit of
speech, or indeed of many speeches
Nor is it necessary to assert that all
its measures have been had and injuri-
Gus. 1t is sufficient to look at the gem
eral result. and see whether that is
good government and prosperity or
the reverse. Now, certainly no one
will deny that this country has for the
last five wears suffered. rs perhaps no
other country ever did suffer, from
depression in every branch of business,
in every industrial occupation. The
entire body of the producing classes
employers, employees and middle nen
have been affected Bankruptcies
are Numbered by tens if not bv hum
dreds Of thousands. and the aggregate
of losses almost deff-s computation
The number of lahOrerS thrown out of
employment or reduced To half time
and diminished wages has he"n eeti
mated ny millions. and, however eX-
a~geTated the estimate may he, the
extent of the evil has no parallel in the
history Of this. if indpeI. il has in
the history of any people. Startling
is The fact, and at first view almost in
omprehensih'e, that in country
whose population averages but eleven
person to The square mile there have
been, and there vet are, thousands
destitute of bread A single interest
the mOnPved lntereat-has flourish
ed and vet f1nurishes. and that it ia to
he remembered is precisely that inter
est that has received the fostering care
of republican legislation Now. my
friends. so far as this deplorAhle state
Of things is the result Of vicious legis-
Iation or of the omission Of wise lpgis
latiOn. the republican party. or at
least those who have controlled it. are
responsible. From 4th dav nf March,
1881 to the first Monday in December
1875. more than fourteen years that
party had uncontrolled power in every
department of the federal cavern
ment. and since then it. has continued
tn hold the Senate and fhe Presidency.
and 10 have the consequent power to
negative any measure ofrelief a DEM
Ocratic House ot Representatives
might propose.
Is there, then, any injustice in
calling that party to account for the
evils the country has suffered and yet
suffers? Can it with truth be said
that these evils could not be foreseeh,
or, If toresCen,. could not have been
avoided or diminished? lie would
be bold men Who wOlld make tina t
assertion. For although no govern
ment ever was or ever will be Omnls-
cient and omnipOtent, although disas>
tiers have happened that no rulers,
however wise, could have fOreseen or
averteG; yet the disasters of which
| am speaking are not OF that char
aCter and might have been foreseen
and to great extent prevented 1t
is but justice. then. to say TO our re-
publican rulers, you have had every
opportunity to do good and aver:
evil and You have failed to Go either
You have had opportunities such as
no other party ever enjoyed to bene-
fit your country, and you have. by
want of intelligence or virtue, or
both, brought it to the verge of ruin.
1t is time, high time, that you sur
render the reins of government.
HAS THERE BEEN CONTRACTION!
1. And now, fellow citizens, as
pertinent to this topic. let me call
your attention tn some particulars. -
1t Is not uncommon to hear it assert
ed that there has been no contraction
of the currency, and it is but few
months since the chairman of the
Finance Committee Oh the Senate as
serted that the charge Of contraction
was simply a contraction of the
truth. But what is the truth7
shall not 60 into the disputed cues
ton of what, for practical purposes.