The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-08-20

try; but to assume tina. it would do so |
would be to condemn our form Of fgovern-
menf.
But our platform sqarely meets this |
1t condemns contraction on |
the one hand or exiting" on the other.
1t demands that 'the amount OF such is
sues (greenbacks) be so regulated by
legislation or organic law as 10 give the
people an assurance of stability in vol
ume OF currency and consequent stabIi-
ty orvalue, and, in unmistakable terms,
it opposes the decentralization, disuse, of
the precious metals. Could anything,
appeal to you, be more conservative than
this, If conservatism means to conserve
the interess of the people at large and
not those OF particular .classp Can
any intelligent man reasonably object to
a policy that preserves gold and silver
from destruction and demands stability
in the volume and value of the currency
greater than has ever yet been attained
Fellow-citizens, our platform has been
denounced by men who never read It, and
bpiotbers whose interests or prejudices in
cline them to misrepresent it land now the
answer make to them is to ask you to
read and to studyit. 1t is IN vain for its
enemies to say that it means what it does
not express. Its language is too plain
to be misunderstood by candid man and
the character of the committee that re-
ported, and the convention that adopted
it, is sufficient to shield it from the charge
of deception. 1t is an honest platform
and means just what it says. 1t means
opposition to monopoly, opposition to
special privileges, opposition to contrac-
ton OF the currency, opposition to the
decentralization of the metals, opposition
to wasteful expenditure and opposition to
a never ending public debt. And
IT MEANS EQUAL RIGHTS AND PRIvILE GEs,
an honest and stable currency, a strict
economy and lighter taxes, and a faithful
payment of the public debt, 1t gives no
sanction to irreligion. and communism,
but it fully recognizes the dignity of labor
and sincerely sympathises with the labor
ing man in his toll and privation, It as
serts the principles upon which the Gov
eminent was founded and which ARE es-
sential to its usefulness and perpetuity.
1t promotes fraternal feeling throughout
the length and breadth of the Republic
and condemns sectionalism as the worst
foe of the Union. In word, it is an
honest platform of honest men, patriot
| ic platform for patriots TO stand upon.
Fellow citizens, if / am not in error in
what have said, / have given you suf-
ficient reason why
THERE SHOULD BE A CHANGE IN OUR FED.
ERAL ADMINISTRATIONS. 2ai
II our financial policy is correct, that OF
the Republican party, or at least Of those
who shape its legislation, is wrong. II
this be so, then as soon as the forms OF
the Constitution will premit, that party
should CT ase to rule.
But there are other reasons why there
should be change, and to some of them
wish briefly to call your attention.
The claim of a party in power to a
lprolongation ofits rule necessarily invol
yes an inquiry into its policy and govern.
ment in the past. If its past rule has
been vicious or unwise, prudence obvious
ly 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, thir.
teen years ago. been wise and benefcent
l think that this question must be answer
ed in the negative. Itis not necessary
to 60 into detailed examination of its
measures, nor could that be done il
| the limit of speech, or indeed o
many speeches. Nor is it necessary t.
assert that all its measures have been bat
and injurious. 1t is sufficient TO lcok at tb,
general result, and see whether that il
good government and prosperity or th
reverse. Now, certainly no one will de
ny that this country has for the last fiv
years suffered, as perhaps, no othe
country ever did suffer, from depression
in every branch of business, in everv 10
dustrial occupation. The entire body o
the producing classes employers, EN-
ployees and middle men-have been al
fected- Bankruptcies are numbered b,
, tens ifnot by hundreds of thousands, an,
!, the aggregate of losses almost defies com
putation The number of laborers throw
out of employment or reduced to hal
, time and diminished wages has been est
, mated by millions,and however exaggers
ted the estimate may be, the extent of th
evil has no parallel in the history OF thi
: indeed it has in the history of any pee
: pie. Startling is the fact, and at first vle'
almost incomprehensible, that in cour
: try whose population averages but eleve
. persons to the square mile there hay
J been, and there yet are.
, THOUSANDS DESTITUTE OF BREAD.
A single interest--the moneyed interes
has fourished and yet fourishes, an
that, it is to be remembered, is precisel
that interest that has received the foster
ing care of Republican legislation. Nov
friends, so far as this deplorable state c
things is the result of vicious Legislation
or Of the omission OF wise legislation, th
J, Republican party, or at least those VIII
E have controlled it are responsible. Fror
the 4th day of March, 1861, to the frs
g Monday in December, 1875, more tha
e fourteen years, that party had uncontrol
j ed power in every department of the Fec
-teral government, and since then it ha
( continued to hold the Senate and th
!, Presidency, and to have the consequen
? power to negative any measure of relief
3 Democratic House of Representative
; might propose.
4 Isthere any justice in calling that pa
4 Ityto account for the evils the country ha
t suffered and yet suffers2 ? Can it wit
t truth be said that these evils could not b
: foreseen, or if foreseen, could not hav
0 been avoided or diminished He wopl
b be bold man who would make that al
!. sertion. For, although no governmen
= ever was, or ever will be, omniscient an
omnipotent, althought disasters hav
j, happened that no rulers, however wis
could have foreseeu or averted; yet, tt
. disasters of which I am speaking are nc
ofthat character, and might have been fol
seen and, to great extent, prevented
: 1t is but justice, then to say te our Re
publican rulers, you have had every or
: portunity to do good and avert evil. an
uo,, bo no foilad RI da o;thor Won how