Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-05-31

could. ILaughter] The honorable sem
ator found me, and he would not open {
the door for me alter he had invited me. {
Laughter. :
Now that we are here the senator from
Illinois complains of our presence. and '
the senator from New York accuses US
of wishing to :.dominate" at the feast to
which we have been invited, and says {.
that we are like McGregor, who claim
ed that the head OF the table was wher-
ever he sat. For one disclaim all de-
sire to dominate at the feast unless. in
deed, voting tor democratic measures be
domination l do desire, however, to
be equally honored with the other guests.
And desire in vindlcation also OF the
good name and rude hospitality of Nc
Gregor, to say that in my opinion he
would have been tho last man in all
Scotland, riever and cattle-lifter as he
was, to invite man into his house and
up to his board and then denounce him
tor being there.
Mr. President, would there be any |
real danger to the best interests of this |
country if it were again under the com
plete control of the democratic party
Surely not. 1t is history that this coun-
try owes its chlet glory and development
in the past to that grand historic party.
But for its sagacity and patriotism 1t IS
safe to say that we would still be fee
ble and inconsiderable. people. The
democratic party have extended the
boundaries of this republic from the
Mississippi to the Pacific ocean. Its
policy acquired the territory OF Louis
lana. which extended from the Gulf oil
Mexico up the father OF waters to the
British Dominion, embracing Iowa. Min
nesota, Dakota, Kansas, and all that
vast region west to the Rocky Noun
tains. 1t acquired Florida. Texas, New
Mexico. California. including their grand
extent OF country, plains. rivers, and
mountains, with all their wealth of gold
and silver and precious metals. embrace
ing more than million of square miles.
As now remember. not u single foot OF
land has been added to the empire by
the republican party except ALASKA
broad stretch OF icy waste. land
where frozen earth contends with frozen
water, inhabited by seals and savages.
: in climate which have heard describ'
ed as nine months of winter and three
months OF dannation cold weather.
Laughter.l -.- .:..
In addition to this territorial wealth
and power which democracy has given
! to the republic. its great lawyers and
magnificent statesmen have in all gen.
erations of our existence been the special
champions and expounders OF the con-
stitution-the bond OF our union and
, the very ark OF the covenant OF our lib
: critics. They have Htriven to have its
- principles understood. its provisions
, maintained in their purity. and its bless
ings extended to all and great as their
services have been in eniarging our
:, boundaries. spreading our commerce,
+ and elevatlng our diplomacy abroad,
. their services to our people and to man.
;. kind in the exaltation OF constitutional
. principles more entitls them to the con.
tidence OF American citizens than all
things else put together, In addition to
: their services in maintaining the consti.
= tuition they have in the main been the
4 chief promoters of public economy and
- the enemies of corruption. Under dem
y ocratic rule there has been in this coun-
try no credit mobilier, there has beer
~ no Black Friday. no Sanborn contracts
> no robbery OF treedmen's savings banks
no Belknap. no returning boards and nj
i. electoral commission; no military in
q reference at the polls, no test oath fol
~ Jurors in the United States courts, nc
:; federal spies and overseers when thu
a people were choosing their rulers. Ant
q now that we are seeking to restore thi
It state OF things and to bring back th'
o government to the paths in which oul
a fathers trod the attempt IS denounced a.
d revolutionary and the trumpet is blown
"a to warn the country that the end OF al
# things is about to come, when, as w
II trust, nothing is about to come to al
a end except the domination of the repub
"a lican party.
e Coming briefly to the real questions
s. l ask why should the law authorizin!
re the military to be used at the polls no
); be repealed and why should the law au
ii thorizing federal supervision also be no
te repealed? I take 1t to be indisputabl,
,t established without further argument
Of that the whole subject relating to tn
e. elective franchise is placed by the con
y stitution under the control of the states
t. and all that the federal government ca
le do is to see that the states. as such, d
H. not discriminate against any on accoun
Of race, color, or previous condition G
no servitude. This is the whole duty an
co power OF congress as declared by th
i. supreme court. When any republica
II, senator has ventured for one moment
,g abandon the line of,inflammatory appes
.ee to the sectional feeling OF the country
rv the excuses given for the retention {
~ this law upon. the statute-book are illos
,e ical almost to puerility.
e. One senator gravely urges that
ty should not be repealed because the grea
I'd bulk Of the army is in the distant wes
,u only some few hundreds being east {
re the Rocky Mountains. He tells US
ne the course of his enumeration that ther
I'D are only about thirty in the state {
st North Carolina. and asks the senator
as from that state if they are afraid OF tha
it number of soldiers. Passing over th
10 obvious fact that within thirty days te
re thousand could be sent there if desired
nd l answer that we do fear them, becaus
ell they represent the power OF the Unite
ur States government and the enmity
of the republican party which wields tn,
II. power; we fear them as the Hollande
re fears the first small leak in the dixie
We which bear back the waves of the ocea
he from deluging the meadows Of b
nv homestead; we fear them as the PHI
lis sician fears the first speck of gangrer
he in the system of his patient; we fe,
ID them as the sailor fears the piling up
n the storm clouds upon the horizon
by knowing that their deceptive beau
ST. covers the fierce desolaton OF the tenn
its est; we fear them as the shepherd
se the mountain Tears for his lambs at eve
trs the fitting OF a shadow athwart his pat
an for he knows it to be the shadow OF Il
lis eagle. the remorseless tyrant OF the ali
he we tear them rs CharIemagne fears
a the rude wooden ships OF the Nor
nd Vikings on their first appearance in Il
ou seas of his empire; we fear them rs
ad patriotic Romans feared the crossing
nd the Rubicon by Caesar. the passage
e. which with arms IN his hand mark,
o,e him as the enemy of Roman liberty.
irt Even so we lear and believe tn
lth when an American executive cross
to the Rubicon OF his constitutional powe
ur and appears at the place of choosir
We our rulers, armed either with the swo
his or with illegal powers of arrest,
las thereby proclaims himself the enemy
on the liberties of our people. A flagra
be- illustration OF the justice of this fear
to be found in the various orders OF Il
me war department directing the concentr
nat ton of troops in the states of Sou
,ra | Carolina FlOrida and Louisiana on RI