Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-08-09
GEN. STEWART L. WOODFORD
IN ORLEANS COUNTY.

Newport, on the evening of August 4th.
His address was admirable in every
sense, and greatly enjoyed by all. Any
abstract which we can make will utterly
fail to convey just idea of the humorous
hints, the powerful logic, or the eloquent
passages in the address but we venture
to give some of the points made, that
they may be considered by those unfor-
tunately absent. Gen. Woodford spoke
substantially as follows:
Let me at the beginning of my remarks
say few frank words to such Democratic
friends as have honored me with their
presence about the treatment and rights
of Southern Republicans, both white and
black. When the Confederates had been
beaten in fair fight we gave them back
their property, forfeited by law of war, |
and their citizenship, forfeited by their |
own voluntary rebellion. Did we not? |
What acres of their broad plantations |
have been conhscated by any proceedings
taken since peace came? What man
among them is denied the privilege of vo-
ting a Democratic ticket because of any
word spoken or shot fred in aid of the
Confederacy2 Look this thing squarely in
the face and answer me frankly. Reverse
the picture and answer me another ques-
ton as frankly. Do they deal with the
Southern Republicans as fairly and as
generously as we have dealt by them?
No man has been shot by the National
Government since the war ended for hav-
ing tried by force of arms to take the ma
TONS life. Has no man been shot in
South Carolina, in Mississippi or in
Louisiana since the war ended for having
simply tried to vote Republican ticket?
Look into your consciences, my Demo
cratic hearers, and answer for yourselves.
come not to arraign or to upbraid. You
Northern Democrats shall sit in Judg-
ment on yourselves and on your Southern
allies. No angry word of mine can recall
the past or bring the dead to life, but
DA0NC anu AONlHS JOlCluuJ NOIuo
deeds by you and yours can bury the past
forever. Give us a fair vote now. Let
it only be as honorable for a man to be a
Republican now in the South as it is to
have been Confederate, and flowers of
friendship shall grow above the graves of
the past and harvests of plenty and pros
perity shall wave above our common dead.
Democrats, put it to your manhood,
can the North ask less? Can the nation
be satisfied with less? We have freely
forgiven those who fought against us. II
we are uot resolutely true to those whom
we freed or who have since become oul
allies in political effort, would you not
despise usp Would we not despise our
selves?
There is simple pathway out of al
this bitterness. There is no need that
we should wander forty years in this viii
derhess of passion and hate. There is NJ
need that all should die who left Egyp
before we enter Canaan. Is the Demo
cratic party willing to turn its back OF
the past, and simply give every legal vo
ter In all the South the right to vote once
and then have his vote honestly counted
In one word, our country will have n,
more midnight whippings, no more whit
leagues, no more tissue ballots, no NOR
shot-guns in politics. Give us only this
free vote and an honest count, and tn
cry of scctionalism will forever cease il
our Northern politics. Deny us this, an
the North will grow each year more an
more solid by ever increasing and resolut
majorities. We can ask no less, we wi
ask no more. Having then frankly toll
you how, and how alone, perfect recor
Citation and cordial friendship can com
and abide, let me turn to practical dis
cussion of present politics as they touc
our industrial interests and the materi;
welfare of our common country.
Three parties are now contending fc
the mastery in this country, the Republ
can, Democratic, and the Greenbacl
The latter is only party of skirmisher,
with here and thern scattered few Ii
boring for discarded theory. The ute
fallacy Of the fiat delusion may be show
by simple illustration. The greenbaC
being only printed and pictured promis
issued by the government, has no val,
in itself, and while it is called dollar
might as well be called anything els
The enthusiastic greenbacker looks upC
his greenback and says, ''this is dc
lar;" he stuffs his pockets with this XIII
of paper and says, 81 am rich" If sa
ing that piece of paper is dollar max
1t dollar, so declaring that greenba,
Is house, makes it house. The pc
SCISSOR of this kind of currency being FOL
of fine horses, looks at his fiat mon
and says, ''this is hoIse, " and so havil
his pockets filed with greenbacks
starts out for ride with his fiat hors
Being a single man, and being in poss,
sion of so many of the comforts of Ii
he concludes he will offer his hand
marriage to to some fair lady. The pl
liminary arrangements being perfected
marriage ceremony takes place. T
bride, not being a greenbacker, conclud
that she will teach the new made husba
some of the absurities and disadvantas
OF his greenback notions. At the gu
hour when married people are seeki
their places of repOse, she gently infor
the blushing groom that she considC
this only a greenback marriage, and
will please repair To his own home
departs in sullen silence, and as he plS
ges into his lonely couch, he is heard
exclaim, 'confound the greenback I
tions, anyhow"
Having humOrously and effectually
Dosed of the greenback subject, t
'aid: If the Democratic par