River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-08-26
Col. IngersoII's Grafton.


Col. r. q. Ingersoll opened the campaign at
Gloucester, Mass. on the Nth inst. in the following
brilliant and eloquent address.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:-We have got a
country which is, in my opinion, the greatest
country in this world | hold all forms Of govern
ment in sublime contempt except the republican
form Of government | utterly detest every sys-
TEN of government that is not founded of the le-
gally expressed will of majority of til, 1e0ple.
look upon kings princes and noblcmen as men in
the livery of larceny wearing the insignia OF rob
berry. ! am proud | am an American and that
live in civilized country. When | speak of a
free country ! confne myself to the northern and
western states of this great republic. This is, in
nv opinion the best government in the world
simply because it gives the best chance to every
human being. 1t is the best country simply be
there is more liberty here than there If any
where else: simply because life, liberty and prop
erty are better secured i'll the northern and west
eln states of the union than in any other portion
of the habitable globe.
love this country because it gives to the lowest
equal opportunity with the greatest. The avenues
to distinction are open to all. We have dore re
markably well considering what We Have had tc
do with We taken the failures of other
countries; ave taken the men who could not
succeed in England we have taken the men who
have been robbed and trampled upon-we have
taken them into5l 5 country, and the second gen
Grafton are superior to the nobility Of the country
taken the Irishman, robbed; we have taken the
foreigner from the alms-h house and we have turn
cd their rags into robes; have transformed their
novels and huts into palaces out of the paupers
we have made patriotic, splendid men. That s
what we have done in this country. We have
given to everybody il th' union, in the states to
which have referred, cqGsl opportunities to get
home equal opportunities to attain distinction,
That is the reason like this country.
/ like this country because the honest and in
l. = La...,
q man no matter how poor he may be, whether
n merchant or clerk can 20 nom, Mt night, take
his tow headed boy on his knee and say to him;
john, the public schools and every. avenue of
distinction are open To you. our father may be
Ignorant he may not be good at figures; but you
may rise TO the highest Office within the gift of
a civilized people, We I Ut know how good
this country il. Do you now that we have
more to eat here than any other nation of the
globe has And that rs quite an item. We have
better clothes and they r1me nearer hitting US.
There is more general information among our
people and it is better distributed, than IN any
other country But really the greatest thing about
our country is that there is NJ other country
where women ard children are treated as we'll n
they areein the United States. Let tell you
WHY In other countries the family is patterned
after the form of government. In countries
where there is a monarch the head Of the family
il a monarch. in countries whore there is despot
at the head Of the government, the head Of the
family il a dsspot. Here in this country our
families republican. Every man sitting by
the Preside has a vote.
These are a few of the reasons why like this
country / like it because it gave me chance
| like it because man in the lowest walks of life
can have a chance | like it because a boy who
has worked on a canal boy VINO has driven
mule on the tow path a boy VIII has cut wood at
% cents eord--l Ike it because such boy Is
going to be the next pres dent Of the United
States What a magnificent compliment they pay
to our system Of government; what splenmd
compliment they pay to the good heart oil our
people by making prominent IN this canvass the
fact that the boy was poor, that the hoy was
compelled to work. What in other countries
would be mark Of disgrace in this country Is
TRANSPORTED into the wings Of honor and u lame.
Now as have sad this is good country, hut
there are perils against which we must carefully
guard. The first peril, in my Judgment,
is the doctrine Of state rights
that heresy is in my Judg-
ment, one Of the great perils that menaces this
republic at the present time. 1t was settled by
the war; it has not been beaten cat Of the demo
cratic leaders, and let me You that 1t Is
strongly intrenched in the hearts Of these men at
the present time it ever was in the history Of
the government.
The next peril that threatened the gov
eminent, in the opinion Of Col. lngersoll,
was
FRAUDULENT VOTING.
THAT, said he, Is treason against the
United States. The only sovereign in this
country is the egalIy-expressed will of a
majority Of the people. and whoever tam
pers with that is committing treason
against the government. We have to turn
our faces sqarely against dishonesty at the
polls. We must point the finger of scorn
at any man who holds place and power by
fraudulent votes We must make it obi
gatory upon man TO live one year in a
precinct before he is permitted to vote.
We want to get rid of the political
Bedouins who rush hither and thither
acrnss the country.