The Princeton union., 1880-09-23
SENATOR ROSCOE ConKT|NG.
His Great Speech, Delivered at the Academ!
Of Music, New York, Sept. II, 1880.

caSlon OF toe RepuDNcan mass meet1ng, and
the police were obliged to close the door to |
keep the throng from overcrowding the oorri- |
dors. Thousands went away, being unable to |
gain admittanoe to the building. On the stage, |
among the prominent men, there were: Hon.
Edw. Pierrepont, Judge Cowan,- Gen. Anson
McCook, Postmaster james, Collector Merritt,
Gen. Graham, Gen. Carr, Hon. Thurlow Weed,
and Others. About 8 O'Clock Gov Cornell
entered the Academy and was escorted to
private box amid cheers. Gen. Arthur and
Hon. Jas. Il. Varnum accompanied the gov
ernor. Shortly before Senator Conkling ar
ton Fish, Hon. Lloyd Aspin-
Tsll, TsoI Hon n o,;s 9no: no., ~ Jay ex Governor
as the party advanced Simultaneous cheer
arose from every part of the house and hand.
kerchiefs and hats were waved in the air. The
excitement subsiding Mr.. Aspinwall advanced
to the footlights and said he had been request
ed to open the meeting by reading letter from
Gen. Grant. prolonged applause) Hon. "
Hamilton Fish was eleclt chairman and in q
brief speech introduced Senator Conklng, who
was greeted with cheer upon cheer IS he came
forward. .-..-.-. s....-,
After an eloquent allusion to the grandeur
and blessings Of the republic, Mr.. Conkling
candidate and I am against the ticket and all
its words. The genersl issue confronting us is
in itself and in its bearings sectional. Would
that it were not 80, but it is SO. In twelve
States of the union the approaching elections
is to be no more than farce unless, as has some
times happened, if it be turned into tragedy.
In several Southern States there is large Re-
publican majority, but all the Southern States
alike. without exception, or without doubt, are
relied upon to continue on the Democratic side
and score one hundred and thirty-eight electo-
raj votes. There is to be no free debate, no
eOnRl riphfa frna oYnnaaainn in fheae &tatAa
and yet, he who discusses these questions must
be told in the coarse parlance OF the day that
he waves ''the bloody Shirt
J The Senator denounced the proposed count
| in some Southern States founded on the last
census and then read Gen. Grants recent let
ter in which he says that ''the Democratic party
as now constituted and controlled is not fit
party to trust with the control of the general
| government" and went on to say that the
| South constitutes the Democratic party, and
! that in Congress Southern members hold abso-
| Lutte sway. Should controversy arise regard
| ing the Presidential election, and the election
be thrown into the House, there the vote being
taken by States, the South would cast nearly
| all the Democratic votes, and in the Senate
| the vote for Vice President would come from
! the same souuce. In every event of Democratic
success the Southern end of the Democratic party
| must be to the Northen end as the locomotive
is to the tender the horse is to the cart. This
is as plain as any truth in gravitation arith-
| metic. The South has control of all the work
ing committees of the Senate. On every COM
mittee there is majority of Democrats, and
of these the majority in all cases coneists OF
Southern Senators. The same conditions pre-
! vail in the House. There are forty-two com
mittees. The chairmen of twenty-five are
from the South. All committees are consti-
tuted SO that majority is Democratic, and
of the majority more than one-half is South
ern.
During the two years while this absolute
power in both Houses has been so lodged, the
existence of the veto power and the approach
of the Presidential canvass have suggested
urgent reasons for going SLOW" Man,
| expected bills have not been introduced
Many that have been introd uced have not bee,
u pressed" Some that have been 'pressed'
have run against such obstinate opposition a
to secure present postponement of some modi
fcation. But whenever the hour strikes tha
the veto power is in Democratic hands the sol
id causus will be controlled by those who rep
resent by less than one-seventh of the peopl
), of the union, and not more than one-fourteentl
A of the producing, the commercial, industrial
T tax paying and property interests ofthe coun
try. The Senator read official figures of tn
bureau of statistics, to prove the assertion ant
said these facts are not reached with pleasur
+ but deep regret.
The next topic discussed was the trade o
the Mississippi river, and upon this point
said: The river commerce of the Southern
Mississippi is regarded as the great tie of in
| terest, as guard of assurance against purpose
sectional and inimical aid large foundatio
for the claims set up for SouIa.i Influence i
national affairs. This theory. as far as it
true, belongs to the past. Toe tread of man !
| all ages has been on lines of latitude, not O
lines of longitude. Rivers and mountains O
:, | this continent run north and south. Me
7 bridge and tunnel them, and move east an
l west. The construction of railways has reve
intlon'7ed r,o traffic a1s,+ and transport:
eo%petitor etn to tbi.
4 movement is the lakes and Erie canal. tn
commercial forces of seven great cities hav
= grasped this vast carrying trade and hold pro
pei and direct it. Boston, New York, Phils
delphia and Baltimore at the east, and ST
= command the machinery, and outlets and il
let's through;which the surplus products of th
q United States reach the markets of the worlt
and through which the merchandise of Europ
is brought here and distributed. Gould sciene
q deepen the mouth of the Mississippi, till til
e Great Eastern could load at the wharves of th
O. Crescent city, the achievement would no mo,
arrest or divert the movement of commerc
l. and the population east and west than it ooul
= control the tides of the sea, or change IL
is course of the stars.
5, Statistics were here given locating the bul
and substance Of the national wealth in tt
/ North, and the speaker said: II affirm tn,
II the broad issue at this election is whether OF
2 colossal fabric, commercial. industrial On
10 financial interests, shall be under the manag
ment and protection of those who chiefly erec
= ed and own it, or shall it be handed over I
J. the sway of those whose share in it
y small and whose experience, antecedents, tn
o ories or pratioes do not fit them or entit
them to assume its control ~. -.
. Senator Conkling spoke of wiping out Il
y Republican vote in the South by fraud. crue
a. ty, deviltry, force and tissue ballots, and r
ts peated what he said in the Senate that Il
Democratic party would have to-day no majo
G. ity in either house of Congress- except for ele
s. tions dominated and decided by violence an
r fraud.
In regard to Reputation of Southern debt
the Senator said if their own State faith n
IL credit is not inviolate with Southern leader
'e what in their bands would be the fate Of lii
r. cations which were the means, the cause, Il
4 memorials of their defeat. But we are to
Gen. Hancock would watch them. An ang
E. might watch tiger, child might attempt
divide beefstesk with bloodhound, q Ian
might lie dowE with q lion, but the lamb won
a lie inside. The peril of Democratic aaoen
= ency in all branches of the government
g deeper rooted than any measu
within the scope of existing public que
> tions. Statesmen abroad talk of the balan
:, of power and of the changing map of Euror
a These sayings mean not much more than mig
easily occur here without violating the cons