The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-09-11
Massachusetts, Democracy.
why the Nay State Also long for ths day
of DeIlyeRance from Fraud.


Mr.. Patrick A. Collins, Of Boston, alter
wards nominated by the Democrats for At
iorney- General Of Massachusetts,, upon as
suming tho permanent Craftsmanship Of the
recent Democratic State Conse ntion in Mas
sachusetts delivered, after a few introductory
remarks, the following address;
Let me urge you, gentlemen, when you
leave this hall, to leave il with resolution
that this year no hamlet shalt escape q
thorough canvass, that no Democratic yot.
shall remain unregistered or unpOlIed, and
that the Massachusetts Democracy strengthen
the hands Of President Hancock by sending
at least tive Representatives TO Congress- In
the work before us we must be united, hrtn,
tolerant Of one another, harmonious IN out
councils, vigorous IN our canvass.
There Is work for the thinker aud door,
And glory for all when the goal Is won.
Let the test of fellowship be devotion and
allegiance to the principles Of the Democratic
party. Not, "When did he join ~ but, ais
he good Democrat to-dayY We need re-
cruits, and the life aud brains and energy
they bring with them. Blu, the test must be
Democracy. With all divisions at an end, all
dissensions buried, the Democratic column
marches on to certain victory. by the yer.
dict Of the American people, TO be recorded
in less than nine weeks, the sceptre Of power
will pass from the usurper into the knightly
hand Of the soldier. statesman, Winfield Scott
Hancock. After twenty years Of exile the old
Democratic party will return TO power; will
return to belle the ISLANDERS Of its enemies 10
crush the spirit of Capitalization and despo-
tism to abolish forever bureaucracy, waste
and extravaganza to restore the Union,
tranquility and peace to re-establish the
reign of liberty the Constitution and the
laws. Ii has seen the birth, and has lived TO
see the death Of all other great political or
CARNATIONS in the Union; for the Republican
party also, TO all intents and purposes, is
doomed and dead, and awaits but the offices
OF the undertaken TO cease numbering this
earth Of ours. Is will survive no national
defeat. The moral mission OF the Republi-
can party ended long ago. What gave It ex,
istence, energy and life was the question Of
slavery; and when, by the will, the blood and
devotion of the soldier, the statesman and the
agitator, The slaves were made free and estab.
lshed in civil rights and citizenship, its true
work was done. All its policy and all its
legislation since have been directed to the
sole end Of insuring its own ascendency by
iomenung sectional discord, by assaults upon
the franchise and individual liberty, by at.
tacks upon the Constitution aud the guarded
rights Of States. Though the echoes Of the
last rebel cannon died away in the Southern
spring air fifteen years ago, we still hear
nothing from Republican statesmen but the
cries OF war and rebellion. For their own
cruel, unpatriotic, selfish purposes they strive
TO keep the Union severed and postpone the
day Of settled peace. IL the Republican
party, after twenty years Of unchullenged
control of the Executive, conieSses that the
work Of restoring the Union has not yet been
accomplished, il is time to commit the task to
other hands, IL lives to-day upon its early
reputation. 1t exists because things evil and
good do exist, II holds together, not because
IT champions any great cause or principle OF
advocates any great measures for the common
veal. but because it supports and is supported
by 100000 office holders, dispcnses the public
patronage and deals out the public moneys
Take away these props and the rotten struc
tare falls. How the leaders in this day Of
tribulaton must long for the good old times
when
The elect go, the offices, down TO tlde.waitrr.
The people took skinnin' as mild as later
But, as a party, It's career has been marked
by the most laundering ineompeiency, IN,
most wasteiul extravaganza, the grossest cor
ruption. 1t blundered into finance and blum
dered out again at a loss, according to ii,
confession of its statesmen, of 81 ,OO0, 0OO, 600
caused solely by its laundering. In the four.
teen years of its absolute sway. before il wa,
checked by Democratic Congress, it spent,
excluding interest, tho enormous sum Of IS,
S74, SIS, 1874, against Sl,504. 100000 spent ia
the seyentythree years Of tho national exist.
ence before. Much Of this, as the record
shows, was pure waste and sheer robbery.
In the carpet'bag era it stole from the pros
trate and impoverished people Of the South
more than 500, 600, 600 more. The profess.
ed friend OF the negro, it left him poorer
than 1t found him, his future labor mortgaged
to pay tue debts created by its rule, ruined
citizen OF plundered State. And. finally, to
rad him OF all possible burdens, il stole his
llttle savings by the beneiieent machinery OF
the bank, established for his snecial beneli,
IL stole more than 200, 90, 600 acres of The
public domain, and conferred it with bonds
and interest amounting TO more than SiOO,
100000, upon its creatures, the monopolists
IL plundered right and left, by its taxes and
its tariffs, things great and small, and when
u seemed there was nothing else TO steal. il
stole the Presidency of the United States.
Aud now this reckless robber, gorged with
the plumber of twenty years Of such stealinps
as no country but this could bear, paeidIy
asks It's victim for forgiveness and confidence,
another lease OF power and chance TO re.
form. For another grave reason the Repub
llean party has forfeited the confidence OF The
country. IL is n party without fixed prinei
Piles and without respect for the Consti,n.
ton, the rights Of States, or personal liberty.
Our system rests upon man and mauhood
suffrage, not upon property. Its the govern.
ment OF all The people for the good of all.
Yet all the legislation Of this party touching
these questions has had the tendency 10 limii
obstruct and annul the rights OF manhood suf.
frage. The Democratic party contends tbat
the men aud not the money of the republic
shall rule it. In the discussion the Florida
case the slippery Garfield said :-"Coneress
has no more power tointerfere with the States
lin the selection Of eleetorsl than it has 10 in !.
terere with the election ofoilicers in England -
And listen, in the same discussion, To our own
astute Senator, George f. Hoar ;--"When
the State has acted no power can reverse its
action for mistake in law or in fact, for fraud
or for any cause whatever, unless II be DOW.
err higher than the State on which the consti.
tuition has expressly conferred such authority;
but there IS no such power higher than III.
State" Ii Il had been necessary for tbs;r
purpose to say the exactly opposite thing tbese
eminent statesmen would have said il: bnt i,
vas necessary to invoke State sovereignty then
in order TO sanction and consummate the Ia.
EQUITY that Garfield went TO the South 10 ass;si
in perpetraling. They wrenehed and strained
aud strained aud finally cast aside the Con.
stitution when il failed to warrant their rntb.
less aud despotic acts. They ground under
the rights OF sovereign States when il promis-
ed them continuance in power, and thew
pushed the doctrine OF State rights 10 the az.
IRENE limit in order to use ii as a means and
a cover to the commission Of the most alro.
cious act Of fraud in human history. Since
then they have clamored aud shrieked for a
''sirong government" aud strong central
arm 70 reach 10 every citizen and household
in the land. They plead for strong centrni
despotism directing. all and overasinp ali
We contend for the system established Nv ths
fathers, federal authority for federal nnr.
poses only, as strong as the Constitution has
made II, but not whit stronger, and eacb
State sovereign, supreme, independent and
unassailable within It's own sphere. We can
tend also for the largest liberty Of the indiv;J.
ual and the least possible government, State
or federal, consistent with the welfare of ~.
ciety. We object to the omnipresent and II.
quisitorial nose Of authority thrust eyerywbero
into our concerns. We contend that this i
a republic Of free, seif.governinR men
understandable Union Of indestruetible sovsr
eign States. Ia this canvass Hamilton and
Jefferson are face 10 face again. II isproba.
bly, the last struggle between the two theories
Of government for us--Imperialsm and ~.
,,,nrra.e aud ar;nI;s.. -. j -