The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-10-14
Secretary Evarts' Speech.
GENERAL GARFIELD THE CLEANEST AND BEST CAM
II "A mIrc A v

DATE SINCE HENRY CLAY.
Alarge crowd assembled at Cooper Institute, New
York, Wednesday evening to hear secretary Evarts
speak on the political situation. Hon. Hugh Nc
Culloch was chairman of the meeting. Mr.. Evarts
on coming forward was greeted with a hearty burst
of applause After brief prelude, he said:
The question of the moment now Is which OF the
two parties may be trusted with the welfare and
conduct of the country by the people who love Its
honor. Twentyfour years ago the people placed the
country in the hands of a Pennsylvania Democrat
Buchanan-and gave him the management OF Its al
fairs. To-day it is proposed to place the country
again in the hands Of party led by another Penn
sylvania Democrat Twenty years ago the people Cpl.
otism and devotion to liberty. Twenty years ago
they thus intrusted to an Illinois RepublicanAbra
ham Lincoln-and substantially the people OF the
country are to answer to their conscience whether
they repent taking the power away from Buchanan
and giving the power to Lincoln Private 1aultnnd-
in these twenty years have aired private gr1ev
ances but the great God-feartng people Of these
States read it. If Pennsylvania Democrat is restor
ed to power 1t Is verdict that the people are tired
Of patriotism and weary of liberty.
In these twenty years this Democratic party has
five times asked for power and the people have as
many times answered, sNo, never" prolonged ap-
plause] They tried in the war, when the country
was in the throes Of desperation and when every
coward was Democrat and every poltroon was en-
listed in the army of non-1ghting traitors. They
asked again after the war, when their resistance
against the loyal government had given away to
talk about reconstruction But the people satd mo;
the party who carried the country through the war
when you said 1t was failure shall take care Of
GQ0iu now, anu 81 bLdI you AuOW tudt We
1t, we put oyer you the captain who received your
surrender" After four years more, the Democrats
said, eve want CHANGE" but we said, mo you
wanted change in 1860; and you enforced your
gument with the aid Of powder and shot and shell.
No, we want no change" But when the war was
over then they said ''See what will offer you
now great Union General-General Mcclellan
and united South" But we said, "No. Your
general was unready and your party untrue" In
party" Heavens what reason for pressing a
candidate that the party was not as good as he In
our kind, man who is not better than his party
and they put up my friend and classmate, Samuel
J. Ttlden and they exclaimed "rhere, did you ever
see garment fit patch we'll as the Democratic
party fits Samuel j. 1lden ?" But We said, Ellis
tory is repeating itself, for Buchanan and Tilden
are as like as two peas.' And now they come again.
with candidate better than his party They say
his opponent, Gen. Garfield, is no better than his
party. We thought So for the Republican party is
in their eye and full well that there is not
mote in the eye of the Republican party, but they
are trying to balance their own beam by imagining
mote in the record of our candidate. Judge Black
well knew that he was thrustng spear In the only
opening of the armor Of our candidate when he said
that he would never hope to be better than his
party.
Since the time Of Henry Clay, Gen. Garfield is the
cleanest and best candidate. Great applause.)
Four years ago, when Hayes was lifted upon broad
western shoulders, many voted for him in the dark
and they now feel about Garfield as they did about
Hayes But in four years they will speak Of Gar
field as they now do Of Hayes, and had the people
then known Hayes they know him now he would
then have been elected by a far greater majority.
The Secretary then discussed Hancock and En-
glish, the latter Of whom he said was friend Of
the working class. After paying handsome tri-
butte to Secretary Sherman, the speaker ridiculed
the idea of Hancock letter being anything beyond
candidates views, not the views of his party. AZ
ter referring to the benefits of resumption hentim
1dated that the Democratic party had not much
love for the rights Of suffrage. He said eve have
defended the Union in arms the Constitution in
peace and we will save the country from sectional
ism on November I'd next. He concluded by say
ing that the Republican party may be stricken
down by the people; such party may fall, but If 1t
does, truth, liberty and reason fall with it.