Morris tribune., 1880-07-29
speech of Hon. Carl SchurZ at Indi-
anaDOIis. Indiana.

eectet1ry OF the INTERIOR addressed an immense
sssemblsge of Republicans ut the Wigwam.
ne spoke at length, making the following
points:
In the first place we want good government,
government which understands the public
business and transacts it honestly and Justly.
tne Indiana question is, how far has the pres
ent government met these requirements. I
Shink am not exaggerating when I say that
talr minded men of this country win admit
that on the whole, the public business has been
conducted by this administration successfully.
IL has maintained the public faith and raised
the credit OF tho United States to q point never
reached before. 1t has consistently
followed the policy of re-
heVlng the country of the dangerous money
system, and promised the prosperity of the
people by the restoration of specie payments.
II has funded enormous masses of national in
oeDtedness at a lower interest, ami saved mil
lions year to the tax payers. 1t has faith
iully executed the laws. and observed sacred
constitutional principles. 10 has removed
many obstacles that stood in the way of
friendly understanding between different Sec
tions. 1t has reformed many abnses in the
pubhc service.
Now that the time for change in the person.
rel the administration has arrived we should
favor that candidate who can he depended on
to keep the administration where it is. The
Democratic party labors under historic az well
fall or the slave power the Democratic party
mas oeeu drifting with strange incapacity to
understand the present and future, commit
ting blunder after blunder from the secession
movement of 1861 down to the nomination of
Hancock in 1880, good, clear headed Democrats
uusle to control the obstreperOus elements in
the party.
In 1854 the Democratic party declared the
Warla failure, and must be abandoned. IT this
policy had been adopted the union would have
gone to ruin. The Democrats declared the
abolition of slavery would be the ruin of the
country; declared the resumption of specie
pay ments must be repealed.
The speaker went en- to recite further exam
pies to show that the Democratic party showed
Itself incapable to understand facts that had
been virtually accomplished, and
how it obstructed things that were
inevitable, and now in the year 1880, when war
issues were fairly behind us, when by q COZ
cilatOry spirit aud strict observance of consti-
tutional principles, the government has re-
moved the elements of discord between the
sections, when general prosperity was blessing
the land, and when the people look for enlight-
ened, practical statesmanship-now the Demo-
cratic party knows nothing better to do than
to set aside all its Statesmen of known and
sIttled opinions, political experience and
training, and nominate professional soldier
who has never been anything else but that, and
who, from the very nature and necessities of
professional ways, stood alOof from the man
agement of political questions.
shall not attempt TO depTeciate the charac-
ter of Hancock and the services which he has
rendered the country. He is q gentleman of
irreproachable private character. As q SOL
dier be has shown bravery and skill in handling
troops under difficult circumstances, and his
name is identified with some splendid achieve
ments. For all this every good citizen will
honor him. But the question is not whether
he is deserving general, but whether he
would be the kind of President the country
needs, who can be depended upon to success
fully solve the problems of craftsmanship now
before us. To head battalions of brave men
against a fortified position, or win campaign
by dashing movements, is one thing. To regu-
late the finances of the country, to organize the
civil service in such manner that it may con-
duct the public business upon sound business
principles, is another.
While speakingi of sound money in their
platform the Democrats put forward Ewing, of
Ohio, Butler in Massachusetts,, and Landers in
Indiana, all inflationists. Resumption was op-
posed to the last by Democratic Congressman.
When Hancock was mentioned Peter Cooper
and Sam Carey were among the frat to wish
him success. Business men who voted the
Democratic ticket are taking gambling
| chance, and that chance against them. The
Democratic paaty is held together by the ad-
hesive power of public plunder
and if Hancock should say he would abandon
the specie system he would be laughed at by
| his party. Democratic success would cause the
| immediate removal of eighty thousand officials,
and their places would be filed by inexpe-
| rienced men, without time for careful selec-
tions. This would destroy the whole admins
tratiOn machinery, and remove for time at
least the guards now placed over the public
| money.
Let us look at the other side. When in 1863
| the Republican majority in Congress declared
for payment of the public debt in coin there
was the end of the repudiation movement in
| the Republican party. When in 1875 the he
publican majority passed the RESUMPTION act
! that was the end of the unredeemable paper
money business in the party. The Repudia-
| tionists joined the Greenback party, and finally
most of them beCame Democrats. The Re
publican party has either converted or elected
this class, and has become
the reliable sound money party, and the solu-
| tion of new financial problems can be safely
entrusted only to it. AS to civil service in the
| event of Republican success, the administers
| tive machinery will not be suddenly taken to
pieces and disorganlzed to become raw mate.
rial. That those Republicans who demand
complete reform will not cease to work for il
| Ia certuin, while on the Demo
| cratic side we have no reaaon to look fol
anything except complete relapse into the
| old method.
! 4uS ID AOb pte5cntdUAOA VA -
sword or gift Of horse given to victorious
soldier to please him. If 80. then simple jos.
| tice would give it, since Grant has had it, tC
Sherman and Sheridan before Hancock. The
Presidency is not trust due no man. Nobody
has ever earned it as a thing belonging
to him, and it should not be bestowed but fol
patriotic and enlightened statesmanship
Above all the Presidency should never be point
| ed out as the attainable goal of a professions
soldier. In republic great care should b
tlken not to demoralize the army by instillint
political ambition in the minds of its officers
am for subordinating the military to civi
power, and therefore favor making Congress
man Garfield President and letting Genera
Hancock remain q general.
The Democracy may in the course of tim'
gain the confidence Of the people, but tina
should be only when the repudlationists ant
advocates of unsound money have ceased to bs
in its ranks, so powerful and influential an efe
ment as seriously to threaten the great econ
omical interests of the country.
4 LongfelIOw at Cambridge.