Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-07-29
THE CAMPAIGN.
Speech Of Non. CAL Schurz. in indianapolis.

THE CAMPAIGN. .,.
Speech Of hon.~ Gail -Schurz. in indianapolis.
A Graphic Sketch of the History of the
Democratic Party The Re-
publican Party and
Candidate.
Carl Schurz, Secretary of the Interior.
opened the campaign in Indiana by a
speech, to On immense assemblage in the
Wigwam, in Indianapolis, on the Goth
inst. It was calm, clear review of the
political situation and the history of the
two parties, and contained cogent rea-
SONS why the government should not
now be placed in the hands of the Demo-
cratic party. 's' '" U.s. 49, .-s7'e~'s~*e~~~
He began with a brief review of the
work of the present administration, Civ
ing it the deserved credit of having per-
formed it's work faithfully and efficiently,
and III such manner as unquestionably to
promote the best interests of the people.
He then asked the question whether it is
wise to make change in the political
character of the administration, and in
answering it gave the following graphic
and amusing sketch of the inconsistent
and vascillating course of the Democratic
party;
To speak IN all candor, it appears to me that
the Democratic party 1abors under historic as
well as constitutional difficulties. Since the
downfall and disappearance of the slave power
0c NJ
Democratic party, more than twenty years ago,
derived it's morals, its logic, its political skill
and craftsmanship, that party has been floun-
dering about, out of logical connection with the
questions OF the day; never knowing the time of
day, always waiting for something to turn ur,
and when something does turn up, spelling it;
lamely tagging IN the rear of the events and re-
quircments of the day; always behind; denounc.
ing as impossible things that were already ac-
compished facts; with a strange incapacity to
understand the present and to measure the
future, making itself the recipient and rallying
point for all dangerous and obstructive tenden-
cies and elements, and thus committing blunder
after blunder, which at the moment of their
birth 1t uniformly gloriied in AZ great strokes of
policy, from the secession movement in 1861
down to the nomination of General Hancock in
1880. .
Looking back to the year 1864, the fourth
year of the civil war, when the southern con-
federacy was near the total exhaustion of its
resources, we find the Democratic party in ma
war was a failure, and must be abandoned. A
few months afterward the triumph of our army
was decided, and Confederacy collapsed, the
restoration of our union was assured, and the
Democracy was forced to acknowledge that the
war had been success. The Democracy had
proclaimed it's despair of the republic Just at
the time when the triumph of the republic was
{0 1>ok l., 4
the Democratic policy been then adopted the
war would have indeed become I, failure and
the union have gone to wreck and ruin.
When slavery breathcd it's last and it's aboli-
ton had become an evident logical necessity,
requiring nothing more than the form of law,
the Democratic party declared that the abolition
of slavery would be the ruin of the country and
must by all means be averted. Who is there to
deny now that the abolition of slavery was an
absolute necessity, and has turned out bless
ing? The Democrats are compelled to admit
it themselves.
When as measures of settlementthe thirteenth.
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments were
passed, the Democratic party declared them
void and entitled to no respect, and almost i'm
mediately afterward found itself compelled to
admit that for the peace of the country and as
basis for future development these constitu-
tional amendments had to be maintained.
Coming down to more recent history when
the Republicans in congress had passed the re-
sumption act in 1875, and the fruit of the res
toratlon Of specie payments was almost ripe to
be plucked, the Democratic party in its national
convention of 1876 though it smart thing to
declare that the very act passed for bringing
specie payments was all impeachment in its way
and must be repealed. And who is there to
deny now that had the act been repealed un-
der the pressure of all the imitation elements in
the country, the confusion of our financial
policy necessarily ensuing would have prolonged
the evils of an irredeemable paper currency
under which we were then suffering? I need
not accumulate further examples to show how
incapable the Democratic party proved itself to
understand and appreciate not only the imme-
mediate requirements of the times but facts that
had been virtually accomplished, and how its
greatest efforts were directed to the end of OBJ
structing things that had become inevitable,
and which it afterward found itself compelled to
admit as good.
And now in this year of 1880, when the wal
issues are fairly behind us; when by it's concili-
atory spirit and its strict observance of constitu
tional principles the government has removed
all the elements of discord between the two sec.
tions which was in its own power to remove
when, aided by wise and successful financial
policy, general prosperity is again blessing the
land, and when the people look above all things
for enlightened practical craftsmanship that
well understands the question it has to deal
with to foster and develop that prosperity; now
the Democratic party knows nothing better tc
do than to set aside all it's statesmen of known
and settled opinions, political experience and
training, and to nominate for the presidency a
major general of the regular army, a profess
sional soldier, who has never been anything else
but that, and who from the very nature and
necessities of his profession has always stood
aloof from the management of political ques.
tions.
He then proceeded to show why Gen.
Hancock, from his education and pursuit,
is untitled to deal with the great ques.
hons which the head of the government
of so great nation as this>must con.
stantly meet, and why political change
in the administration would be attended
with wide disturbance of business an6
governmental interests. The Republican
party, the party in possession Of the
government, he showed, on the Other
hand, while making mistakes at times
and having within it's ranks those who have
been unsound on the great questions o1
currency and finance, had been in the
main on the right side, and proved
worthy of the confidence reposed in it
He then said:
When in 1869 the Republican majority in con
gress declared for the payment Of the public
debt principal and interest in coin, there wal
the end once and forever of the Reputation
movement, open and disguised, in the Republi
can party. When in 1875 the Republican ma
jolity in congress passed the resumption act
there was the end, once and forever, Of the un
redeemable paper money business in the Repub
lican party. hosewhoremained repudiationists
or fiat money men did not remain Republicans
at least not the leaders of the party. The.
tried their luck for some time inside of it; thel
they left it and became independent Green
hackers, and finally most Of them landed in tn
Democratic party, as the Democratic Green
hackers, who for a time became Independents
mostly went back there. General Weaver ant
his followers are still in the intermediate state
but will no doubt finally materialize as sount
Democrats.
But while the Democratic party has been at
tractng such elements, the Republican part
has been either converting them by sound prin
ciples or ejecting them until they almost who'll.
disappeared among it's component parts. Thu
it has become emphatically the protector of tn
national faith and the party of sound money
I have no doubt that the disagreements still ex
listing upon financial subjects Of minor import
ance in the Republican party will be solved i,
! the same way after mature discussion. It wa
not only predominance of good sense and I