The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-23
Magnificent Speech Of the Hon. Ly.
man TrumbHII at BeIIeVilIe,
Illinois.
The Republican Party a Party Of False
PTGtGlGGS, and The Democratic the
Only National Party.

DulIB speech was az lOllOWb'
Mr.. Chairman and citizens of st. Clair County
For this warm greeting, coming from thousands
Of people, among whom l formerly dwelt, am
profoundly grateful. 1t is more than forty yearE
since first settled in Belleville, and during all
that period, the greater portion Of which has
been spent in the public service, the people Of
st. Clair county have always sustained and sup.
ported me. They first sent me to the Legislature
Of the State, subsequently supported my appoint.
ment as Secretary Of State, twice contributed to
my election to the Supreme Bench Of the Stae,
once to my election as Representative In Con.
gress, and thrice to that OF Senator Of the United
States You have known and watched my
course through all these years, many OF them the
most eVenttul in our COunuy's history, and in
vOlVing the discussion and settlement Of CUES.
lOnS vital to the welfare of the republic in which
l may be pardOned for saying | acted no insig.
nihCant part. To receive such reception as this
from you who have known me so long, cOmpen.
safes for ell the Calumny, Misrepresentation and
abuse which have at times been heaped upon
me for Il discharge Of what seemed to me hon.
est duty TO the position held and the country
served All the offices | held while dwelling
among you, and till 1854, when the slavery issue
became paramount to all Others were bestowed
by the Democratic party. Those Subsequently
held came from the Republican party, an organ.
2ation originating IN 1856, and made up of both
Wings and Democrats, so that at one time or an
other during my public career have received
the support of nearly all nay fellow citizens Of
different political parties, the questions which
divided parties having in the meantime changed,
My gratitude is, therefore, due to all classes Of
people in this community, to whatever political
organization they may al lhe present time be at.
Iaehed; and God forbid / should to day utter one
word which shall CRATE haTshly upon the ear OK
any one who hears me, whether In the present
organization OF parties he be political friend or
political foe. We a e all alike interested in
good government, and in steering the ship Of
state over the bOsterOus waves which surround
her into haven of quiet and safety.
Before proceeding TO discuss the questions
which now divide parues, it may be useful to in.
quire whether there is anything In the present
attitude Of parties which requires a Republican
of 1856 or 1860 to support that party now This
question will be best answered by inquiring
what the distinctive characteristics of the Repub.
liCan party OF that period were and comparing
them with It's present attitude. The Republicans
OF 1856 declared in their national platform that
they were
Opposed to the repeal of the Missouri compro.
mise; to the extension OF slavery into
free Territories in favor of admitting Kansas as
free State; OF restoring he action of the Federal
Government to the principles Of Washington and
Jeffe son, and that railroad to the Pacific Ocean.
by the most central and practical route is mper.
attvely demanded by the interests OF the whole
country.
The National Republican Convention of 1860
which nominated Mr.. Lincoln for the Presiden-
cy, adopted substantially the platform Of 1856 to-
gether with these TWO resolutions.
FOurth-That the maintenance inviolate of the
rightsof the States, aud especially the right Of
each State to order and control its own domestic
institutions according to its own judgment rxclu.
sively, Is essential TO that balance of pOwer on
which the perfection and endurance of our DO.
litiCal fabric depends; and we deuOunce the law.
less invasion by armed force Of the soil of any
State or Territory, no matter under what pretext
as among the gravest of crimes.
Sixth That the people justly view with alarm
the reckless eXtrAvaganCe which pervades every
department OF the Federal Governments that q
return TO rigid economy and accountability is in.
dispensable to arrest the sy ysttmatiC plunder of
the public treasury by favored partisans, while
the recent startling developments of fraud and
corruption al ths Federal metropolis show that
an entire change of administration is isimperatyer
ly demanded,
So important did Mr. Lincoln regard the fourth
resolution, asserting the rights OF the States, that
he incorporated it in his inaugural address.
These resolutions of the Republican party of 1856
and 1860 distinctly announce the principles upon
which 1t attained power For the ascendancy OF
those principles struggled, aud for all that re.
main unsettled am struggling to day. But how
many of them are now living ssues2 and Of
those which remain, how many does the Repub.
liCan party of to day represent?
The effect Of the Missouri compromise which
prohibited slavery north of 800 aud 30, north lati
tude, and the question OF extending slavery into
free Territories is settled forever by the Thirteenth
Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, which declares that
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, ex.
Cept as punishment for crime, whereof the par
ty shall have been duly convicted, shall exist
within the United States or any place subject to
their Jurisdiction.
Kansas was admitted into the Union nineteen
years ago as free Slate, and the Pacific railroad
was completed and has been in operation for
many years, which ends all those questions.
PLANKs IN LINCoLN's PLATFORM REPUDIATrD BY
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TODAY.
The only things left to be accomplished by the
Republican party, as proclaimed In the days Of
its purity, are;
The restoring OF the action Of the Federal Gov.
ernment to the principles Of Washington and
Jefferson; the establishment OF the right OF each
State to order and control It's own domestic insti-
tutiOns according to its own Judgment exclusive
ly; the return to right economy and accountable.
ity as indispensable to arrest the systematic
plunder Of the public treasury by favored parti.
sans; and change of administration TO correct
the recent startling developments Of frauds and
| corruptions at the Federal metropolis
For which Of these measures is the Republican
party OF to. day the advOcate2 Not one. Its most
trusted leaders denounce the effort to restore the
Federal Government to the principles OF Wash
ington and Jefferson and to maintain the right
OF each State to order and control It's domestic in
stItutons according to its own judgment exclu.
sivey as little less than treason. The reckless
extravaganCe Of the Federal Government Of late
years greatly excelled that Of 1860 which 1t de-
nOunced, and in its frauds and Corruptons, no
tably before the party was restrained by DEM
ocratc House OF Representatives, 1t far exceeded
anything ever before known in the history of the
/ FlaVn no not fNNk 10 NNtaV.1
make good these assertions. The average ordi-
| nary annual expenses under Mr. Buchauan's adj
| ministratiOn, denounced by the Republicans of
1860 as RECKLESS extravaganza" were S65 29l 49,
| 40 The average ordinary annual expenses un.
| der the first six years OF Grants administration
| while the Republicans had control OF all branch
| es OF the Government, were $40 302 1876 l5 or
| nearly three times what they we're under BuchR-
nan. In the meantime the population OF the
United States had not increased % per cent Sure.
ly the ratio Of increase in the ordinary expenses
| OF the Government ought not TO exceed the ratio
| otincrease In population, Twenty-Five per cent.
| added to the RECKLESS eXtravagance' ot Bneha-
| mans administration would make but SSl 6li 3l5..
| so, or SSS 6S9 0l0 65 less than was annually ex.
pended by the Republicans when IN full control
| from 1869 to 1875.
THE OLD REPUBLICAN LEADERS NOT WITH THE
PARTY.
The Republican party OF the last ten years has
| been no less hostile TO lle men VINO founded IT
| than to the principles on which It achieved sue
cess. Seward, Chase, Walles, Blair Greeley,
| Sumner, Adams, Palmer, aud a host OF others,
among whom l might claim to have acted an
| humble part, the men under whose auspices the
| Republican party chiefly won Its fame, ceased to
| act with 1t when the war was over, slavery abOl-
| lshed, and the party departed from the only
vital issues remaining OF those on which It
| came into power. At no period OF our his.
tory have reckless extravaganza aud the
| Systematic plunder Of the pu0lic Treasury by
favored partssns been so hagrant as during
| the last term of General Grants administration.
1t was during that period that Robson, Will