Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-05
CALIFORNIA.
secretary of the Navy Thompson Ad.
dresses the Citizens of san Francisco.

CALIFORNIA.
secretary OF the Navy Thompson Adj.
dresses the Citizens OF san Francisco.
SAN FRANc1sco. August 4th.-A splendid
audience greeted Secretary Thompson at the
Grand Opera House tonight. The dress
circle and boxes were crowded with ladies.
The stage was handsomely set, and the pro-
scenium arch draped with the national colors.
Among the gentlemen on the platform was
Governor Perkins.
General Morrow called the meeting to or
der, and designated Congressman Davis as
presiding officer, who, with few remarks,
introduced Secretary Thompson.
The speaker promised that he came to the
coast on official, not political, business; but
believing there was nothing in the rules of
the civil service to prevent his performing
his duties as a citizen he had responded to the
invitation of the citizens to address them on
public topics. He paid a compliment to the
personal character of the Democratic leaders.
whom he was willing to trust with anything
except the Government of the country. He
then reviewed the history of the Republican
party, which found the nation bankrupt, con.
Quoted it through the most gigantic war the
world ever saw, and had placed it on firm
financial foundation, with its bonds at pre-
MUM, the debt and interest reduced, and the
national currency at par The trade that was
languishing revived, and instead of going
steadily and rapidly in debt, the balance of
trade was now in our favor, and the country
the most prosperous and powerful On earth.
There were no reasons, then, why the Repub-
lican party should be put out OF power, but
many that the Democratic party should be
kept out. He had come to the conclusion, on
fifty years reflection, that by virtue Of its
principles and aims, it was impossible for the
Democratic party to take care Of and admin.
lister this Government. He then reviewed
the principles of the Democracy, as enun-
ciated in the platforms put forth from time
to time, showing that with single exception
they were all negative in character. That
exception was the Virginia resolutions of 49,
The Democracy had opposed the national
currency and internal improvements, on the
ground of tendency to Capitalization of
power, and the tariff which had protected US
from the competition of European pauper
labor. He also dwelt upon the secession and
war record of the Dcmocracy-the resolutions
in the platform of the National Convention
of 1864, declaring the war fail.
ure. The Republican party had
killed slavery, given the ballot
to the blacks and effected a reconstruction
which the Democracy, in the platform of
1868, had declared void. In 1876 they had
nothing to say on that subject, but through
out the work of reconstruction the Democracy
had been found impeding it at every step.
He then reviewed President Johnson's recon-
struction policy and the action of Hancock
in Louisiana, in attempting to carry out the
Presidents ideas in defiance of the laws OF
Congress, in which he was checkmated by
General Grant. The next summer-.in 1868
the Democratic National Convention gave
unrono1y IL md q fat dov after II a m
cock wrote aletter indorsing the action of that
Convention, which had declared the process
of reconstruction void He then read ex-
tracts from Hancock's letter to Sherman,
recently published, and criticised the state
ment therein that it might become the
province of an army officer to disobey tie
orders of his superiors. He then referred TO
the policy of Hayes in ordering the with
drawal of troops from the South, on the
promise of the South that all parties should
have fair play and stigmatized its subsequent
action as the rankest treachery. He held
that the question at issue in that connection
was not that of the interference of troops at
the polls with the rights of voters, but
an attempt on the part of State-rights
men to take from the Government the con-
troll Of the election of national officials and
representatives. He quoted Garfeld's letter
of acceptance to show that he fully recog
nized that point. He further held that while
the Democracy had abandoned the doctrine
of secession, it still held to that of nulliGca-
ton, by which they would block the national
legislation. After comparing the military
record of Hancock, as regular, with that of
Garfield, he delivered eulogy on the latter
as soldier, statesman and citizen. After a
brief and able defense of the so-called larceny
of the Presidency, he referred to the danger
of similar electoral complication in the future,
and compared Edmunds' bill for leaving the
decision of the manner of casting the cleo
toral votes with the States, with the let-alone
policy of the Democracy, with view of
leaving the matter for Congress to settle !;
but concluded that the people would work
out any such complications to successful
conclusion. He then brought down the house
with roars of applause by his direct, out
spoken and pungent treatment of the Chi
nese question. The country held out open
arms TO all the people Of the world except
those who came in the guise of invaders, as
the Chinese have infested California. 1t was
the duty of the Government to say to them,
Thus far shalt thou come and no farther. !"
The people might draw wisdom on this sub
ject from Gatfeld's letter of acceptance,
and then compare it with Hancocks silence
on the subject. The question of Chinese
immigration challenges the wisest statesman
ship of the land, and can be solved only in
one way-stop it.
The speaker closed amid great applause
with brilliant peroration upon the duties of
citizens and the national destiny. The speech
throughout was argumentative, eloquent and
effective, and repeatedly drew down the most
enthusiastic applause.
Secretary Thompson, though well stricken
in years, seems to have lost none of the fire
and vitality of his youth, and closed his two
hours effort without the least appearance Of
fatigue.
The meeting closed with rousing cheers for
the speaker and the ticket.
Another Homicide-A San Francisco Milk.
man shot and Killed.
San FRANCISCO, August 4th.-At o'clock
this afternoon the news of the murder in
Hayes Valley of man named Dennis Hayes