The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-09-30
Mr.. Reagan. Address.

The Hon John ii. Reagan addressed "A
large crowd at the court house on Mon
day night, and though his speech was
over two hours in length, he riveted the
attention from nrst TO last, besides fire.
quently ellciting enthusiastic applause
He commenced by reviewing the rise,
progress and history Of the Democratic
party, and discussed with great clearness
the question Of sovereignty in the state
and national governments. He was par
ucularly felicitous in showing wherein
the states were sovereign, to-wit: in the
control and management OF their own
domestic affairs, and the sovereignty of
the nation in the exercise Of such powers
as were delegated TO it by the states,
which, as such, in convention, framed the
constitution. He dwelt with the accuracy
Of the historian upon the distinctive fea-
lures OF the policy advocated by Mr..
Hamilton Of New York and Mr.. jefferson
of Virginia, showing that the opposition
here always aligned itself on the side Of
power In the executive hand, while the
Democracy itself ever contended for the
rights Of the states which had not been
delegated, and hence were reserved TO
the estate or the people respectively
With powerful effect he traced the hi>-
tory OF the encroachments upon the con-
stitution by the Republican party since
it, advent into power-such ~ the disre-
gard Of the non-suspension of the writ of
habeas corpus, trial 10y jury, the domina-
ton Of the military over the civil
power of the government, intcrfer-
ence with the freedom Of the
ballot box by the appointment
OF supervisors OF elections and deputy
marshals 10 count in and install into Of
fee officers who had not been elected.
He also showed up the corruption OF the
Republican party aud Its waste aud prod
igality by facts and figures taken from
the records at Washington. He then adj
dressed himself TO the Greenback-Labor
party, aud with logic relentless and
empowering absolutely demolished
everything they had ever advocated.
Taking UP their platform he showed
where they had declared that the public
debt should be paid according TO contract
which Dillare and Weaver had denounced
as a fraud, Eamman had approved. Brady
had lodged, and concerning which George
Washington Jones was exceedingly nom
committal. Then referring TO the action
of their representatives in Congress he
demonstrated from bills introduced by
Gen. Weaver, candidate for President,
Mr.. De La Matyr and Mr.. Wright in the |
House of Representatives, that if their |
public debt and greatly enhance taxation,
now burdensOme and oppressive. Refer |
ring 10 the non-taXable feature of the |
bonded debt. he showed from the record |
that Mr.. Holman of Indiana, a Democrat,
had tried to amend the original bill and |
make them subject TO taxation. which was |
by the Democrats and de- |
feated by the Republicans, then having |
a majority of both houses of Congress. |
He then traced the history of |
fiat money, and wherever il had been |
tired proved il to have been not only |
failure but detrimental to the best inter- |
est of the people, rs was shown from eX-
peTlIltHtS Hhue III RUSSIA, GtfhlA, china. |
France, and In our own country during |
the war of the revolution and the late |
civil war. Replying TO the charge made |
SO f1ippantly by the Greenback party that |
the " old parties" had been and were re-
spOnsible for the financial misrule of the |
government, he showed that all the for |
tunes of the policy objected TO and objec- |
tionable were supported and adopted by |
means of the Republican majority in |
Congress, and invariably opposed in each |
and every particular by the Democrats. |
Judge Reagan very happily alluded TO |
the fact that he, in common with the en-
tire people of Texas, were proud, and |
justly proud, Of their state capital, and |
had lamented that it had not been in ac-
cord with the prevalent political senti-
ment of the state. He hoped, however,
that In November il would wheel into |
line and roll up Democratic majority |
for the entIrsticket. The lateness of the |
hour prevented him from speaking in de- |
tail of the particular fitness of the nOmi- |
nees on the national ticket, but paying |
briefly his respects to Mr.. Garfield and his |
doubtful record, closed with an eloquent |
tribute to Gen. Hancock. which was re- |
ceiyed with burst of applause. Take 1t |
all in all, the speech was not only great |
one, but one calculated to do much good. |