Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-14

| anu laughter
coun,r,. s,',' 'iere are two parties i, ~.
n.r,;a.' Inc democratic and renuh,; .ll'
To he c,lIaS W wage contest that is worth,
can da,a. = contest The only way tba,
+ ran -. which OF these two Marie,
their - heaIiliy affiliate with is to sind,
| - i.eoius and see what they have -
P,!sned and what thew pronoso 80 aeconi'
piish. L would look at its ch,-.o.a as'oni,
&c Nne,her that has been oood ., h anu
"ouiu look at the condition of Tho .Nu
ouiu consider the business intero.,S
"ouid see whether labor was nro.ra.@'-s
| ne republican party has been in no,-s :
luz twenty years. Now. / wapt vo,, ~ ~. w,
ise II there is fair Compensation far - .e.'
II '.iere Is a fair sale and fair nrof;ts Co. ,
agricultural products, if the sails of onr ,o,.,
lherce 90 not Written every sea. fs there i mn,
renewed life In every line Of business 7 -
sou' my conntrymen, to tell me WHY Won -,
~. 70 make change from this cond;,ion =.
.nss. NO party ever took control nf a
government but what it undertook To nal
.nanses- what has brought us to this bigb
t'; Vi material prosperity: Let US look at
history little. 1t is unpleasant, know. to
mention many things that have occurred in
etia "heh man tells me that we
give over our rule to his party-if he
| at L Tell MIN mat he has
no right to say that GApplause. II halonas
10 his master down South, tAnnI.usao !
Ahe democracy in Maine, the democracv ~
my state, don't amount TO a row Of nins
Applause They are the smallest end of a
small paper kite. Applause.
now when this gentleman asks me WHY
the republican party should remain in con.
.roi' Inc republican party brings its fruits and
It's history and LAYS them down at the feet of
the American people and SAYS. These are
my trophies" Applause When the re-
puDlicans came into power there was no
credit in this land. Your Constitution was
trainpled under foot, your flag was spit upon
and the word freedom was a mere mock
cry. The republican party tells YOU that
where chains once clanked there are free
men anu women now. 1t took this country.
conducted 1t through a sea of blood. and
brought 1t out on dry land in 1865 the
grandest nation that God ever gave to man
Applause. 1t has lifted the credit of the
country from the miro where per cent. bonds
sold for Sc to where per cent bonds COM
mand premium. In 1860 no one would
trust us. To-day this government stands not
the peer OF any other government, but higher
than any other government on Gods foot
stool. Applause. This has been brought
about by republican legislation. Take it in
1860. The democrats then claimed that they
were IN favor of specie payments. In
December of that year they pronounced in
favor OF contraction and resumption. 4 few
years pass away, and in 1876 they demand in
their platform the repeal of the .'robber re-
sumption act" They have presented us a
candidate for president. They say he was a
brave soldier, an honest gentleman. and a
statesman. OF Gen. Hancock, personally,
have nothing but kinds words That he was
a gallant soldier do not dispute; but that he
is Il statesman do deny. Why is it that our
democratic friends have nominated Gen.
Hancock: l. it because he was a brave
soldier: That is not the reason. Why
was it: In my Judgment it WAS because
he has demonstrated that he can defy
civil authority and the laws of Congress as
well as any other democrat. In lS67-6s
when Gen. Sheridan was sent to New Orleans
and began to act in accordance with the
Reconstruction Measures" he was opposed
by some of the chivalrous gentlemen down
South. He was relieved Of command by
Andrew Johnson, and Hancock was sent in
his place. Here he behaved SO outrageously
that letter was written by one member of
Congress to another proposing to introduce II
Till to cut down the size of the army and re-
duce the number OF officers, that by so doing
Hancock could be brought to his senses
This letter was written by James A. Garfield
of Ohio. Great applause and cheers. |
Disohedience of Congress has been Hancock 5
stock in trade from that day to this. lie is
the representative of the democratic party ;
he stands with their banner in his hand. In
his letter of acceptance he says that he has
cherished the principles of the democratic
party in the past, and shall cndeavor to main
tain them in the future. Let us see what
principles he represents. In 1864 the demo-
Gratis nominated soldier for president; but
at their convention that year they passed a
resolution declaring the war failure. When
they declared the war a failure they put the
grandest failure of the war on their platform
to demonstrate the correctness OF their logic
Applause and laughter.
In the very first plank of the platform
adopted at Cincinnati in June. they pledge
themselves anew to the doctrines and tradi-
tons of the democratic party. " hat are
these doctrines and traditions of this party !
One OF their fundamental principles was that
the nation was simply league of States; that
the central power was mere agent to
act for the States. One of the traditions OF
the democratic party was that slavery was a
Divine Institution. and rested on the Con-
stitution They held that the central govern
ment had no power to coercc sovereign
state Wncn IL Drtkc tHt III" VI thc epu"tf
Their next plank is opposition to centraliza-
ton. When the rebellion broke out our
Government utilized the centralized power
and suppressed it, They aip to sweep ava,
our banking system. and to repeal the 18TH
I4th and 18th amendments. Gen Hancock
saws in his letter of acceptance, 1.-THE bayonet
is not the fit instrument for collecting the
votes of freemen.' | would go a little
further. ! would also say that The shot gun
and bowie knife are not either Applause
They say they are opposed to a military rule
So are we. They say that they are in favor
of free and honest ballot, and are going to
have it in all parts of the United States
| We'll. think | can suggest one or two places
where they need it. Why, they can steal
! half dozen States down South and no fuss
/ is made about it but il they attempt to
! flch a single commonwealth up North, you
don't like it. Applause understood last
! winter that the democrats tried to steal tht
| State oft Maine. Is that so: Applause, aud
dice 1T is Anyway, that's what We
believe out west The General continued tt
arraiyn the democratic party for some time
! in his powerful way.
In contrasting Garfield and Hancock, IA,
said Our candidate was soldier as wei
| as Gen. Hancock: our candidate Is a man
! ,.:.., -. Al, III ~ Con Hancock lie Is 3