Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-28
The Sneech of Carl SchurZ.

and elaborate speech, which was listened
to by one of the largest and most lnteih
gent audiences ever assembled in that
city. Though the hall in which the as
semblage was convened was capable OF
comfortably seating 5000, there were hun
dreds who were Obliged to occupy all the
available standing room, and TINS large
audience was composed mainly OF voters,
business men, merchants, young men and
q very large proportion were Germans
The speech, like most of Mr.. SCHURz's
efforts, was not of character to elicit
vociferous applause, but it was candid,
thoughtful, dispassionate, convincing and
very able review and vlndication of the
acts and accomplishments of the present
National administration, a comparison of
the merits of the candidates now before
the respective parties for their sutfrages, a
picture of the anomalous, inharmonious,
contradictory, antagonlstic views which
are held by Democratic leaders in the
North and South, q caustic exposition of
their doctrines on civil service reform,
their main principle being, "to the victors
belong the spoils," the harmful and de-
structive effects of the ascendency OF such
principles, and a triumphant defense of
the soundness and benefcence of Repub
lican principles.
By no means claiming perfection for
the present Republican administration, of
which he was part, he thus sets forth
some of its achievements:
1t has maintained the public faith and raised
the credit of tne United States to a point never
reached before. 1t has with consistent energy
followed policy relieving the country of the
evils of an irrational and dangerous money sys-
tenn, and greatly promoted the prosperity of the
people by the restoration OF specie payments. 1t
has funded enormous masses of the national In
debtedness at a lower interest, and thus saved
many millions a year to the tax payer. 1t has
faithfully executed the laws with a conscientious
observance of sound constitutional principles.
BY its fidelity to these constitutional principles
Ii has removed many obstacles which stood in
the way OF friendly understanding between the
different sections CT the country and different
classes of the people. 1t has, under trying cir
cumstances when the public peace was disturb
ed by riot and violence on the part of numerous
class of citizens. greatly aided the restoration of
ployment of the limited power at It's command,
without In any case resorting to doubtful
sbesee IN he nSbs service bShr
sense of duty in Its different branches, raised It's
moral tone increased its efficiency, punished dis
honesty, and kept the service unsullied by the
tegrity.
think I can say without exaggeration that
these achievements will stand unQnestiOned in
history by all air-mipded men. Withal the coun-
try is on the whole in good condition. The people
are Hsaess Is reyng our
muneratlve employment; the government enjoys
the confidence of the business community in
rare degree. as our financial management has won
the confidence of the whole world. Every body
sees reason to look hopefully into the future pro-
vided the conduct of our public affairs remains as
good as 1t has been.
In comparing the two parties and their
candidates, he says:
To speak In all candor, 1t appears to me that
the DEMOCRATIC party labeFs under historic as
downfall and disappearance of the slave
power as compact 1s political inter
es fban t which the party
morals Its logic, its political skill and statesman
ship that party has been foundering about, out
day; never knowing the time Of day; Away
looking for something to turn up, spelling it +;
lamely tagging in the rear OF the events and re-
Quirements of the day; always behind; de-
nouncing as impossible things that were already
accomplished facts; with strange incapaci,y
to understand the present and to measure the
future, making itself the recipient and raliying
point for all dangerous and obstructive tenden
cles aud elements, and thus committing blunder
after biunder, which st the moment of their birth
it uniformly gloried In great strokes of policy,
from the secession movement in 1861, down to
the nomination of Gsneral Hancock in 1890.
There are many good and clear-hesded men in
the Democratic party, men whom personally
esteem and whose friendship l value, who de-
plore this condition of things as much as dc,
but are unable to control the obstreperous ele-
ments and tendencies of the organization, and to
fit it for the tasks and responsibilities of govern
ment.
Looking back to the year 1864, the fourth year
of the civil war. when the Southern Confederacy
was near the total exhaustion of it's resources,
we find the Democratic party in national conven-
ton sulemny declaring that the war was fai ure
and must be abandoned. few months after
ward the triumph OF our arms was decided, and
the Confederacy collapsed, the rector ion of Iu-
Union was assured, and the Democracy was
forced to acknowledge that the war had been q
success. The Democracy had proclaimed i!s de-
spair of the republic just at the time when the
eTdeat to o. ev eg epe that asd r IS
policy been then adopted, the war would have in
deed become failure and the Union have gone
to wreck and ruiz.
Coming down to more recent history, when the
Republicans in Congress had passed the resump-
ton act IN 1875. and the fruit of the restoration
OF specie payments was almost ripe to be plucked,
the Democratic party in its national convention of
1876 thought 1t smart thing to declare that the
very act passed for bringing specie payments was
an impeachment in its way and must be repealed.
And who Is there to deny now that, had the act
been repealed under the pressure of all the inf1a-
ton elements in the country. the confusion of
our financial policy necessarily ensuing would
have prolonged the evils OF an 1rredesmabie pape r
currency under which we were then suffering? L
need not accumulate further examples to show
how incapable the Democratic party proved itself
to understand and appreciate not only the i'm
mediate requirements of the times but facts that
had been virtually accomplished, and how it's
greatest efforts were directed to the end of OBJ
structlng things that had become inevitable, and
xrhf ord fGolF 1alio 70
NIT good.
And now. in this year OF 1880, when the war is
sues are fairly behind us; when by Its concili-
atory spirit and its strict observance OF Consttu-
tional principles, the government has removed q i
the elements OF dtscord between the two sections
which 1t 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 peep look. above all things, for en-
lightened practical craftsmanship that well un-
derstends the questions it has to dealswith to
foster and develop that prosperity; now the DEM
ocratic party knows nothing better TO do than set
aside all It's statesmen of known and settled
opinions, political experience and training and