Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-10-08

mentatlv6 UiscusHlsn OF the Issues OF VI
Hour.
A large and enthusiastio meetiD
Of the Democracy Of Los Angelo
gathered last night in front G
Downsy Block, to listen to an ad
dress on the national issues by ex
Gov. VIM. Irwin. The balloon,
was thronged with ladies and thei
escorts, the arcade was filled to re
pletion and the wide expanse il
front of the stand was blockade,
by the multitudes of Democrat
who had assembled to do honor t,
one of the best and most homes
Governors California has ever had
Judge O'Melveny presided, witt
the following list of officers:
Vlce.Presidents - Ex-Gov J G
Downey, Joseph Mullally, DR. Johr
8 Griffin. E H Workman, DIR J
Crawford, J 8 Chapman, ] d Bick.
nell, Judge Sepulveda, L J Rose, L
H Titus, w Broaded, J B Hollo.
way, Wallace Woodworth, B Drey.
fus, v Montgomery, Levi Fickus,
John Hopper, Jesse Avise.
Judge O'Melveny on taking
the chair made few remarks, and
introduced Ex-Governor Irwin.
After o brief introductory he be-
gan history of the action of par.
ties during and since the war,
showed the object of the recon.
structi0n act to be the strengthen.
ing of the Republican party by the
accession Of the negro vote. Every
effort was made to teach the ne
grOss that they must not affiliate
politically with their old masters.
Carpet-bag governments were or
ganiZed all over the South, and
enormous State debts were created,
amounting, in the aggregate, to
over a thousand millions of dollars.
Is it any wonder, he asked, that
the Southern people combined
against such wrongs, and that a
"Solid South" was the result?
Prior to each Presidential election
the Republican party, in their
press, and on the platform arraigns
the psOple Of the South as
guilty of all crimes on
the calendar. This they still
continue to do, and the South
continues solid. On the question
Of the currency, the tariff, and on
corporations, there Is as much diff.
ference of opinion at the South as
ut the North. 1t Is the mission Of
the Democratic party to abolish
sectionallsm. The men who lead
the Republican party know that
the men of the South have as much
honesty and honor as they them
selves possess. They know that
when the war closed the Southern
people laid aside all thought of u
separate Confederacy, and that
they arc as honest In their avowals
of loyalty to day as are the men Of
the North. The men In Congress,
Northern Senators and Represent.
atives, know that their fellow men,
bers from the South are MS honest
as themselves, and as much inter.
ested in the welfare Of the
entire country. The Democratic
House has been called in derision
the House of Rebel Brigadiers; but
since the Democrats have had pos.
session of the House there have
been but three questions on which
there have been strict party votes:
First-The Democrats voted in fa.
yor Of repeating the law that ex-
oluded from the jury box those
who participated In the war Of the
rebellion. The Republicans voted
against repeal. Se0ond-The Dem
ocrats voted against the use Of the
United States soldiers at the polls,
and the Republicans favored this
interference with the freedom of
elections. [Mr. Irwin argued this
question at considerable length,
showing clearly the great danger
to free Institutions In the enact
ment Of such laws. He read from
the message Of the President Veto
ing the repeal Of the law to prove
his position that elections should
be free from such interference. He
quoted David Davis's opinion that
the days OF the Republic are mum.
bered II the people even consent to
place the ballot-box under the pro-
lection Of the bayonet, and read
also from the writings of Webster
and Seward to prove that the mill
tary should be in strict subordina-
tion TO the civil power, quoting
also from Blackstone on the same
subject. Third-Thero was divi-
sion Of parties IN Congress on the
act to repeal the law which pro-
vides for the selection OF Deputy
Marshals to aid In conducting cleo
tions where members of Congress
are to be chosen. He said that II
Congress may cOnstitutionally
pass such u law, 1t Is a power
which no Congress ever ex.
ercised from the time OF
Washington until the advent OF
the present Republican party. The
idea, he said, is nOnsensical In Its
character; it assumes that the peo-
pie are not to be trusted. The came
men who conduct elections for Con
gressmen control those also fol
President, and the law was a device
to put 1t In the power Of q Republic
eau Executive to control the cleo
tions. Garfield proposed an amend.
mept to the law which provided
for the appointment of Marshals
by United States Judges, aud when
the Democrats found that they
copld not repeal the law they ac
oepted this amendment; but the
Republican stslwarts tbpunced''
Garfield, and when the bill came
up he voted against his own prop
osltion.
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
The speaker said: II am a green
hackar In q Rertaln aanaa and to 8