The Democratic advocate., 1880-09-04
THE GREAT BOSTON MEETING,
= 1T Es-EluNN WkNE HLIlAN FKH.tIDIN
GEN. BUTLERS POWERFUL SPEECH,

Butler. Many ladies were IN the gallery aud the
81 stephens baud OF music was In the usual place,
but the hum Of the expeetant people almost stilcd
The musicians and entirely drowned their efforts
when Gen. Butler appeared. The platform was
crowded with men who were conspicuous In Demo
cratic circles aud in public life Mr. Albert palms-.
Of Boston, took The chair, Mr. Palmer has been
honorcd BY the Republican party Of Massachusetts
with many terms Of legislative ofiee, and he has
been a popular Republican in his district and has
often presided at Republican mas mectings. He
spoke in substance as follows
When parties change their principles patriotic
men change their parties, cast my first Presiden.
tiai ballot for Lincoln, the martyr I shall cast my
next for Hancock, the great soldier and The great
statesman. Democratic principles have never ceased
10 rule this country, but the Democratic party has
sometimes failed 10 respond 10 the Democratic In.
stinet Il was 50, IN my Judgment in iss9 The
Republican party was born OF DEMOCRATIC Aspira.
tons, cradled in Democratic ideas nursed by Demo.
cratic statesmen and carried 10 triumph by the votes
OF the Democratic masses But In the nillneSs OF
time that Democratic mission has been accomplish.
ed. II has ceased 10 bear Democratic lule and the
fungous growth Of sectionalism whiSh springs rom
is decay has at length provoked the cry from the
people, "Cut il down why eumbeteth Il the groundY
When the Republican party drst sprlng into the
arena, armed for the fight with a party nomlnally
Democratic but actually sectional with weapons ap.
prupriaied from the arnory Of JefersonAn doctrine
Ii declared for everything which II now rcpudiatos
The preamble 10 t drst platform adopted In 1856 at
Philadelphia. declares that is purpose was ITO re-
store the action OF the Federal Government 10 the
principles of Washington and jefferson" aud the
frst resolution declares that the maintenance Of
the principles promulgated In the Declaration Of In.
dependence and embodied in the Federal Consiltu.
fa
can institutions and that the Federal Constitution
the rights Of the stales'-mark that sentence athe
rights Of the States 'sand the union OF the states
shall be preserved" -Four years later, in 1880 at
Chicago, il declared its firm resolve in the fourth
resolution Of is platform. "that the maintenance
inviolate Of the rights OF the States and especially
the right of each State to orier and control is own
domestic institutions according 10 It's own Judgment
exclusively, is essential to that balance Of power on
which the perfection aud endurance Of our political
fahric depend In the same platform 1t denounced
the use of the veto power to override vote Of the
peoples representatives. Fellow citizens. where
does Il stand to-dayi Not on that ground certainly
1t has ceased to talk OF jefferson and has come To
regard @the rights Of the States with a spirit OF
hostility that Is fanateal the spirit OF pernl
eious and malignant sectionalism can make IT, Then
lis orAiors were wont to wake the echoes with dc.
nuneiatons OF Federal power used to enforce a Sec
tional policy Go 10 your Libraries my fellow citi
| aensi and seewhat carly Republicanism had 10 say
when fesieral bayonets formed a square in which
Anthony Burns was marched down state street to be
remanded to slavery, They spoke less contemptu.
ously assure you OF the rights Of the state In that
connection, But the successors Of the men wiz, ,e.
sented the presence OF Federal troops to enforce
Federal laws Massachusetts, soil would have us be-
lieYe to-day that the Union is not safe and that lib.
erty is not secure unless the Federal Government
may encircle every hallot-box with It's strong arm,
and shadow every citizen with a Federal spy Is
| this Republican liberty Are these the principles
Of Jefferson for which they declared In 1856 and
1907 Are these the rights OF the States which they
declared then to be of essential importaneef or is
this the mailed hand of Capitalization, copying from
the pattern set by the third Napoleon with his pre-
feets and subprefeets at every ballot urn and his
! gs'sdarHtTit 10 superintend the yotingg
What else did they declare for In those earlier
plaiforms' For economy in the public service,
against frauds and eorrupaons In the Federal me.
tropolis and the Systematic plnnder Of the public
treasury by favored partisans.7 Brave words were
/ these-Democratie words upon whose falr-promising
wings they mounted to power. Did you hear any.
thing like them from Chicago in May lasi9 No but
you heard instead above the flsetto scream OF sec
tional hatred, the voice Of Flanagan inqulring
hAAA AA1 We ANte ioi u hul lnr tAG uulcNNL And
that is what they there for aDd 80 far as they
aFe concerned Il is what they arc fighting this cam.
pAign for
Mr.. Palmer then reviewed the Chicago and Gin.
cinnati platforms and concluded amid the widest
applause as the crowd recognized how completely he
had turned the tables upon hiI former associates
The momen; Mr.. Palmer stepped forward to intro
duce General Butler what be said was utterly lost In
the general and hearty hnrnAh which went up from
iioor and galleries alike and it was some time be.
fore the General, who stood cool and quiet with a
half smile on his face and bowling from time to time
could make himself heard Aner an exorlium OF
some leugth In which he portrayed the importance
OF clecng President to be in accord with the pop
nlar majority at This time and OF the inuiiity of any
third candidate. General Butler proceeded;
AN history teaches thatlong continuance In pow.
er breeds corruption in the administration Of gov.
ernmental Affairs. That corruption always seeks
perpeinAiiOn and fean change OF administration lest
its wekelness may be detected even not punished
This, indeed has become automatic. and has so
impressed itself upon people that a tradition
clamsd 10 be almoat law, fnds itself In American
pOlitics-thHt nc President, however wise great or
good, eau be safely trusted with more than second
term In Office limo man can be great wise and
good enough to WELD power longer than a second
term. how great. wise and good ought a party com.
posed Of men presumably much less wise aud good
20 b which seeks to be kept in power for a anh tenn
in tune OF peace. What should the thinking voter
say TO such claim for renewed power by such a
party II the party has declared in the most solemn
manner, through most OF its leading journalsaud ali
its sOealied reformers that own administration
had been corrupt under one whom they admitted 10
be is greatest and best man. that his officers and
suboriinaics administered their offices as TO lead
10 widespread defaieation, peeulaiion and abuse Of
public lrassf
I'll this remedial frequent change OF officers snd
party administration--d -deemed under all political
systems which have either IN form or fact ripened
into constitutional government 80 necessary for the
purpose ofpreserving purity Of administration. and
Tor resisting the tendency all governments towards
the despotc use Of power-is ever to be applied In
this country, ought i, not to be enforced nowg The
question viii reeur 10 the cleeior. What vital meas
ure Of policy must give up; what great guarantee
ofthe perpeiuity Of the Government must weaken.
what danger 70 The safety OF the republic do In
woke, 70 obtain this change Of administration which
Is IN ltsef Of necessity great reform II the an.
swer shall be. No Of all these is at iasue In thi.
canvass Is not the necessity for this reform Of itself
sufficient TO the citizen to determine his votef
Having thought out these questions for myself with
careful and, trust, candid desire to ascertain
my duty as eitlzeu having put aside as fur as
possible TO human indrmlly, all hope OF wish even
\ for political preferment which might swerye NV
Judgment, have eume here TO meet you. fellow
citizens face 70 face TO give you the result Of that
thought and deiiberation my part. 40 that those
with whom have been accustomed 20 act in polli.
cal natter shall understand and appreciate some Of
the reasons, al least, which induce me to give nv
voice and vote, 20 avail what they may IN "a yor or
change in the party policy that has governed the
United States iorthe last four years That my words
may have all the weight they can or ought 10 have.
LEI me promise BY saying that am not. and shall
not be- candidate or aspirant for any ofce. ciec
tive or appointve, at this election or under the in
coming administration. that my vote will be the
freewi offering Of patriotic duty when /, shall be
given 70 my comrade-in-ams in the war for the
preservation Of the Union, the tried and loyal SOL
der and patriotic chieilain. Gen. Hancock In do
ing 80 shall neither detract from nor add one tot or
title 70 that declaration Of principles which has
been my guide in political hfe-equal rights. equal
powers, equal burdens. equal privileges and equal
protection 70 all men hy law under the Government
The realization Of these Is true Democratic govern
ment They are true RepublIcanIsm. Without
their falhlnlent This Republican government cannot
be preserved, and without them ii would not bo
worth preserving. have examined with care the
platform ofprinciples enunclated by the Democratic
party Of Cincinnati. aud ! End nothing therein to
contfavene them Indeed, they are more distinct
lg set forth therein han Ia fha ,.I..e.-... - "a.