The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-04-01
A srnlK1NG SPEECH.

A STRlKING SPEECH.
When the Deficiency Appropriation
Bill, which provides 100000 to pay
the general Deputy Marshals was un-
der consideration in the House of
Representatives, General Ewing made
a capital speech of five minutes, being
the time allowed him under the rules.
He said
'These election laws having been
declared to be constitutional by the
Supreme Court of the United States
must be SO treated pro tenspore. say
pro tenapore, because tic public mind
in this country will never accept as
fiual decision on a disputed question
of constitutional law when the decis-
ion is obtained on party division of
that tribunal. We have had, unfOr-
tunately, impressed upon the people of
this country, by the former action of
certain Judges of the Supreme Court
that the fires of partisanship burn be-
meath the ermine just as fiercely as
under the jackets of the people. But
for the time being, these laws must be
treated as constitutional and in say
ing that 1 do not mean that we, as the
representatives of the people, must
vote any sum of money which may be
demanded, or any sum of money at all
fo fhn Of Iar snh
believe to be utterly vicious and dam
eerous to the liberties of the people.
We have two paths open to us. We
may amend those laws by stripping
them of their grossly partisan and dan
gerous features. That is the PROPOSE
ton coming from the distinguished
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Garfield)
by way of compromise. Shall we on
our side accept it, Or shall we rather
tread the perilous edge which we trod
at the extra session? Shall we stand
on that extreme right-a right war;
ranted. admit by many precedents-
a right vindicated by the noblest names
in American political history7 But
let me tell my Democratic friends, and
especially those from the South, that
while the Republican leaders were
able in other days, to call public SYM
pathy in the North to their support in
Withholding appropriations fromlaws
they believed to be mischievous, the
Democratic party have not been suc-
n fn1 anln
We should be taught by the lessons of
past elections that we must place our
selves, in our action here, high above
the cavil and clamor and misrepre-
political capital of the Republican
party for ten years past. A decided
majority of the people of the North
are tired of the Republican party.
That party knows it well. 1t has been
taught by repeated elections that it
has lost the confidence of the majority
of the Northern people, and that it
must retain its relaxing hold on power
by not challenging a candid judgment
on its measures, but by eyading it.
Condemned by public opinion, it has
yet held Oh, and on, and on, to power.
How? By the clamor about 'rebel
; by the lie that the people
of the South mean to renew oppose
ton to our Constitutional Govern
ment, if not openly by secession, then
secretly by nullification. If we now
refuse to strip these laws of their par
tisan character, if we choose rather to
exercise that extreme and heretofore
right in the representa-
tives of the American people to with
hold appropriations from abominable
laws, we will hear the cry of 'nullifi-
cation go up in the next campaign
from every hilltop and valley in the
North. We will find ourselves cut off
from that appeal to the sober judg-
ment of the people, on which we may
rely, provided that judg-
ment be not swallowed up and lost in
sectional passion. I appeal to my
friends to take this COM
promise now, to strip these bad laws
of the fang of partisanship, and when
they shall have ceased to be of special
to either political party
we will be able almost without oppo-
sition to sweep them from the statute
books, and thus return to the old paths
and the good way
The speech evoked great applause
on the Democratic side.