The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-10-30

that Government which our fathers fought
Tor, and gave US, has proved strong enough
throughout century 10 carry the country
triumphantly through foreign war, to put
down the most gigantic civil war known,
to protect the rights aud property Of all.
And for what can this Government Of ours
be made stronger2 There is but one pos
siblc answer to that question. 1t is sought
to make II stronger against you; stronger
to oppress the people, not to save them,
for il has that strength already. II Is for
you to determine whether, on that ques.
tlon, you will vote with those who seek to
change our institutions, or those who seek
TO preserve them as they are.
One other thing. Circumstances we'll.
known to all of you--known to me only
as TO you, for have no special sources Of
iniormation-clearly prove to my mind, as
clearly as anything eau be proved, that,
within very recent period, the adherents
Of what is called the third term party, have
thrown in their fortunes with the candi
date Of the Republican party for the Pres
idency. II that be true, aud | believe il
isl each one Of you can, by exercising your
own common sense aud Judgment, solve
The question as well as ], every mau who
casts his vote for the candidate Of the Re-
publican party for the Presidency casts il
in favor of the third-tcrm principle. If "a
third term, by what principle or on what
ground can fourth be denied2 If a
fourth, why not fifth h?-then Presiden.
cy for life 2 The rest il is better that you
should judge Of, aud look forward to try to
prevent now, aud try to undo before il may
be too late.
am not an alarmist, but as you do, as
you, who have proved ii on so many fields
| love my country. We fought for WHAT
All Of my comrades can answer that ques
tion--to preserve the Union, to preserve
its Constitution, TO enforce the law We
know that one of the greatest evils thai
We could conceive Of was broken, diseor
dant Union; one that would be dashed L
pieces. We saw in the possible Union
continuous war. Thus there may be thing
even worse than that, and of these things
believe that one is change in the Con
stitution Of our country; is long and life
time tenure Of office, one-man power an,
centralized government.
My friends, leave it to you to think Q
these things when you are at home-to re
member the history Of other countries
how this state Of things has crept in il
sidiously. They have never crcpt In i
their true shape.
One word more aud / have done, and
will leave you to better and bolder speaker
than myself 1t is always a fair thing
compare the candidates Of party. Iwi
say very little about that-nothing 10
for as the candidates of our opponents al
concerned; nothing whatever from our ov
points Ofyiew, or from Democratic source
Only that you should all know that
men, and among the foremost and be
men Of their own party, the conduct
these candidates has been officially scrut
nized and judgment rendered All kno
what that judgment is, aud if that jud
ment be true, | ask you how, as hone
men and citizens Of free country, v
can assist in placing at the head Of 0
; ; affairs men whose conduct has been dee
ed so disgracoful by those Of their o,
party2
In regard to our own gallant candida
Il seems almost idle, almost an insult
this audienee-citizens of his own Sta
!, ; soldiers who have fought under him or
his side-it seems almost an insult to 70
intelligence even to speak Of his charactl
His public record has been so clear,
utterly and entirely free from the shadt
Of tain. or flaw, that no one would ey
dream Of explaining or defending it,
there is nothing to explain or defen
There are those of us present tonight, wi
have known him intimately almost fro
childhood, and all Of US can say that b
private character is perfectly in accordan
with all that the public know of him. A
able, gallant and successful soldier, a ma
who bore so prominent part in a gre
battle fought on Pennsylvania soil,
has shown since then, that, unlike tC
many other men, ho did not stop short
military success, but proved beyond th,
that he possessed the qualities Of state
man; he has shown that he understand
the Constitution, aud not only understand
but obeys it. With him the law and III
Constitution are supreme, inviolable, an
he has shown as We all know that whe
chosen to be President Of these Unite
States, in his hands may be trusted wit
the most perfect safety every interest, tn
welfare Of every class, from rich TO poor
from high TO low, the lives, liberties, an,
rights Of all, down to the very humblest i
the land, and that above all the honor 0
this great nation will never be stained B.
him.
SPEECH OF GENERAL sICKLEs.
Gen. Siekles was then introduced. Ate
criticising the character Of Gen. Garfielt
and eulogizing that Of Gen. Hancock b
said
My friends, we have driven the enem,
from one after another Of his intrench
ments, from the solid South cry, from th,
bloody shirt, from the unftness Of sol
dier to be President, etc, ETC., until b,
has at last taken refuge in the last ditch
the tariff. Within the last fortnight il ha
suddenly occurred to the Republican part,
that the whole salvation of this countr,
depends upon the tariff; all its prosperity
viii be destroyed if the Democratic party
with Hancock, come into power, and
therefore, at all hazards, he must Be de
feated.
Well, now, want to be entirely candle
with you. / am disposed to deem that
there is some force in this argument Ii
would be idle to deny that il had no foun
dation. The election Of Hancock would
| presume, seriously disturb the prosperity
ofabout 10000 Republican Office holders
When did the Republican party get pos
session Of the right to open or to shut, at
their pleasure, the fountains Of public
prosperity Did they possess il under
Grants administration in '73-4-5-6 aud I
when distress aud bankruptcy pervaded
the country-when Il seemed to all Of us,
even the most hopeful, that the tide Of
disaster would never turn2 All how il
it, If II be true, IL they possess the power
US from the depths Of ruin,
that they did not place that wand in tho
hand Of Grant, and let him bring back
plenty and thrift to our land2 Holding
Is.e.f.J ....n.- L. IL. a