Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-10-20
JOHN SHERMAN At CHICAGO.

JOHN SHERMAN At CHICAGO.
The Talented Secretary Addresses an
Immense Gathering of People.
The Pending Issues Discussed in an Able
Manner.
CHICAGO, October l4.-The Republ-
can demonstration in honor of Hon.
John Sherman, secretary of the treasury,
tonight, was very large and enthusias-
! tic. The Garfield and Arthur clubs of
the city were out in force, with torches
and bands Of music, making fine ap-
pearance. The meeting was held at Nc
Cormick's hall and was presided over by
Hon. N. X. Fairbank. Preliminary
speeches were made by the chairman aud
Franklin McVeagh. At a quarter before
8 Secretary Sherman, accompanied by
General Logan and Hon. G. B. Farwell,
entered and took a seat upon the plat
form. His appearance was the signal
for loud applause. The secretary said:
l accepted with difdence the kind invitation
of your Republican committee to speak on
political matters in this great city of Chicago.
The time fixed WAS Immediately after the Oc-
tober elections. AS Ohio and Indiana, your
neighboring sister states, Immediately connect
ed with you in history and geographical associa-
tions, were to be the scenes of preliminary con-
tests; it might lave been embarrassing for me
to participate in that CANVASS and take part in
yours But these preliminary contests are over
and the presidential election is transferred from
the October statoe to each and every state il.
the Union. The drift and current of public
opinion, though very hopeful for the Repubh-
can party, Is not so decisive but that the people
of every state must now diligently and actively
take their part in the great canvass this fall,
which in my Judgment is of greater Importance
than any since the election Of Abraham Lincoln
in 1860. 1t is the turning point which will
settle for many years the ascendancy and drift
of policical events. The times are auspicious
| for the independent action of each individual
voter. As Republican, earnestly devoted to
the principals and policy of the party, but no
doubt biased by my long association with it, I
am entirely willing to rest my hopes for success
upon a comparison by the Independent, intelli-
gent voters, of the principles and conduct of the
two parties.
The secretary then discussed the issues m
volved in the pending contest of strength be-
tween the Republican and Democratic parties
of to state rights and national supremacy. He
pointed out that the Republican party stands
upon the principle that the laws Of the United
States operate upon the people and should be
enforced against the people and i'll their favor;
that the Democratic party opposes this view,
! seeking to belttle, degrade and cripple the ma
! tional government. It is a grievous mistake to
say that this dispute about national and state
rights is obsolete. 1t is in theory and practice
! as active in the south as ever. The southern
Democratic party nulliies the constitution and
| low fbo oil of 1o Of
agree with the local opinions Of those states,
and the Democratic party Of the north is now,
as in the days Of Buchanan: mere tonder to
the south, animated by its old rivalry with the
Republican party and by q hope of public
phlnder in division of the spoils of office. If
ecutive branch of the government it will COM
plete its capture of all its powers, and will then
restore its policy by the humiliation and degra-
dation of national rights and authority. No
man can vote wisely unless he understands fully
this fundamental difference between the two
great parties.
! He discussed in somelength the evils wrought
to the country in past years by the practice of
| state rights, and the attempt to extend slavery
under tho workings Of that doctrine. The Re-
publican idea on national supremacy has been
repeatedly sustained by the courts, and by the
Supreme Court of the United States, and by the
results of ti1e civil and by tho result OF
twenty years of Republican administration,
which Las put our nation for the first time
among the leading powers of the world, and has
developed the resources, the credit and prosper
! ity of the whole country to an unexampled ex-
: ocratic success. He never could hear and read
of southern outrages against the freedman with
out Indignation and q sense OF shame that this
great government OF ours, SO powerful in all
things else, seems to be so emasculated IN deal
! ing with this cruel wrong to millions of unof.
$
the right to vote and the right to learn. Sooner
OF later their rights will be restored as g,1aran-
teed by constitutional amendment. But this
restoration can never come except at the hands
of the Republican party. The law as it stands
will, if enforced, put an end to the tragic over
throw Of the political rights and privileges of the
colorcd men of the south.
He then took up i'll turn the question OF
national against state money; the laws OF pro:
tcctions; resistance to the collections of internal
revenue; compared Republican and Democratic
administration; discussed resumption, reduction
of tho public debt and expenses. and showed
that under the present administration the
revenues of the government had been so hon.
estly and faithfully collected that the vast sum
of $685., ,OO0, 600 taken in three years has been
collected with the least loss to the government
that has occurred under any administration.
On the contrary, under Democratic rule, the
loss was so large that it became scandal
Under wise policy, exports have risen to
tremendous value, and the balance of trade has
been steady in our favor of late. Immigration
srapidly increasing. He said:
How can you improve this happy condition of
affairs by the election of the Democratic ticket,
which as sure as fate will, as far as it's power
tablsh policy directly opposed to that adopted
by the Republican party? 1 have already
shown that the Democratic party, from its
principles and history, is opposed to our ideas
Of honest money, protection Of American indus
try, and of the prompt and honest payment OF
the public debt and reduction Of interest; and
yet notice a card signed by several gentlemen.
some of whom know by reputation as wealthy
business men of Chicago, who say that it is an
insult to their common sense to say that the
change proposed would be injurious to the
business of the country, and tend to check the
advancing tide of prosperity, which now is COM
ing upon us with a flood. Now, there has not
party gained possession of the government,
where the election of the Democratic nominee
would not have greatly affected and endan-
gered the business interests of the country, and
in some cases it's safety and very existence.
But what reason do these gentlemen give for a
What single interest to advance? They do not
pretend this administration has been faulty or
wrong or dishonest. or that it has not success
fully administered and advanced all the
great business interests involved. But they
say that ga change of administration is
desirable after lapse Of twenty years, even
we're the party welding power less guilty OF
faults than the party now in possession appears
to be. It is time to take an account of stock by
agents who have not been handling the trust SC
many years.. This phrase of the shop, "tak'
ing an account of stock" is scarcely applicable
to the affairs of this great government, for all
accounts are public. They are and have been ac'
cessible to both houses of congress. Every defal-
cation is openly proclaimed and every act is nee
essarily made public. Democratic committees
have explored the recesses of the treasury and
find no fault or wrong OF defalcation. Every
business interest has been subserved. They
dare not propose a single change; yet these men ne
of Chicago, having no fault to find with the
present administration, can give no reason why
they should vote the Democratic ticket, except
that they want q set of hungry Office holders tc
" take an account of stock "a doctrine SO il
logical that must confess my surprise to see il
come from business men. It smacks more OF
the low politics of New York city than the busi'
ness habits of thrifty merchants. Who COM
pose this hungry horde of Office seekers to whom
they wish to trust the affairs of the government:
He would like to have the twop parties compared
and the question was answered.
After referring to the candidacy Of Gems: Gar
field and Hancock, he concluded as follows