The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-09-16
Attorney. General Devens' Muncie Qnd. ,
Speech,


General Charles Devens, of Massa-
chusetts, Attorney-General of the United
States. addressed vast assemblage of
enthusiastic Republicans in the Court
House yard, at Muncie. Ind, on the
9th. The following is substantially
what he said:
NY FELLow-CIrIzENs: I am to-day laboring
with severe cold. and will deliver TO you but
plain talk. L have q plain story to give.
With one exception this Is the first time have
issues since the campaign of Henry Clay, and
TINS u my nrst appearance in the neld In the
to-dayf Because we are Citizens of Common mon
country. Nothing else would give me q right
to come before you, the people OF Indiana.
gentleman who introduced me, Judge March
Although come before you a stranger,
sens, having the same common interest. Al
though your election to take place in October
larry, it materially affects the whole country.
We therefore will not discuss State issues;
viii not discuss Judge Porter, whom 1 know
men, Your election will not discuss, how
ever important it may be upon the Presiden-
could get free, full and fair ballot she is
overwhelmingly Republican. But there is
free and 1ntfa%meied n ballots. @ sU The trainers rs
Sf the Constitution SO arranged matters that
sHe People , must must select & the chief MAGISTRATE rate
discuss as often the political issues anew.
GGnsss framer. expected Npss parties; they made %
contemplated that the people should come to-
gether and determine VINO should be their
power was short, and after each administra-
tion it would return to the source from whence
before the peopiep You were, during the last
three years, told that the great issue
HAYES was declared President Of the United
States. That issue has dropped out In some
way Even their candidate mas not the race
cover up other frauds OF which they were
s%sk ann not sSins N ys sons tns huds Tsed sed
are enough 10 make any man sick Tho ku-
kIux khan was followed by the Mississippi
colcred man, but any who presumed to vote
the Republican ticket. By this recourse in
ts yote sso1ed nemo
= cratic majority. when IL was shown that
some Of these states were not carried by the
commiited. what fraud could have been
greater than the one committed BY this party
doubted majority for the present President,
and the message sent by the gallant son Of
and eiGhfy-five electoral votes" was true.
But q deep feud was thus engendered; some
thing must be done to oppose that feeling. II
was held by some statesmen to be the duty OF
duty of the House and Senate, TO settle this
Srns ana % declare sSo ~as rfsssfaIiy ented 9
20 the Presidency. As an expedient bill was
fse debate. decisions, and passage Of this bin
show that the Commission was to have all the
Like other solemn tribunals, it was to judge
Of its own powers II this had not been fully
understood, the bill could not have been
passed. There could have been no misunder-
stood it just as did Senator Edmunds, of yer.
this is the fraud alleged. The present Presi-
dent Of the United States had clear major
Teport s; | behind the % returns. ~ After
the Commission was created the opposi-
ton resorted to new plan to bribe
turns Thus they attempted to decide that the
apparent vote was not the true vote All these
The Constitution of the United States says
the votes shall be opened and counted In the
that some one be vested with the power to de-
House or vice-President. Congress met, and
Then came the question, How shall we deter
mine what rights these tribunals have? The
sentienen. that sounds ike Staie.rishts doc.
trine. Well In 80 far as that the States have
right to act, where Is the man who would be
hind the supreme Court or Returning board
Of the State and still consider himself q con-
dscdsd IN sse same way .. dia the ssass sa
thorities- The present President was declar-
Surf Sis title S ss when @ every w y form Of law was was
complied with is difficult to understand. 1t
became at last an absurdity to mainten the dis
cussfon longer. The mass of Tiiden's own
party had to dismiss the mat ter as fairly won by
and due to Hayes would not stand here and
sire you to underst and that no man ever stood
with his title more clear than does Hayes
In ls3s the he" ELECTION Was attended with great
difhcultteS. Then business was prostrated,
men we're out of % work n and this Sondtiou ion Of
How 10 il now? Gentlemen, you know how II
IL. 1t is not necessary for me to go into de-
etc., for you know no people ever enjoyed
greater prosperity. will not claim this all for
financial system TO the funding OF the Nattou-
the resources Of the countay as result Of it's
head to see the cause of the disaster Of ls7s
Our speculations, trading, wild schemes, and
irredeemable currency had done its work, and
then we had been called upon TO pay an enor-
could not extricate ourseif from this condi-
ton These disasters occur, rs every elderly
years. yea, Nv We are then called upon to CONSIDER
whether or not q wise economy Is not neces-
sary. We must endeavor TO get on bet ter
Republican party had contracted the curren-
cy, when IL had been actually increased $751;
selves by issuing more currency. thirty mill
ions more was issued, but II did not have the
was TO return to specie, the solid basis.
There was our safety. We have done It, and
md ourselves on a f1rm foundation II was
wise fnanciering by John sherman that it was
30 successfully carried out The greenback
un.ed would TO
day WAS nxed for this payment: The Resump-
states said We viii pay that dollar in gold or
silver on the first day Of January, 1879. 1t was
forward. @ T when IL % the present pre- President Of the
United States was chosen men recollected the
eoing toward that goal. Every person had
cause to believe that resumption would be ac.
pay on the sreenbacks. But the great thing
bercdeemed at any time: It was known that
there would be rush for redemption for q
DAYS % % Was nssessaTy. as @ % at the meeting W Of the
asked Mr. sherman, How does il goa He
before" This was the result. and the now OF
since. sine When the Repubiican party has taken
this great responsibility and said public conf
further in the guidance of National
:a to sSn. the not hepa6cs1 panss
has the ability to conduct the affairs
The vtS e s1a sr esn
above par. When the Republican party came
into power our anunal interest was $500 ,0O9
had consented to let us withdraw our six-per-
cent. bonds and substitute four per cent
have no hesitation in saying the interest could
have been reduced $9,0Oo0O or $l0,0O0,000 an
nually. This credit of the country is felt by
the peopfe in the diminished taxation and pri-
yate matters generally. When the Govern
ment pays high rate of interest. so win indi-
viduss when the PS1nG n PAYS ivss low S1rroH rave
ers at q low rate. 1 don't know how IL is In
this country, but throughout the West in gem
eral men are reducing their debts and interest,
and many q poor Isan whose land had been
mcumbered by emortgage by this reduced
This is the effect Of specie payment upon our
debt. ask my Greenback-nat friends to re.
CONSIDER tne position tney nave tasen' e ana
and that the true policy is to always maintain
Q currency that represents intrinsic worth