The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-08-31

Constithtioa, and when rdBolved to its
last analysis il means simpk tAis: That
man shall enjoy the laree& measure Of
freedom that ID possible an1 compatible
with his security and che upbuilding OF
society. [Applause.1 4hee ether school
teaches Ms, and tsught The people thea,
that the people were nat q be trusted,
and that it i necessary fortheir security
and protection to lodge ii the hands Of
their government . largo amount of
power, in order to relieve tEe people from
the task of governing themselves, and to
that doctrine never can sIbscribe, and /
believe to-day, notwithstaading all pro-
fessions of the Republican party to the
contrary, that il is the nataral successor
of that old, worn cut party of 1898,
which advocated q stroAg government
and the taking away from the people
large portion Of their rights and vesting
it in irresponsible rulers fGreat ap-
plause. Now, my fellow-citisens, / know
that the opportunity il not offered TO the
laboring man to study these questions
for himself, and that il aat times nec-
essary for him to repoae a-certaih measure
of faith in public men who have the op-
pOrtunity to do 30, but / eay Chat the pop
ular heart of this country lie 90 alive to
its true interests that it can always tell,
upon the mere presentation of the ques-
ton, whether particular party Is for the
people or against them. We have before
US to-day, contend
THE IDENTICAL ISSUES
which have ever charactized the contests
between the Democracy and its enemies
You have the Democratic party to-day
advocating the largest measure of freedom
for the citizen, and the Republican party
in Congress and out of it advocating q
strong military At the polls,
election laws and the exercise of those
despotic powers which from time imme-
mortal have ever marked and distin-
guished despotic governments. The Dem
ocratic party, acting up to the principles
which have laid down, has always said
that the people were capable, in govern
ment like ours, of regulating their own
affairs hence, my tellow-citizens, we have
been opposed to the establishment of elec-
tion laws under which the authority of
the General Government at every Con-
gressional election may interfere at the
voting places of the people of the States.
| ask you why can not the Republican
party afford to do what every other party
did for eighty years, by our history
leave the regulation of the election of the
people to the people themselves? +? For
nearly ninety years such q thing was
never heard of in this country as Fed
eral Supervisor or a Deputy Marshal at
the polls to tyrannize over the people, in
timidate adversaries, and practice every
thing which might be necessary to secure
the advantage of the party to which they
belonged. The Democratic party for
eighty years never found it to be neces-
sary nor desirable to have
DEPUTY MARSHAL TO WATCH OVER
the popular mass of America. Never |!
Because, l say, It was acting in accord
ance with the principles of Thomas JEFF
ferson, who had full faith in the people
and did not want to bind them down to
these severe laws, such as we find in ope-
ration in the despotic countries of Europe.
But how is it now? This new power
which is constantly increasing its anthor-
ity and constantly taking away from the
people what belongs to them has passed
| thCCO Ia AZ 10 nOt WlAIuE w Iu6t JuC
masses. 1t says they are dishonest. 1t
says they will commit fraud, and it must
set over them lot of catch-pennies at
FIVE dollars day to gather up votes and
advance the interests of the peculiar or
ganization that has appointed them. 1t
is a well-known fact that nearly every
Deputy Marshal appointed from time to
time by the party in power, to watch the
elections of the people, are there for the
purpose of getting votes for their own
organization and to intimidate and keep
AS MANY DEMOCRATS AS POSSIBLE FROM
VOTING.
In the election of 1879, in New Orleans,
in order to carry out their nefarious pur-
pose, the Republican party vassals issued
ten thousand warrants in one day, against
the most reputable citizens Of that great
city, and had them arrested-in order to
do what In order to prevent them from
voting, because, while there was no charge
against any of these men, they drummed
up false aHidavits, and while their cases
were pending they could not vote. And
the day passed away. After the election
was past they were all dismissed without
any investigation whatever. Now this
goes to show the object and the purpose
Of this party in advocating q stretch of
authority On the part of the General
Government beyond what we were accus-
toned to in the past They know that
they are q minority party. They know
that the voice Of the American people to-
day is against them, for in the election of
1876 the American people, by popular
majority of 2s6, 1000, declared that they
had no more use for that party. [Great
applause Now, my citizens, being
minority party, and having no way to
keep itself in power, by the voice of the
people, it has restored to this means for
the purpose of perpetnating itself
NO PARTT THAT HAS CONFIDENCE
in the popular viii, no party that feels
that the majority Of the people are with
it, ever can have an occasion for invoking
these policies and putting in operation
these measures advocated by the Repub-
lican party. The reason why the Demo
cratic party never advocated them is be-
cause it always hsd majority of the
people with it, and whenever that ma
Iority changed il never desired 70 resort
to these unjust and disreputable measures
which the Republicans have resorted to
to perpetuate their power. But they tell
you they are anxious about honest cleo
tions. They are anxious for fair count,
| L. H x