Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-09-17
AttOrney-General Dcyens' Muncie Ind
Speech.


States, addressed a vast assemblage of
enthusiastic Republicans in the Court
House yard, at Muncie, Ind, on the
9th. The following is substantially
what he said;
My FELLow-CITIzENs: / am to-day laboring
with severe cold, aud will deliver TO you but
plain talk. l have plain story to give.
With one exception this is the first time have
ever stood upon platform TO discuss political
issues since the campaign of Henry Clay, and
this is my first appearance in the Held in the
present canvass. Why do come here to talk
to-day2 Because we are citizens of common
country. Nothing else would give me right
to come before you, the people of Indiana. l
come u stranger among you, except one, the
gentleman who introduced me, Judge March.
Although / come before you u stranger, L
know you will hear me, for we are fellow-citt-
zens having the same common interest AL
though your election to take place in October
is one which concerns State officers particu-
larly, it materially Affects tho whole country.
We therefore will not discuss state issues;
will not discuss Judge Porter whom / know
TO be one of the ablest and most excellent
men. Your election | will not discuss, how
ever important il may be upon the Presiden-
tial result. l believe-I know-if Indiana
could get free full and fair ballot she Is IS
overwhelmingly Republican. But there is
dauger. Our opponents are antngonistic to
free and untrammeled ballots. The trainers
of the Constitution so arranged matters that
the people must select tho chief magistrate
every four years, and thus they take up and
discuss as often the political issues anew.
These trainers expected partiesi they made
Government, a Nation, a Constitution. They
Contcm plated that the people should como to-
gether and determine VINO should be their
chief executive. They knew the tenure of
power was short, and after each administra-
tion it would return to the source from whence
It came-to the people. What are the issues
before the peoplel You were, during the last
three years, told that the great issue
would be the so-called fraud by which
Hayes was declared President of the United
States That issue has dropped out in some
way. Even their candidate has not the face
to declare Hayes usurper. That cry was to
cover up other frauds of which they were
guilty am not going over the frauds and
murders perpetrated in South Carolina. They
are enough to make any man sick. The ku-
kluX khan was followed by the mississippi
khan, which was enforced against not only the
colOred man, but any who presumed to vote
the State elections in South Carolina and
Louisiana, the apparent vote showed "a Demo-
cratic majority. When it was shown that
some of these states were not carried by the
Democrats then we were told that fraud was
committed. What fraud could have been
greater than the one committed by this party
in 1876? The official returns show an UNI
doubted majority for the present President,
and the message sent 10y the gallant son of
Michigan, that " Il. u. Hayes has one hundred
and eghty-five electoral votes" was true.
But a deep feud was thus engendered; some
thing must be done to oppose that feeling. 1t
was held by some statesmen to be the DUTY or
the Nice-President, others held 1t to be the
duty of the House and Senate, 10 settle tnls
question, and, If necessary, go behind the re-
turns and declare who was rightfully entitled
to the Presidency. AS an eXpedient bill was
passed creating an Electoral Commission.
The debate, decisions, and passage of this bill
show that the Commission was to have all the
powers which Congress had, and no more.
Like other solemn tribunals, II was 10 Judge
of its own powers If this had not been fully
understood, the bill could not have been
passed. There could have been no misunder-
standing. Senator Thurman, of Ohio, under
stood it just as did Senator Edmunds, of Yer
mont. No one could be deceived by it. Yet
this is the fraud alleged. The present Pres-
dent of the United States had a clear major
report behind the returns. After
the Commission was created the oppos"
tion resorted to new plan to bribe
the commissioners not to go behind the re-
turns. Thus they attempted to decide that the
apparent vote was not the true vote. All these
failed, us did the miserable trick of Oregon
The Constitution of the United States says
the votes shall be opened and counted in the
House of Representatives. 1t is necessary
that some one be vested with the power to de-
clare who shall count these votes, whether the
all admitted that the question was grave.
Then came the question, How shall we deter
mine what rights these tribunals have? The
States vote for President rs states. Now,
gentlemen that sounds like Stae-rights doc
tIine. Well, in so far as that the States have
a right to act, where is the man who would be-
hind the Supreme Court or Returning Board
of the State and still consider himself con-
sistent State-rights man? The Commission
decided in the same way as did the State au-
thorties The present President was declar-
ed elected by every form of law. How it can
hurt his title when every form of law was
with is difficult TO understand. 1t
became ut last an ahsurdity TO maintain the dis
cussion longer. The mass of Tiden's own
party had TO dismiss the mat ter us fairly won by
and due to Hayes. / would not stand here and
m n Ia iqEnag If did n nj
sire you to understand that no man ever stood
with his title more clear than does Hayes.
will now discuss something less historical.
In 1876 the election was attended with great
difficulties. Then business was prOstrated
men were out of work. and this condition of
affairs was charged to the Republican party.
How is it now; Geltlemen, you know how it
is. 1t is nos necessary for me to go into de-
tails, into statistics of our enormous exports,
etc, for you know no people ever enjoyed
greater prosperity. | will not claim this all for
the Republican party, but the party is one of
the agencies. 1t has pressed forward a safe
financial system to the funding of the Nation
al debt. Neither party has a right to claim
the resources of the country as result of its
of affairs. 1t required no wise
head to see the cause of the disaster of 1873
Our speculatiOns trading, wild schemes, and
irredeemable currency had done its work, and
then we had been called upon to pay an enor-
nous debt for putting down Il rebellion. We
could not eXtrloate ourself from this condi-
tton. These disasters occur, us every elderly
man knows every seven, eight, nine or ten
years. We are then called upon to consider
whether or not wise economy Is not neces-
sary. We must endeaVOr 10 get on Il bet ter
and safer plan. 1t was charged in 1876 that the
Republican party had contracted the curren-
cy, when ii had been actually increased $685.
600 900. 1t was said we could eXtricate our
selves by issuing more currency. Thirty mill
ions more was issued, but II did not have the
desired relief. 1t was found that the only way
was to return to specie, the solld basis.
There was our safety. We have done it, and
find ourselves on Il firm foundation. 1t was
not a primrose idea. IL was the result of much
wise financiering by John sherman that it was
SO successfully carried out. The greenback
was promise to pay. 1t stated that the
United States would pay 81, 50, ETC., but no
day was fixed for this payment. The Resump-
tion act fixed the day. Through it the United
States said we Will pay that dollar iii gold or
silver on the first day of january, 1919, 1t was
u bold step TO take, but we steadily pressed
forward. When the present President of the
United States was chosen men reeollected the
discussion he held with Thurman in Ohio on
the same subject and they knew we were
going toward that goal. Every person had
cause to believe that resumption would be ac-
cJmpllshed. Yet John sherman was told
there was not money enough in the world to
pay OF the greenbacks. But the great thing
III his plan was to have currency that could
be redeemed at any time. 1t was known that
there would be rush for redemption for a
few days and only coin sufficient for those
days was necessary AT the meeting of the
Cabinet after the first days resumption we
asked Mr.. sherman, How does it go2 He
turned ana repled; II nave bO,UUO dollars
more in coin now in the Treasury than had
before" This was the result, and the dow of
coin 10 this country has been steady ever
since. When the Republican party has taken
this great responsibility and said public eonfl-
dence shall be restored and this prediction
has proven true are you not willing TO trust it
further in the guidance of National
affairs? Have you not the confidence
still to think the Republican party
has the ability TO conduct the affairs
Of our country? The five and six per cent.
bonds were funded with four per cents, and
the four-per-cents are now ten and eleven
above par. When the Republican party came
into power our annual interest was $94, 900 ,000.
1t is now reduced to $79,0O0,U00 If Congress
had consented TO let us withdraw our six-per-
cent. bonds and substitute four per cent. l
have no hesitation in saying the interest could
have been reduced S9,OO0,0JJ or Sl0,0O0000 an
nually. This credit of the country is felt by
the people in the diminished taxation and pri-
vate matters generally. When the Govern
mcnt pays high rate OF interest, so will indi-
when the public pays a low rate
money can be secured by the private borrow
ers at low rate. L don't know how il is in
his country, but throughout the West in gem
erai men are reducing their debts and interest,
and many poor Isan whose land had been
ncumbered by mortgage by this reduced
rate has been enabled to lift the mortgage.
Ihis Is the effect of specie payment upon our
iebt. ask my Greenback-fiat friends 10 re-
consider the position they have taken, and
consider II these propositions are not true,
and that the true policy is TO always maintain
currency that represents Intrinsic worth.