The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-04-29
SENATOR THURMAN
VISITS THE STATE CAPITAL.
Serenade By His NelghbOrs and Few Re-
marks by the Senator. He Does Not
Gene on Fence Repairing Expe.
ditIOn, But Merely to Seek
aLlttle Needed Rest

Columbus, April Ex-senator Thurman arrived
here yesterday from Washington and was escort
ed to the Neil House, where his personal and DO.
| litical friends called upon him during the after
noon and evening. The Senator looks In excel.
lent health and says he has entirely recovered
from his recent illness but feels the necessity Of
few days rest. He will only remain short time
The Senator during the afternoon received per-
feet ovation from his old friends and neighbors,
his room at the hotel being thronged with callers
In the evening Ge was seTenaded at The Neil
House by the Barracks band, and large con.
| course of people assembling, he was called out
aud made a speech Of about half an hour in
length, which was received with the greatest en-
thusiasm by the people, Dewitt c. Jones, esq,
made the address of welcome, In response to
which the Senator spoke as follows:
MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW. .TowNsMEY: II any
one OF you were far away from home and should
| receive a warm and cordial welcome from strau-
gers whom you had never seen, you would feel
| deeply, profoundly grateful for that kind atten.
| tion; but grateful as one may feel tor the kind.
| ness OF strangers there is something much nearer
| the heart in the welcome to his home by ones
friends and neighbOTs, We may be grateful for
pOiteness from those we have never SEEN but
when we are welcomed home by those with
| whom we have dWelt, whom we recognize as our
townsmen now, and with whom we expect to live
as long as life shall be spared, there is feeling
more deep than gratitude, more powerful than
| respect SO feel to night at this welcome which
| you have been so kind to give me and | but fee
| bly, express my emotions when thank you for 1t
| with all my heartand when also return to the
orator who has spoken for you tonight my sincere
| appreciation of his too hattering remarks
| My friendR, as passed through Newark to-day
l purchased Columbus paper and to my great
| surprise found that was expected to make
speech here to night. ISpeak in all sincerity and
| truth when l say that that surprised me, for 1t
| was only yesterday morning that knew could
| come and visit my hOme and had no certainty
al all that you would know that l was coming
and II you did know 1t l had no idea that
| would be expected to make speech, and this
| being the case have not come to Ohio charged
| with speech Qaughter). do not think speech
| from me was at all necessary, came here TO get
little rest after five months intense labor with.
out anv recreation at all, Although eIioying
| fine health needed some rest some repose and
| / came to get 1t among some Of my friends in Co.
lumbus (applause)
| But since you have been told that I would
| speak tonight and have been kind enough to
come to hear me II would be unjust in me not to
say something at least upon the political cues.
| tions, or some Of them, that agitate the country
| You will permit 1t, however, nay friends, to be
| very brief. At no time am l long speaker and
| therefore 1t is but seldom that am tedious
shall speak to you, therefore, very briefly indeed
| but what do say commend 10 your careful
and thoughtful consideration.
Ny friends, it has teen said that every PresI.
| dental election Is crisis In this republic and
though 1t may be doubted whether In the past
that remark is so absolutely true that there was
no exception to it, yet 1t must be admitted that in
later years every Presidential election has been
crisis in oar affairs and no one can tell how long
1t may thus continue to be. But Of one thing
| think we may be absolutely certain, and that is
that the Presidential election Of 1880 will be re.
| garded as long as the history of this eOun
| Try shall be read and studied as a crisis in the
| affairs of the republic.
And why do say thisf am not accustomed,
| II Is not my wont tO magnify things. Why, then,
| do l say that this is a crisis in public affair?
Because my friends In my serious Judgment, the
| election this year will go far to determine wheth
er substantial liberty substantial free institutions
shall longer continue In America.
Judge Thurman then spoke for some minutes
| upon the phrase so often IT peated by the OppO
nents of the Democratic party, that eve need
stronger government" The meaning of this was
| that we should have stronger national govern
menl to rule over the whole people Of this cOun.
! try The people should be cOnented with the
government as 1t has existed for three quarters OF
| a century, under which we have aOurished as no
other people have aourished. There are but two
| modes of giving strength to a governments one
mode is fraught with benifcenCe to the people
and safety, security and prosperity to the State
| The other mode means deSp0tism over the people
| and means ruin and ultimate destruction to the
| State The first Is to constitute your government
and so administer 1t that 1t will challenge and re.
ceive the affection Of the people who dwell under
| II: that they shall not merely obey It, but that
| they shall revere, esteem and love II. govern.
| ment thus supported by Its people, whatever may
| be itB form, however few may be the powers ex.
preBsly conferred upon It, ia one Of the strongest
| governm ents upon the earth, II not the very
| strongest. Such government our forefathers
thought they had obtained for the people of the
| United States, and such government the Demo.
| cratic party has alwas advocated.
The other mode OF ofstrengthening government
ia TO strengthen 1t merely by force by great stand
| ing armies. The point was dwelt on at some
| length and illustrations Of the results Of such
| kinds Of governments were given by reference to
| the rule OF Great Britain over Ireland, the EN-.
| pire Of Russia, etc., The application made OF the
principles underlying these two forms OF govern.
! ment was that the former mode was that by
| which the Democratic party sought TO administer
| the government while the Republican party re.
| sorted to the latter mode.
| He concluded as follows: Now, my friends, in
my judgment the great question which is to be
solved is whether or not the strength Of our gov.
| eTnment shall come from the affections Of the
| people or whether 1t shall be that strength that
| d spots, and despOts alone, employ There Is
much more that might speak to you about OF the
/ necessity of reform of the necessity of economy,
OF the necessity Of lowering taxes and all these
subjects with which you are more or less familiar,
| but promised you that would not weary your
patience and I hope you will not allow me 10
weary myself.