Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-07-09

Long applause You should elect this man
Tor the Presidency, if for no other reason
than this, that we may Show the sceptic and
doubter that universal suffrage in this coun-
try Is not failure. Applause But, my
friends, | wish 10 call Your attention for
very few moments to the platform upon
which our Democratic friends have placed
their candidate The Republican party
proposes to continue the financial policy of
the past four years. Applause. If | de-
sired to discuss that policy, or to show you
its fruits. think | could not do better than
contine myself to one simple sentence which
read in the morning papers last week 1t
was this The taher Of the census in the
city Of Lowell reports that he cannot find
man in that city who wants work and is un-
employed Applause. Now if any of
you have heard Democratic speech, or
listened to a Democratic prophecy, during
the last four Years, when You heard another
Democratic speech or prophecy, just remem-
ber that one thing, that, in the largest manu-
featuring city of Massachusetts. the census
taker cannot to-day find man who wants
work and who has not got it. Long ap
plause.
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Our friends who have nominated Gen.
Hancock have given us platform contain
ing few gcncralities that do not glitter.
They do not propose or promise single
measure for the benefit of this peoplc-not
one You cannot find in the Democratic
platform adopted at Cincinnati single
measure proposed TO which the Democratic
party pledges itself, and on which it offers
itself to your confidence But Maine, Louis
lana, Mississippi and South Carolina put
their heads together and nominated a candi-
date for the Presidency, and then they pro-
ceeded to declare as their doctrine that free
ballot is the matter beyond all other matters,
and that the Democratic party pledges itself
to secure that. Laughter So, if this
gentleman be elected, you are 10 have in this
country free ballot as exhibited and prac-
tised by the Democracy Of Maine, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana and South Carolina.
Laughter Another thing these gentlemen
propose; They say We are to have honest
| money in the future. and they are for the
preservation OF the national credit. This
solid Sor.th, in which you can scarcely find
State that las not repudiated its bonds
laughter, and from which think but two
or three votes for the last four or five or ten
years have been cast against the schemes for
printing money on q printing press, and
throwing it off among the people us the sole
currency for the workmen of this country,
now come up and say, if their candidate is
elected they propose to have honest money,
leaving. OF course, TO them the definition of
that term. Laughter. | want, however,
us a comment upon this free ballot matter,
to read you an article published since Gen.
Iamptons speech, and since the Democratic
convention at Cincinnati, in the Charleston
Nees, the leading Democratic paper of
South Carolina. says the Nens: Start
a.,
and responsible citizens shall rule, whether
they are nominally in the majority or not,
what course shall the people of the State take
| to make themselves safe and to avoid the
horrible strain Of such elections as the last,
with their uncertainties and manifest un-
| pleasantncsses ~ Now, suppose you un-
/ ders:and the uncertainty was, first, how
/ many tissue ballots weIe needed to stuff in
I the box TO bring out Democratic majority,
and the manifest unpleasantness consists IN
| the unpleasantness of the work for those
who took part in the Hamburg massacre.
/ No, my friends, it is not enough to nominate
u great soldier We want TO know who the
men are 10 whom that brave soldier will be
bound in honor TO commit the powers OF
this government, il We intrust them to him.
! Applause | remember in 1856, when we
nominated Fremont, we had up in Worcester
!
the militia, who, think must have been q
relative OF Mrs. Malaprop, for he always
got his words wrong. After We nominated
Fremont. Gen Devcns went TO this young
gentleman 10 see if he could not persuade
him to support Fremont. well, Mr.
Devens," said lie, Il like Fremont well
enough, il it wasn't for the 'cink' he has
got around him" Well, now, ! think there
are many soldiers who served in the army
of the Potomac, who will he disposed 10
make the same answer. We like Gen.
Hancock well enough, il it wasn't for the
''cuk" he has got around him. Applause.
No, my friends. agree with the Democratic
PLATFORM that the question, above all other
questions in this country, is that of free
ballot We can go through another war if
need be- through another period of depres-
sion, poverty, want and hard times, like
that from which we have emerged; but we
cannot permit the ballot box. by which the
American people express their will, to be
tainted with fraud Loud applause.
have no patience with the men, whether
they are Democratic politicians, whether they
are independent eSsayIsts. or whether they
are Republican doctors of divinity, who
seek to divert the attention of tie people
from this iss,ie. Applause. In 1865 co.
600 fraudulent naturalization papers were
issued in the space of Sven days from two
courts IN New York, and sent in blank
broadcast over the States of New York Con
nrc;icut and New Jersey. You know the
history of the political massacres in Louis
lana lou know the history of Nichsburg.
should like to ask these gentleman, who,
when this question upon which the Amrri-
can people feel 81 deeply is raised by dis
honest politicians for political ends, anu who
declare il is better for the negro that he
should nOt vote, t. answer few questions.
Has there been no massacre ut Nlcksburg
, Did Chisholm die in his bed or WAS he
murdered? Have his murdererj been punish
ed or are they at large: : Was Dixon shot in
the back Were there any tissue ballots
in South Carolina: Was there any attempt
To steal IN entire State government at once
in Maine: iApplsus,.l
ArE THESE rUBIIC pANGEES,
o. ale they up; Gentlemen criticise what
they cal. the speech Of crisis politicians, and
laugh to scprn the Republican speakers
wli,n they Tell You that these things consti-
;utt a dam. 7 to the republic My friends,
the rrpubIc wJi. br IN NJ danger II all the
powers on earth ~hou.d combine 10 make an
assault oil o;lr shores She is in danger only
when her people, under the pressure OF
great temptation Or party spirit, are them
selves tempted To do wrong. Applause
That is what cunsiiiuicSI i crisis ia lis history.
Ii is not the temptesl or the gale, II is the
dry rot which our snip OF State has 10 lear
TAp2lausc. Th,s. gentlemen are blind
guides amt shonll hhc tu hav. one ot
them take llis as h.s tcAt: lc blind
g:.id, ;. wlIp strain al 5;I.it and swallow