Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-09-06
SPEECH OF
Hon. George W. asddes
At NorwaIk, Ohio, Aug. 18th.

County Convention last Saturday. DR.
S. Kellenger, Chairman Of the conven.
ton, introduced Judge Geddes. The
Judge was received with prolonged
applause, his popularity in this district
being shown By the fact that he is the
only Democrat that has carried Huron
County in thirty years. The Judge
addressed the convention as follows:
Frequent settlements is principle
as essential in a political office as in
private and personal matters. This
principle, introduced by the founders OF
our Government, has been unwaver.
ingly adhered to by the Democratic
party throughout its history. This
brings US together to-day. Your pub.
lie servants and those you seek to make
your public servants are expected and
required by you to meet you in public
and make known their views in rela.
ton to public affairs. We have in
this country two great political par.
ties, with principles vitality different
whose policy and principles should be
carefully weighed and considered
when naturally and honestly differing
in relation to them. The Democratic
party has always been for equal laws,
the right of majority to govern, the
greatest good to the greatest number.
and for economy in the administration
of public affairs. Those fundamental
principles we seek to apply at the pres
ent time. Now, while there is no vari-
ableness or shadow of turning in fun
damental principles men who must be
used as instrumentalities to apply them
do change; hence it is said politics
sometimes make strange bed.fellows.
1t is quite common TO hear Republican
leaders indulge in self-adulation, de-
claring great credit and glory by ref
erence to the early history of the Re-
publican party, but this hardly justl
ies the boastiug of present leaders,
when we remem Der that Greeley Chase,
Doolittle, Trumbull, Governor Curtin
and host of worthless whose names
are recognized as founders of the Re-
publican party, all of them abandoned
the organization joined their fortunes
and their hopes with the Democratic
party.
On the other hand we find Long
street, Mosby, Malone, Chalmers and
list of like characters deserting the
Democratic party, and not only lead
ing, but giving character to the Re-
publican organization.
The Democratic party has excited
much criticism by the Republican
leaders. They are hard to please. l
recall the volumes of severe criticisms
suffered last fall because it was said |
had voted the Democratic ticket too
long. l had adhered to the party
through its darkest hours, even to the
support of Vallandigham. Now they
complain of our distinguished stand
ard bearer that he has not voted the
Democratic ticket long enough, and
did not vote for Vallandigham.
Laughter. So you see how it goes.
They are like man in my county
they tell a story on, who, when he
visited town, drank a little too much.
On his return home, as he approached
his house, he saw no light, and sus-
pected that his wife had gone to bed.
He said: "Now Bessie has gone to
bed, and hasn't anything for me to eat
I will wallop her." But in moment
he saw light, and then said: "The
extravagant thing is sitting up till this
hour of the night burning oil. Now,
I'm bound to wallop her."
Manifestly the interests of the peo.
pie require a settlement of books in
our national estate. Half the time the
Judiciary power of the country has
been employed in prosecutlng-trying
to bring to punishment acknowledged
thieves of public moneys. The futile
prosecution Of Dorsey, Brady and the
Star Route plunderers appeal to the
intelligence of the people for change
in Administration. Applause.] For
many years the spirit of the Republi-
can leaders has been in favor of boun.
ties, subsidies, Government aid aud
class Legislation, which has built up in
our land monopolies in every form.
Our forefathers were wisely jealous of
the orders of nobility of primogeniture
and entailed estates, and provided in
our Constitution against them; but in
modern times, mainly within the last
twenty years, there has grown up in
this country an uncontrolled, prejudic.
ed class in the form of corporations,
and how they are to be kept in just
bounds, kept from absorbing the agri-
cultural interests, dues of honest labor,
is one of the questions of the hour.
These leading corporations were Great.
ed by the Government; built up and
sustained by land-grants and subsidies,
but they have grown in power and in
fluence until they can almost defy
their creator. These corporations are
not only dangerous, as they affect pri-
vate pecuniary interests, but are alarm
ing in their influence upon the politics
of the country.
Jay Gould, who heads the company
that has just conquered its employees,
does not content himself with such
victories. He enters the political field
at all points. and looks after the cleo