Morris tribune., 1884-10-01
SCHURZ IN 1850.
His Blistering Arraignment OF the
Democratic Party---A Better
Speech Than He Has Made
This Year.

II
Carl schurz's speech of July 20, 1850,
is full of good reading. He SAID: IN
1854, the fourth year after the ClVi
War, we find the party, in National
convention, solemnly declaring that the
War was failure and must be aDan-
doned. A few months afterward the
triumph of our army was decided, and
the Confederacy collapsed. Had the
Democratic policy been then adop1ea,
the War would have indeed become q
failure and the Union army have gone
to wreck and ruin. -
"When slavery breathed its last, the
Democratic party declared tnat tne
of the country, and must by all means
be averted.
"When, as measures of settlement,
the thirteenth, fourteenth, and ht-
teenth amendments We're passed, the
Democratic party declared them VOID
and entitled to no respect.
"When the Republicans in Congress
had passed the Resumption act in 1875,
and the fruit of the restoration Of spe-
Gle payments was almost ripe to be
plucked, the Democratic party in Its
National Convention OF 1875 thought IL
a smart thing to declare that the very
act passed for bringing specie payments
was an impeachment in its way and
must be repealed"
Mr.. Schurz' IS views of what is required
of a President, and what should have
been his experience in order that he
may be qualified to properly discharge
his important duties, are as true now
as they were four years ago. While
not very complimentary to his candl-
date, Mr.. Cleveland, they apply with
peculiar force to Mr.. Blaine.
ut is a matter of long and varied ex-
perience that unless the President him
self has sufficient knowledge or at
fairs, clear eye to see through argu,
ments and notions, he will
inevitably be run over and fail.
No man who has not witnessed it has
an adequate conception of the furious
pressure the President is subjected to,
especially during the first period OF his
Administration, and that first period IS
apt to determine the character OF the
whole.
ut is of inestimable benefit to an adj
| ministration that the President MIN.
self should have had the experience OF
| active work in legislative bodies, ana
especially in the Congress OF the United
| States"
Referring to the repudiating tenden-
cy, he said:
'aNearly all, if not all, the States that
have repudiated or speak Of repudlat-
| ing their own debts are Democratic
States, with heavy Democratic major,
ties, furnishing Democratic Electoral
votes and congressman. Who will tell
me that it is certain they will be more
conscientious with regard to the Ma
tional debt than they showed them
selves with regard to their own? Have
we right to expect sound financial
policy?"
whether the advocates of the public
faith or the repudiationists, whether
the hard-money men or the imitation
lists, are the strongest element In the
! Democratic party throughout the coun.
try, and which of those elements will
control its policy. ! appeal to you, bus
iness-men, am going too far In say
| ing that all this is dark, and that in
voting the Democratic ticket you will
take a gambling chance, and that
chance being rather against you? Are
you prepared, taxpayers OF the country
to take that gambling chance under
such circumstances"
Will the taxpayers and the business.
men of the country to-day say that
Carl Schurz overcelored the different
elements in and tendencies of the Dem
ocratic party in 1880, and that the dan.
! gers are not as great, and that gam.
bling chance" as small if that party
succeeds next November? But the
most Important part of his speech is
that which gives his ideas OF the kind
of reform the country may expect II
Democracy gets control of the Govern
ment, especially with President who
never had an hour s experience OF "ac-
tive work in legislative bodies" He
said:
"But one thing is certain, that the
Democratic party, in it's fashion, will
reform the civil service. That it will
certainly do; it will do it according tx
an old Democratic principle, To thu
victors belong the spoils.'. That priIn
Democratic party has adhered to il
with a fidelity worthy of the best cause
If there ever was a Democrat, eithel
at the head of the organization or il
the ranks, who has proved recreant tx
that great doctrine, and made prOcla
nation of his opposition to it, [ do moi
know his name. 1t is so closely inter
woven with the traditions of the party
that l doubt very much whether Il
could be abandoned without destroying
the party's existence. All, indeed
when we look at its heterogeneous ele
ments to-day, it is not easy to imagine
any other cohesive power which could
hold them together. WheI
the Democracy, therefore, speaks Of {
reform of the civil service, the meaning
of that term, in the light of history
and of the tendencies at present pre-
yailing, can be nothing else than thai
the reform shall consist in putting Ont
Democrats in their places. What a re
| form that would be-! How the NORTH
and South would shake hands over the
bloody chasm filled with such good
things! 1t is said that at the present
moment, when the Democracy feels
sanguine of success, as it always does
| the most popular work of literature
with Democrats, even with those who
mover read book before, is the Blue
Book, being the register of offices I'm.
der the Government, with salaries at
tached, each active Democrat selecting
his and many the same. No; let no
body indulge in any delusion about it.
A Democratic victory means that the
victors will take the spoils at once, and
this means the complete destruction
for a time of the whole administrative
machinery of the Government, with all
its checks and guards, and the people
will have to foot the bills for the car
niyal. This will be reform of the
civil service that will make the ears of
the taxpayers tingle."
| Mulligan's Mouse.