Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-10-09
A Short Speech by Gen. Logan.

On arriving at the State-Fair grounds
at Wheeling. West Virginia, Gen. Logan
found an audience of 10000 awaiting his
presence, the multitude breaking into
deafening cheers as the distinguished
Tisi or was recognized. The meeting
was called to order by Chairman Cow
den Of the State Committee. who named
Col. Andrews of Ohio and the Hon. w.
P. Hubbard of West Virginia as Joint
Chalrmen. The latter gentleman intro
duced Gen. Logan, who spoke to a
mass Of humanity acres in extent.
The General began by eulogfzing the
veterans under whose escort he was say
ing: 10 these tattered flags, worn
threadbare in the service of our country,
l bow IN humble reyeence" Passing to
contrast OF the two great parties he
said: The two great parties that now
present themselves before the American
people and ask that they be Endorsed
and sustained, have made their his
tory IN time past, and are co0tinu-
ing so to do to-day. So far as
the Democratic party is concerned. and
say 1t without DIES ring to give offense
to any person present, for the last thirty
years it has never originated nor advo-
Gated a solitary M assure to which a true
young men present to-day, in such large
numbers, allow me to say that the dem
ocracy has nothing in its past history OF
present promises calculated to command
your respect or your votes. If it has
done any such act or made any such
promise, IA Gods name give due credit
for it, tor democratic virtue is the
rare>G thing under the sun. Finish your
examination of the democratic record
and then contrast it with that @f the re-
publ can. Prior to 1860 England die
tated- the policy of America. Under re-
publican rule we have since that time
managed our country to suit ourselves
This has not altogether pleased our cous-
ms az ross the sea, but it has proved en-
inently satisfactory to our people, and
above all to the great cause of Ameri-
can labor"
The general then went into the tariff
question, contrasting the condition OF
the country from 1882 to 1887 and from
1S41 to 1857, W hen free-trade was the
policy, wi the tWenty-four years sue
ceeding 1860, when the republicans put
protective measures into operation.
Passing to the cry Of the democrats for
a change he said: I'm 1860 these states
men who are advocating a change
turned the Government over to the re-
pubGcans and without sufficient credit
to borrow $50, 100000. That was the net
result o. thirty-seven years Of Democ-
racy Now after twenty-fOur years of
republican rule our treasury is in a
healthy condition, and our credit is the
best in the world Again, what are
the democracy clamOring for? What
great ideas of government are they
championing? Why my friends I car
almost repeat every democratic speech
have heard for the last tH enty years
The orators and sO-called statesmen are
silent as to their own policy, but are
very prolific Of criticism as regards us.
And [ tell you here, that party that
seeks to live upon criticism Of its OPP
pOnents without showing its own ca
pacitY and craftsmanship is, in my hum
BILE opinion, taking food on which it is
impossible to sustain life"
Abiding to Hendricks assertion that
there was a surplus of $400.000,000 in the
treasury, Gen. Logan said: eff Mr.. Hen
bricks does not know better than that
he is not fit to be Vice President, and if
he does know better he is not telling the
truth The Generals speech was pune
tuated with applause, while several allu-
sions to Cleveland were received with
dead silence. He was followed by ex-
Senator Clayton, and afterwards by
Gen. Golf, at the conclusion of whose
speech the meeting adjourned.