The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-09-20
SENATOR SHERMAN.
The Past and the Present-The Demo.
cratic Policy i'm the South.

Senator Sherman recently delivered speech
at Ashland, Ohio. The Senator began by stating
that the older he became the freer he was from
partisan pride. He then briefly reviewed the his
tory of the Republican and Democratic parties,
and said:
Those Of us who have lived through the
period of this struggle and growth can realize
by single glance OF memory from the present
TO the past the great and beneficial change
which has been produced in the United states
since the Democratic party was in power, but
those OF you who are about to assume the relns
of government will appreciate this change more
by reference to some figures taken by me from
the statistics of the last census. From 1860 TO
1850 our population increased from 81. 100000 to
TO 100000, more than 5S per cent. Inc num-
Der of manufacturing establishments increased
from 10000 TO 253,o00. The capital employed
in manufactures increased from 81 ,009 OoO,OOe TO
s., ,709, 900 0O0 or nearly three-fold. The number
of hands employed in manufactures increased
from 1,3ll,O 600 to 2,73S 600, or more than double
The wages paid to iaborers increased from
S379, ,000 600 to S94S oCn 600, nearly three-fold
The value of material used in manufactures IN
more than three-fold, and the value of products
from sl,S55,o0G,0 to s5,S69, 600, or about
three-fold.
But this enormous improvement in our con-
dition is not confined to manufactures only. lt
extends to agriculture and other pursuits as
well The number of farms in lS6O was 2,044,-
o0o, while in 1880 it was 4,o9s, 600. The number
of acres in farms increased during that time
from 4O7 0Oo, 600 to 536 000, ,000 and their value
increased from s6,600,000,o00 to $l0,l970Oo,ooO,
while the products of farming increased from
$246, 0,0o0 to S4o6, 100000.
In 1860 we had 30,6s5 miles of railway. In
1880 we had s4,393 miles, and now we have
i27, 900 miles. Our exports of domestic prod
ucts during the last year amounted TO sSo4,-
100000, while in 1860 they amounted to S375,-
100000.
"our national debt, once an object of pro-
found alarm, is being paid of at the rate OF
500, ,O00 900 year, the excess of taxes being so
lightly borne that no considerable portion or
the people complain of them, and no general
demand is made for the repeal OF any OF them
Indeed, it is marvellous festilre OF our condl-
ton that TO repeal taxes is more unpopular than
70 retain them, and some OF these taxes are
themselves a means of prosperity, and not a
burden complained of by any.
The Senator then spoke OF the trlunphs OF
the Republican party IN the past and declared
the Democratic party totally unfit % govern the
country Concerning the Democratic policy In
the South he said:
-The Democratic party is in complete control
of all the Southern States. In this way they
claim to be secure of l55 electoral votes, need
ing only forty eight from the North 10 give them
power to elect President of their choice Ana
yet know that in perhaps majority OF the
Southern States, II there was a legal. fair cleo
ton, without fraud or violence the Republican
party would be in the majority. We also know
that they gained power in those States by crimes
revolving that when described in the mlldest
terms, good, quiet, honest people IN the North
doubt the truth of such statements because
they not capable of believing IL possible that
such crimes would be resorted to. 1t has got 10
be somewhat obt of fashion to talk about South
eru outrages, but no correct view can be had or
the condition of this country unless we are Will
States.
by the policy adopted in 1875 in Mississippi
the Republicans, white and black, were either
not allowed to vote or, if they voted the count
was so made to reject their votes, and, IN
many cases, TO count them the other side.
This fraud and violence was open, palpable, and
scarcely denied. 1t was proved by witnesses by
the hundred, whose testimony Is recorded IN
public documents, now open TO the Inspection OK
any citizen That fraud and violence was con-
tinued in 1876, and would have defeated Presl-
dent Hayes but for the power conferred by state
Legislatures upon returning boards, a device Oh
their own contrivance, which enabled the RETURN
ing boards in Louisiana, Florida, and South
Carolina to return the electoral votes OF thosa
States for President Hayes. Sometimes this
has been matter of complaint, and 1t has been
denounced as a fraud. Yet | happen to know,
from the most careful examination of these cases.
that in each of these States, II there had been
fair election, the majority would have been
overwhelming for the Hayes electors, and thai
the returning boards were not able TO repair all
the wrong done, but did lawfully and properly
reject the returns of counties and parishes where
the fraud most palpable and gross, and thus
secured the election of President Hayes. You
all remember that even then bribery and fraud
in Oregon and other States was attempted, and
the cipher dispatches, disgrace to the history
of our elections, showed that bribery was at
tempted in several of the Southern States.
affirm without fear of contradiction that in every
one of the cotton States a fair and honest vote,
free from fraud and intimidation, would place
all these States on the side OF the hepubhcan
party.
MISSISSIPPI and virginia, known as tne Io.Dlan
and Danville outrages, show that this policy Is
continued now, and the newspapers inform You
that it is the openly announced and avowed
purpose of the Democratic leaders TO resort TO
the same frauds in Louisiana and Mississippi,
and, perhaps other States. The success OF the
Democratic party is only possible by crimes
that in former times would have so shocked
public opinion as to have led to the punishment
and disgrace of every one who participated in
them, and vet this is the way, and the only
way, by which there is a possibility OF the
Democratic party succeeding at the present
election. / have often thought and
believed that If the honest, good Democrats of
Ohio could appreciate, / do, the nature Of
these offenses, and the danger TO our institu-
tions growing out of election frauds. they would
revolt against all affiliations with the Demo-
cratic party | concede that, as citizens and
neighbors here, they are as leaceable, as order
ly, and in the main patriotic we are, but
cannot but think that they are so blinded and
misled by party zeal that they will condone and
take advantage OF crime and fraud to secure
party ends, still more charitable view, that
they cannot be persuaded, even by evidence, of
the truth of charges so disgraceful to their
party and their associates in the South
The Senator then considered the tariff ques-
ton. the duty on WOOL and urged liberal PEN
sions for soldiers, closing with eulogY of the
Republican national candidate.