The Brookhaven leader., 1884-04-24
Mr. Tildsn to tho Iroquois Club OF
Chicago.

In response To the toast. The
Federal Constitution the followin.
letter from Mr.. Tildcn was read:
NLw YORK. April Ii, lSSi-Gen.
tiemen; have had the honor to re-
crive your invitation 70 the third
annual banquet Of the ir09uois Club,
md tn respond to the scntimGnj.
The Federal Constitution.
have also received private letters
asking written response to the sen
ljmeut in case AIN prevented from
attending.
have been for some time and am
Istil! p'jonailv engrossei with
business whith | have no power to
defer or abandon; must, therefore,
communicate with you in writing,
and NY answer must be brief
On the formation Of the federal
con stitution. Gout erhcur Morris.
who had been a cons SpIruDuS member
of the convention, b,ing asked what
he thought of the con ttution, r.
,FEed That dcgcEds III GA how it is
constru d."
Tine Democratic party origin atrd
in u resistance hv the more draauccd
patriots OF the revolution to the
II rt1 which were made to change
the character of our government hv
false con ,truct;Ons OF our conStitu
tlon, impres ing on the new system
4 monarchal bias. Mr.. Jeferson's
election in 1890 rescued our free
institutions from the perils which
surrounded them, and secured sixty
Years OF administration mainly in
harmony with Their. design and true
character.
When an attempt was made to
break up the union and TO diomcm-
bcr the territorial integrity Of the
country, the people were compelled
to make manly choice between
these calanities and the dangerous
Influences Of civil war npon the
charact,r OF the government. They
patrio;ically and wisely resolved to
save the union first, and to rerair
the damage which cur political syS-
ten might sustain when the more
imminent dangers had been roy ided
against.
The + st work was Successfully
accomplished; but t~,nty years ha, c
since elapsed, and the work Of re-
storing the government to its
original character i, not vet ac.
tompii~h"d Oar wise ancestors had
warned us that, i! we fell into civil
,h7cJrds, our free system WAS
liable to perish in the struggle
10y an nsensible chsnLe If its char
acter. Not Only ha>eth best trad
tions tf the patriots who wen ind,- =
enlcnce AMI established freedom.
lDst their authority, blc oar cherish
ed political system is slowly losirg
its hold upon life under the fungus
growth OF false constructions ana
corrupt practices. Government itself
has become u mtnacing factor in The
elections. AS long ag, rs 1876
'Xple> sed the opinion that the Oppo,
sltion must embrace at the BEGINNING
of the canvass tSO-thrds cf the
vote. S to maintain a m"j ,rity at the
, election. In this, history repeats
itsdf In most countries the gov
ernmcnt maintains itself by force or
fraud. Even in the comparatively
ropular system of England. the
monarch has until lat " controlled
y majority OF parl ament, and fre-
quently decided the elections by
count favors, jobs, and money taken
from the public treasury. This is a
hard saying, bat recent publications.
Of the paI rrS Of her deceased states
men leave no doubt upon the sub
ject.
In or own country the govern
mcnt instead Of Standing "a an i'm
partial arbiter between the con hicts
Of maturing opinion and cOntcnding
interests, has itself desceude into
he arena, equipped with all the
, weapons ot partiSanship. Its
myriad' Of fice-hoiiers; it's ALI
ances with or against vast pecunia"v
interests: it's unlimited command of
money levied from its dependents
aad contractors, lave sufficed to
, determine majority in every case
but one. Ia that case, it. collected
military forces around the capital,
and by this aud other nenaces
: intlmidated the congressional repre-
Sentatives of majority of the pen.
pie to relnqnish the fruits of their
victory and to surrender the gov
ernment to the control Of minority.
No reform of the admins ration is
possible as long as the ,vprnment
is directed by party which is under
the dominion of tal>e doctrines and
animated by enormous peculiarly
; interests in the perpetuation of ex-
isting abuses.
The first effectual steps in the re-
form OF our government must be a
fundamental change in the policy OF
its administration. The work of re-
form will be difficult enough with
the who'e power of the government
exerted in accomplishing il.
have such faith in the benignant
providence which has presided over
the destiny of cur country III evely
great trial hitherto. that | do not
| d. of nAr m Il;