The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-23
Thus Saith Samuel Hearken ye
SSverelgnsi

ku klUxet, or UtheTSIsC Used ~ Fhys!-
cally, but the mini i ~. 10 the least
shriyellei. And when nan 5 I Mr.. Til
den'- long public LII aul hi'osoih ic
acuteness, speaking from the verge Of
the grave. utters word. of s)berness and
wisdom all good men mag well iced.
Chicago, April l5.-The lroqnis Club
of this city, composed Of gentlemen prom
inent in the Democratic patty. gaye lts
third annual banquc' q The Palmer
House this evening.
After an address Ii Col. We p
Breckenridge Of keutU < tie following
letter was read from ex.Goy. Tiiden
NEW YORK, Ar,i! III ISL.
Gentlemen | have had the horror 10
receive your Invitation 10 the third an
nual banquet of the lroquols Club TO
respond TO the sentiment, The Federal
Constitution" have also received pri-
vate letters asking a written response 10
the sentiment In case | an prevented
from attending.
| have been for some time and am still
exceptionally engrossed with business
which | have no power to defer or aban-
don. | must, therefore, communicate
with you In writing, aud my answer must
DC brief.
On the formation Of the Federal Con-
stitution Gouverneur Morris, who had
! been a conspicuous member of the Con-
v%ention, being asked what he thought Of
the Constitution, replied, That depends
upon how 1t is construed
The Democratic party originated in the
resistance by the more advanced patriots
of the Revolution to efforts which were
made to change the character ofour Gov
eminent by a false construction of the
Constitution, and impressing on the new
system a monarchical bias.
Mr.. Jefferson's election In 1900 rescued
our free institutions from the perils which
surrounded them, and secured sixty years
of administrator mainly in harmony
with their designs and true character.
When an attempt was made to break up
the Union and to dismember the t%erritor-
ial integrity Of the country, people were
compelled to make a manly choice be
tween these calamities and the dangerous
influences Of a civil war upon the charac-
ter of the Government. They patrioti-
cally and wisely resolved to save the
Union first aud repair the damage which
our political system might sustain when
the more imminent dangers lad been
provided against.
The first work was successfully accom-
plished. But twenty years have since
elapsed, and the work Of restoring the
Government to its original character is
not yet accomplished. Our wise ances-
tors had warned us that if we fell into
civil discords our free system was liable
to perish in the struggle by an insensible
change of its character. Not only have
the best traditions of the patriots who
won independence and established free
dom lost their authority, but our cherish
ed political system is slowly losing its
hold upon life, under the fungus growths
of false constructions and corrupt prac-
tees.
The Government itself has become a
menacing factor in elections As long
ago as 1876 | expressed the opinion that
the opposition must embrace at the begin
nlng Of tie conudSses tlCO-thirds Of the
uOters to maintain a majority at tie cleo
ton. In this history repeats itself. In
most countries the Government maintains
itself by force or fraud. Even in the
comparatively popular system of England
the monarch has until lately controlled a
majority of Parliament, and frequently
decided elections by court favors. Jobs,
and money taken from the public treas
ury. This is a hard saying, but the re-
cent publication of the papers of her de-
ceased statesmen leave no doubt upon the
subject.
In our own country the Government,
instead of standing as an impartial arbiter
amid the conflicts of maturing opinion
II H. L..
scended into the arena, equipped with
all the weapons of p~artisanship. It's
myriads of oficeholders, its alliances with
or against vast pecuniary interests, its
unlimited command of money, levied
from its dependents and contractors, have
sufficed to determine a majority in every
case but one.
In that case it collected military forces
,round the Capitol, and. by this and
other menaces, intimidated the Congress
sional Representatives of a majority of
the people to relinquish the fruits oftheir
victory and to surrender the Government
to the control of a minority.
No reform of administration is possible
SO long az the Government is directed by
a party which is under the dominion of
false doctrines and animated by enormous
pecuniary interests in the perpetuation Of
existing abuses.
The first effectual step IN the reform of
our Government must be a fundamental
change in the policy Gifts Administration.
The work of reform will be difficult
enough with the whole power of the Gov
eminent exerted in accomplishing it.
| have such faith in the b~enignant Pro
violence which has presided over the des-
tiny of our country in every great trial
hitherto that | do not despair of our ulti-
mate deliverance. Though | can no lon
ger aspire to be one Of the leaders in this
great work, | bid those of you on whom
this august mission may fall God speed.
5. j. TILDEN.
One remark of the Sage Of Gram.
mercy deserves the italics in which we
have printed it. Mr.. Tilden deliberately
declares his belief that the power o.
OFFICE is already so great in this coun-
try that no party can hope to GUST the
ms unless it has at least three men
out of every four at the beginning of the
campaign thus affirming that one vo'
ter in every four will be corrupted BY
brides, seduced by hopes of promotion.
or intimidated by threats of discharge
from employment, or loss of fat con
tracts.
Illustrations of this growing shadow
of the Throne may be seen from day tc
day in the kilograms announcing the
selection of delegates to the Republican
National Convention. President Ar
thur appears to have kept his hand:
cleaner of the dirty work of p%Olitica
manipulation than any President since