Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-09-23
FOR CoNGREss-10TH DISTRICT:
JOHN RANDOLPH TUCKER,
OF ROCKBRIDGE.
Hon. Holmes COnrad-A Great Speech Be-
fore the Cleveland and Hendricks
W0rkmgmen's Legion.

On laSG L rludy ulSHG, IlOu. 11olAiCS OOh-
rad, of Winchester, delivered a speech of
an hour and half in length before the
Cleveland and Hendricks Workingmen's
Legion of this city, which was worthy of
the Senate of the United States. 1t is no
wonder that he held his audience spell
bound, and that an hour and half seemed
but half an hour, and that they could have
listened all night to such a speech, for it
was as full of matter for thought as an egg is
of meat. 1t was an able and philosophical
prese .ltation and discussion of the funda
mental principles of our government, and
showed the marked distinction between
the systems of government maintained by
the Republican and Democratic parties
the first based upon the theory that Ill
power is vested in the go vernment-that
sovereignty resides in the government
and the second, that the government is the
mere agent of the people-that the people
is the source and repository of all power
that sovereignty resides in the people, and
showed that the latter was the right theo-
ry, the only one in which there was any
guaranty for the rights of the people, and
that the country had been governed under
that system from the time of the election OF
Thomas Jefferson, who first clearly formu-
lated the true prime pies of Democratic Re-
publican government, till the miss called
Republican party came into power, since
which time the heretical system which con-
centrates all power in the government,
making the creators the slaves of their
creatures-the agents the masters of their
principals-has been put into practice, and
the principles enunciated by four of the
Judges of the Supreme Court that depu-
ty U. S. Marshal can seize upon your
house, and there is no redress IN the courts,
for, upon that theory, the deputy marshal
represents the Federal Government, and
the Federal Government is sovereign, and
q sovereign cannot be sued. He showed
that, in the Republican administrations, all
the departments 2ecutive, Legislative
and Judicial-recognized that theory and
adopted that system, and that a that they
have done by taxing the people to the
amount of millions beyond the necessities
of the government, economically admins
tered, and the useless multiplication oil
offices, and the increase of the salaries,
have been with the view Of perpetuating
their power, and establishing that heretica.
system which reverses and subrerts the
true principles of our government.
The issue before the people at this time
is, not the tariff, or any other question of
mere administrative policy, but whether
the government shall be the government
of the people, for the people, and by the
people, as the Democratic party maintain,
OF whether the government shall be one
in which the officers elected by the people
as their agents, shall be recognized as pos
sessing sovereign power to do as they may
please, in their sovereign will, with the
peoples rights and interests as the Republi-
can party, by their theory and practice,
maintain.
His exposition Of the corruptions of the
Republican party, and the character, or
rather want of character, of its Office hold
ers of the highest rank, was such as to
startle the most Indifferent, and to arouse
them to the necessity of using their influ-
ence to effect change of rulers. We re-
greet that we have not the space to give
more specific report OF this able speech,
which should be published in full, cerbatina
ct lferctim, and spread broadcast among
the people, for it would furnish them
with mental food which would be
heathful to the body polite. We knew
enough of Mr. Conrad's reputation as
man of ability to expect good speech, but
our expectations were more than realized,
for we did not expect such speech as he
delivered on that occasion.