The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-10
HON. ROBT. l.. rAYLOR's REPLY.
The Hon. Robert l. Taylor then
stepped forward and spoke ss follows:
THE ePEKCH,


stepped forward and spoke ss follows:
THE ePEKcH,
FELLOW CITIzENs-In the days OF the
Romsn Empire it was the custom Of
tie Emperors to amuss themselves
and their subjects with cruel and
bloody entertainments called glad
iatorial contests. 1t is possible that
many of you have come here today
with the fear thai you may witness a
similar exhibition of brutality between
two brothers scrambling for the same
office. Allow me 10 assure you that
you will be agreeably disappointed.
Thank God, we are not in Roms. The
Roman Empire, its subjects and vic
TINS lie buried in the 0usty tombs OF
bygone centuries. A better and
brighter age God has reaerved for US.
AS the eagle spurns the earth and
builds ber ness on tIe Gifted crag
above the storm clouds and the storms,
Sd the spirit OF liberty has enthroned
herself in the new world and raised
her millions of sons and daughters,
where every home is the castle and
palace of a prince and every citizen
sovereign. 1t is the chief Of glory OF
our great Republic that all men are
as the eagle and untrammeled in
thought and action as the un-
fettefed winds OF heaven. AS God
has diversified His creation and
made the moons and planets, stars and
sun Of Heaven to differ from each
ether inglory, in movement and po-
sition and sent them all circling in
space in perfec. harmony, go in poli-
tics has He diversified our people in
ia thought ald opinion, yet harmon
lied all on the one great principle OF
free government. Ia this country
there are two great ideas of free gov
ernment-t the Republican idea and the
Democratic ides. The representative
of the Republican idea in this cam
paign is my brother. 1t devolves
upon me as the cho CO of the Demo.
cratic party of Tennessee to represent
the Democratic idea. Is there any
thing improper, indelicate or un-
btolherly in our meeting ID discuss
publicly the interests of great State
and great nation under these two
ideas? We have net met to wrangls
or quarrel, or scramble for
the high offi:e for which We
have been made candidates. The
tender bond of brotherhood is neither
severed or abrsided by our differ
ences of opinion in politics, nor can
the discussion Of political questions
disturb the delicate relations. The
red Iose and the white rose bloom to-
gether and shed their odors upon the
same atmosphere, and gently strug.
Cling for supremacy, glorify the twi-
light hours. My brother represents
today the red rose and | the white.
Our polit cal histories vary in this,
that in my budhood was transplan ed
by tender and loving lands into the
the sweet gardens OF pure Democacy |;
while he, like the "last rose of sum.
mer," in the desert OF Republicanism,
was left blooming alone.
Full many gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness upon the desert air.
But, fellow citizens, when you shall
have all taken smell, and tnen taken
your choice of bios SONS, the red rose
will have the happy consolation that
he is the brother OF the Governor.
Fellow citizens, meet you and greet
you and congratulate you upon tbs
final triumph of Democratic principles.
For twenty long, weary years those
principles we're trampled under foot
and the party that clung to them and
preached them met defeat and disaster
IN every quadrennial contest. But we
never lost hear, for we knew that
these principles wers true, that they
were as ernal as God, that they
would live when the stars were old,
when the sun is cold, and the leaves
Of the judgment book unfold. In the
year OF our Lord 1886 those principles
triumphed, and the party OF Jetferson
and Jackson aud johnson and Polk
and Cleveland assumed control of the
government. Notwiths anding the
prophesies of Republicans, the coun-
try is still safe, the colored cit zens are
still free, the pensioners still receive
their bounty, the fields still yield, the
sun still shines, the ran still falls, the
grass still grows, the stars siill twinkle,
and the old ship OF State sweeps proud
ly over smooth seas and not wave Of
trouble rolls across our peaceful breast.
The year Of jubilee has come.
But while We are yet in the honey.
moon Of our triumph and bsfore we
are thoroughly es ablished in the pos
session OF the fruits oi our victory the
lSee Second PaGe,l