The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-10-28

TIE Democratic campaign was opened at
Millersburg, o, October IS, by Hon. John
Mel ride, candidate for Secretary of State.
Mcbride spoke as follows:
Mr. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW CITIZENS: The
Democracy of Ohio in convention assembled
have selected me as their nominee for the
Office OF Secretary of State. In accepting this
distinguished homer, recognize the fact that
so far as in me lies, / am the representative
Of the most vital principle whlch mas even
been developed by human society. IL is not
new principle. Wherever protane history re-
counts human action, it tells the story of the
principle, which we term democracy. 1t is
older than the principle or hoerty; indeed, II
Is the mother of liberty. Wherever and when.
ever there has been a human aspiration which
Bonged for disenthral lment; wherever and
whenever there has been human impulse
which promoted men TO h CHER resolves;
wherever and whenever there has been
human heart which has ached with the chains
of human slavery, the sp rit of Democracy,
the vital principle of Democracy, has beenthe
moving cause of action which has brought re-
lief by attaining freedom. Therefore, Democ.
Racy is as old as human society. In all ages and
amongst all people which the womb OF the
future may add to time the principle of
Democracy will war for human rights. 1t
has selected this land of America for its full
and complete development When our soil
was virgin it nlled the sails of the Mayhower
and waited the prosecuted Puritans to Ply
mouth Rock. 1t guided the Huguenots to the
Carolinas. 1t directed the cavaliers to the
shores of Virginia and the Catholics to the
fertl lands of Maryland 1t inspired Con
cord and Lexington and Bunker Hill, II sus-
taned a famished unclad army at Valley
Forge. 1t was with Gates at Saratoga and
Washington at Yorktown. 1t was dormant
in the convention which originated and pro-
mulguted the constitution of the United
States. It was with Jefferson in 1900 in his
mighty struggle against the monarchial in
1uences which attempted to prevent the or
ganlc law and impose on our people sys stem
of centralized power, the Legitimate scion of
tyranny.
To-day it is the same it has ever been. 1t
is struggling against the encroachments of
power. 1t is pleading for the rights of the
many as against the uSurpatiOn OF the few.
1t is demanding the application of every
cardinal virtue known to political science in
the administration of governmental affairs.
The truth of this is found in the policy and
action of the Democrat who now fills the
presidential Office, Grover Cleveland, Ele-
waited to his position after the most fearful
political contest known to Cur country, he
assumed the duties of his ,flice under the
most embarrassing conditions. He found
every department of the government honey
combCd with rings and cl1ques; every ave-
nue. leading to public place paved with cor
ruptloni every bureau ramlne9 oy peculatlon
and peculatOrs. With the sturdy honesty and
courage which are born of true Democrac
he assailed the strOngholds of corruption;
he commenced pruning timber from the
official trees and wedding the noNious
growths from the official gardens. With
stern severity he demanded of the corrupt
that they vacate their places; of the dishon-
est that they should give way to the honest;
of the idle and negligent that they should
yield to the industrious and careful Those who
were men of integrity and zeal and who rec
Ognized that public place is a public trust,
should remain; those who had used their po-
sitiOns for the furtherance of personal profit
had to resign or were dismissed. Integrity,
fidelity, honesty and industry were recog-
nized, Corruption, peculati9n' dishonesty,
Incidence and self-aggrandisement were
eradicated wherever found. 1t was an hercu-
lean task, one of such magnitude as would
have deferred man less pure, less honest or
of less ability than Grover Cleveland. But
with sublime cOura -e he met the occasion.
Casting aside the thought of self and seeing
nothing but his country good, he attacked
the hydra which had grown up under Repub-
l'cau rule, and severed one after another of
its venOmOus heads from its corrupt body,
until today there pervades every depart
ment of government purity an economy
and a faithfuuCss which only has parallel
in the methods which prevailed in the early
days of the republic.
There has been restoration Jt Od-time
honesty and Gdclity. These are not mere as
sert ons, but great truths susceptible of the
s'Ou'est proof. Let MS glance at lew Of the
reforms IuauguCatcd by this Democratic ad-
miuisratOu During the fiscal year ending
with the ;U'h of June, 1856 the saving, ms com
pared with the IasI wear Of Re epubiiCan adm n
istratOu, in the diplomatic and consular ser
wees wa "A I0i,2SS. Think Of it,, fellow-Citi- (
ZCus. over "a, ,U0OUOO saved in this single arm
was saved by compelling our repTeseuta-
tives abroad to return to the primitive
manner and ways OF the republic in dealing
and prCse nting our interests at the courts of
mOnarchs, emperOTs and pOteniatCs. The
lavish expenditures We're restricted and the
follieS and ostentatiOn which had taken the |
place OF simplicity were prohibited. The
savings in the treasury department was 3d.
53U, . What vast sum! How was this |
amount saved? BY diseharging unnecessary
clerks and other employees; by rule COM
w,a11 hnl oh ,c f1,aA
supplies and other property to a strict ac- |
countability for their use; by requiring each |
emplOye to discharge his duty with fidelity /
and to render an equivalent in labor for /
every dollar which he drew from the public |
treasury as a salary. The saving in the Ju- |
dietary Department was S636,002 This was |
accomplished by destroying a most iniquit- |
Gus system which hi d attached itself to the |
offices of the marshal and clerks of the !
United states district and circuit courts and |
to the Attorney Generals Office. In the In l
terio Department the saving was 81 1886, ll2. |
This was secured by the dismissal of the |
thieves who had taken possession of Indian |
affairs, whose life pursuit was The despoiling |
and Tobbing Of the Indian tribes; by dismiss |
ing the vcnal land agents. the corrupt sur |
veyors and bringing to destruction the inn |
mense rings whose speculative schemes per- |
meatcd every nook and Granny of the public !
.a, land and Iadian service d. The saving in the
War Department was SS,364, 40.
My fellOw-CitiZens, do you comprehend |
these vast iguresI Do you realize the fact |
that am speaking OF millions of dollars? |
From whence came this vast saving? 1t was |
done by compelling the officers who were |
IOating around in the great cities, to the in |
iur! of the service and in many cases to the |
ruin OF themselves, to go to their regimen 8, |
perfo m their duty and live on their regular |
pay, without extra allowances granted for |
the performance of fictitious duties: by re- /
quirlng strict accounting from the COM |
general and the quartermaster gem /
eral of every dollar spent in the respective |,
departments. Over SS,OOO00O saved in the |
war department! tbs the interest of $780, !
D00,OJO of per cent. bonds. If this sum was /
Ri that tbs administration had saved, itwould /
be enough to excite the wonder and admira- |
ton Of the people. But, my fellow-cit tiZens, /
more is still to come. The saving in the navy /
department was $2,ll3 l9l. The department |
there were no old, worn out hulks repaired; )
there we're no pickings on changed I
contracts for the construction of I,
vessels from which in former years the IA /
vorite contractor grew gross in wealth, whi /,
he enriched the servants Of the government, !
from whose hands he had received the con- |
was a saving of 2,960,726. Yet this great saw /
ing was not he larger benefit accrued from /
collection OF the customs. The system of the !
robbery of the merchants who imported by /
the inspectors and other custem officials was i
stopped and the fearful skinning process /
ceased. AL the immense grants Of lands and ,
moneys to corporations We re made from the /
passage of the Union Pacific charter, July /, (,
1862, to the closing scene on the passage of |
the Texas Pacific bill, March 3, 1871, while the |
Republican party had control of both houses |,
of congress and the executive departments !
Of the va iOus grants made within that pc /
riod the bonds lent by the government !
amount to S54,623512. The land altogether |
given amounts to lll.G2, "A acres or l74 490 |
is contained in the States OF New York. New |
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. |
Let the Republicans point with pride to these |
figures.
Az tba ,ondo,ior, =, o p,oa;ao,,4 f,la,,o
land Congress passed bills reclaimlng from /
the subsidized railroad corporations 50,4S3,- |
AZ acres Of the public domain. Have you q /
amount of land? Think of two States the size |
OF Ohio, and you may possibly grasp the |
iinmenslty of this reclamation. These mil |
mons OF acres are retained to their legitimate |
purposes-to be the homesteads Of the honest, |
patrl0ue yeomanry of this land. Instead of |