The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-10-27
AN ELOQUENT PLEA.
A Well-Known Lecturer Gives His
Views on Politics.

Views on Politics.
why Patriotic and Just-NIinded
Men Vote for CIeveIand-Gen.
Palmer's Great Qualities.
Especial TO the st. Louis Republic.l
Shelbyyille, Ill.,, Oct. 1.-THE Hon.
Geo. r. Vending, the widely known
lecturer, spoke yesterday at a great
meeting here at his home. He has
taken no part in politics for some years,
and although invited by Col. Brice of
the National Democratic Committee,
and also by the State Central Commit
tee of Illinois to enter the campaign
he declined. He consented to make
one speech here, and the announcement
attracted wide attention and an i'm
mense audience. Mr.. Vending has a
very large correspondence with men OF
all parties in almost every portion OF
the country. and he expresses without
reserve the opinion that Cleveland will
be reelected and that Palmer will
carry Illinois. He will speak again
November 5, either here or in Chicago
MIR. Vending spoke as follows:-
My Friends-There are things abou
the republican party that like. | love
the name and fame of Lincoln. YoI
cannot call the roll of the great men OF
modern times the whole world ovel
and omit the name of Lincoln. lie
loved his country, he loved mankind
and from the highest station on eartl
ne went up to his God with the mana
cles of 100000 slaves as an offering
like Grant. He was simple, direct
magnanimous. He was one OF the in
vincible warriors of the world, ant
along with Sheridan, Stonewall Jack
son and Thomas, he made the Ameri
can soldier immortal. | like Rosco
Conkling. l like his fathomless cou
tempt for trickery. like him becaus
/ of his immaculate integrity. lik
him because he hated dishonest poll
tician, and because he scorned the ring
and the master of the rings. The
killed him, but he will outlive them al
lmperious and autocratic he was II
doubt, but it was the imperiousness {
, large inan, the autocracy of an homes
one.
Whatever they call him, what care /.
u Aristocrat, democrat, autocrat-One
Who can rule and dare not lie.
n And like the patriotic spirit of tf
old republican party when it loved I'll
union. like its high purpose when
resolved upon freedom for the negr,
a | like its catholic spirit when it stoo
the champion of the downtrodde
II against oppression, of the poor again
IS monopolIsts, and for the whole countI
&c against section. No American nee
!" be ashamed to have stood with Lincol
and Seward, with Chase and Sumne
with Carl Schurz and Fessenden, wit
Lyman Trumbull and John M. Palm'
and say Il was a republican"
But within even the short span
my life have seen Presbyterians b,
come Unitarians ard turn their bacI
on John Calvin. | have seen Meth'
dists forget John Wesley and becon
Freethinkers. have seen Rom,
Catholics become Universalists, and
have seen Episcopalians and Baptis
become intidels. So, too, have | SCI
convention of republicans, led
Foraker, Miller, Alger and other nam
almost unknown TO the republic;
masses, nominate genteel and shrev
corporation lawyer for president on
platform which bellies the convictio
E of three-fourths OF the republican pa
". 1t is a fasehood TO say that repu
lican voters would prefer untax
whisky to low tariff. Republics
leaders at Chicago bclied their follow
ers and betrayed them when tn
pledged the republican party to reno
the tax from whisky and tobacco rath
than lower other federal taxes Tn
pledge was adroitly won by the mann
ulations of millionaire mOnopolisl
= 1t was not and is not the voice of tn
great body of moral and respectat
men who made the republican party
y thing OF power and influence.
Nevertheless, the pledge has he
soemnly made. Therefore | must ft
low these latter day politicians, wh
tWenty-three Years after the wa
pledge party of five million voters
war taxes in time of peace, even at t
expense OF untaxed whisky, or | mu
y. vote for Grover Cleveland.
l belong to no party in the sense th
1 am for my party right or wron
q My party must go my way on par
mount question or we will not
together. No politician, no conventio
no administration shall ever have
mortgage on my heart and brain.
God, to my own conscience, and to n
own sense of patriotic duty do stal
amenable tor my use of the freeman
priceless weapon, the ballot. No M
but a coward or beggar for par
favors fears party lash. That is o
reason why | respect Clinton Fis
and Gov. st. John and the prohit
lionists at large. Whether right
wrong, they are not towards. Th
are sagacious, too, and know tht
secret enemy. A wise and brave fig
they are making for the downfall OF t
republican leaders, for which the pow
of those leaders broken, the pent-l
moral forces in the republican par
will have free play, seek new allie
and do the world some good again.
can have no further parley i'll this cal
paign with prohibitionist than 10 Il
him that | agree with him that {
republican politician is the CHIEF obst
Gle now to more than one great refor;
With that politician out of the way I
field is clear for another and a ditfere
struggle.
am for Grover Cleveland. am
him, not because he is democrat, Ii
because he is the nominee of the
Louis convention, but because belle
y. that he is as unseltish and devoted
r. patriot as Abraham Lincoln, as seag
=. cious a politician as William Ill. Sex
8. ard, as simple and unpretentious
a. Ulysses Grant, as incorruptible
= Roscoe Conkling, and because he col
bined all those shining qualities WI
the iron will and tho iron nerve
70 Andrew Jackson and took by t
2b throat the greatest enemy TO hum
y" labor aud human freedom that /
60 world has known since human slave
90 went down before the emancipati
80 proclamation. | hail Grover ClGvela
20 as the emancipatOr OF labor from
90 chains OF protected monopoly.
rs greet him in the name of millions
lh IL tn,