The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-06
SOME DEMOCKATIC SPEECHES.

The purposes of a party may be known
by the character of the speeches it invites
on great occasions Such speeches are the
keynote of the coming campaign. Their
general purport is understood before they
are delivered. The Tammany organization
in New York speaks for the Democratic
party. Its position in the field of politics
enables it to do so. No Democrat can hope
to carry New York against Tammany, and
no Democrat can expect to be elected Presi-
dent without New York. Tammany, there
fore, strikes the keynote and the Democ-
racy in other parts of the Union respond.
The speeches made before the Tammany
politicians on the Fourth may, therefore,
be read as indicating the course the party
Will take this fall. The first speaker was
Congressman Bynum of Indiana. He de-
voted his time mostly to the Federal Elec-
tion Bill. Never in the life of the ma
tion." he said, has such a deadly thrust
at liberty been made as in the passage of
the Federal Election Bill. This law was
not intended for the South alone; it was in
tended for New York and Indiana"
Friends of the bill will find no fault with
this statement. The bill is intended for
any and all States which need IT, 1t Will
be applied as freely to New York as to Mis-
sissippi. But what followed will not meet
with such ready assent Not satisfied"
Mr. Bynum continued, with unSeating the
honestly elected members of the House the
Republicans devised this scheme to enable
them to count out the Democrats before
they could take their seats" This is
charge against the Federal judiciary. The
Election Supervisors who appoint the
Board of Canyassers are appointed by the
Federal Judges. Some Of these Judges are
Democrats and some Republicans. All
are men of ability and character. They
hold their offices for life and, consequently.
are not subject to the appointing power.
To assume that the Federal judiciary
in all parts of the country would lend itself
to a scheme to throw out honestly elected
candidates is to assume that there Is no
foundation of proDity in our Government
The Election Bill throws the appointing
power into the hands of men who have moth
ing to gain by party success and who are,
by virtue of their position, remote from
the heated atmosphere of political cam
paign. Crisp of Georgia took another tack.
He assumed that the bill is intended for the
South. At least it was by showing the
need of it in the South that it was TO be
thrust also upon the North. MI Beggs of Del
aware said that this was white mans Gov
eminent, and he believed in supporting his
own race. The antediluvian from Della
ware gave the two preceding sp eakers
away. His declaration that this is white
mans Government is the basis of the COM
plant against the South. They let white
men vote, but either intimidate or count
out the negro vote. While Bynum and
Crisp argued against The need of a Federal
election law, Beggs showed conclusively
that such a law is needed. In this city, for
instance, we realize that there is no GER
tainty that the vote as cast would be counted
by the regime now in power. A closer
guarding of the ballot-boxes would there
fore not come amiss.