Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-15
DEMOCRACY'S DAY.
A Monster Meeting in Cooper
Union Hall, New York.
THOUSANDS TURNED AWAY.
Ex-President Cleveland Made Chairman
He Tells of Past Victories and Future
Duties-Gov. Hill Honored
with Applause.
Grand Democratic Meeting.

Grand Democratic Meeting.
NEW YORK, Oct. S.-The Democrats OF
| this city assembled in mass-meeting in the
large hall Of Cooper union this evening to
ratify the nominations made at the Saratoga
convention. The time set for the opening
of the meeting was o'clock, but an hour
before that time large throngs OF men
were massed before each of the en-
| frances to the hall. When the doors were
opened there was wild rush and hun
bred policemen were unable TO control
them. At the shouted commands to stand
back they waved their sticks, and even
| brought them down with force on many
heads, but all in vain, the struggling
mass OF humanity forged on, and
in ten minutes every seat and
every inch of standing room in
the large hall was filed. The gates were
closed, and lines of policemen held them
fast against a crowd large enough to fill
three halls as large as the one selected for
the mass meeting. Down in the hall a
band played an almost unceasing sue
cession of patriotic and popular airs.
Among the large assemblage of men. We're
about a hundred ladies, who Were accorded
seats in the front rows, and on the platform
sat one lady.
to order. EX-President Cleveland was
elected president of the meeting.
The committee sent to escort Mr.. Cleveland
to the stage soon re-appeared conducting
him. Tumultuous applause greeted the APP
pearance of the Democratic ex-president.
In all parts of the hall men stood up and
waved their hats, cheered, clapped hands
Waiting for the applause TO sub
side, he stood quietly at the
reading desk, dressed in black
frock coat and trousers. At length obtain
ing silence by waving his hands, he said:
MY fellow citizens, the Democratic party
has at all times been by profession and by
tradition the party of the people. l say
by profession and by tradition, but by no
means intend to hint in the use of
this expression that in its conduct
and action it has failed to justify its pro-
fession or been recreant to its traditions.
1t must, however, be admitted that we have
had our seasons of revival when the con-
science of what true Democracy means
has been especially awakened, and
when we have been unusually
aroused to lively appreciation of the ag
gressiveness and activity which conscience
exacts of those who profess the Democratic
faith and who are thus devoted to the peo-
pies cause. We contemplate tonight such
Il revival, and the stupendous
results which have thus far at
tended it. In view of these things
we cannot be honest and sincere and fail to
see that stern and memorable duty is now at
our door. We saw the money of the peo-
pie unnecessarily eXtorted from them under
the guiSe of taxation. We saw that this
was the result of I scheme perpetrated
for the purpose of eSacting tribute from
the poor for the benefit OF the rich.
We saw growing out of this scheme whole
sale debauchery and corruption and the
people wholly impoverished. We saw the
party which advocated and defended this
iri,, md hold in fha
government by shameless appeal to the
selfshness which it invited. We saw
the people actually furnishing the
bonds of misrepresentation and
misconception which held them, and
we saw the sordidness and perversion of
all that constituted good citizenship on
every hand put the sturdy American in
jeopardy. We saw party planning to re-
tain partisan ascendency by throttling and
destroying the freedom and integrity Of the
people through the most radical and reck-
less legislation. We saw waste and ex-
travagance raiding the public treas
ury and justified in official places,
was ridiculed by those who held in trust
the peoples money We saw the national
assemblage of the peoples representatives
transformed to the mere semblance of a
legislative assembly by the brute force of
a violently created majority, and by
ieeringly declared by those VINO usurpcd its
functions to be no longer deliberative
body. Then it was that the Democratic
party, standing forth to do determined battle
against these abuses which threatened the
welfare and happiness of the people, called
upon them to trust it and promised that the
warfare should be relentless aid uncom-
promising. AS z result of the struggle then
entered upon, never has the resistless
force Of the awakened thought of our
countrymen been more completely demon
strated, and never has the irresistible
strength of the principles Of Democracy
been more fully exemplitied. From the
West and from the East came the tidings Of
victory. In the popular branch
party which lately impudently arrogated
10 itself the domination of that body will
fill hardly more than one-fourth its seats.
Democratic governors occupy the enemies
strongholds in Iowa, Massachusetts, Wis
consin and Ohio. In Pennsylvania the cleo
sented conclusive proof OF Repub-
lican corruptions exposed and Republican
dishonesty detected. But with all these
results of just and fearless Democratic
policy your work is not yet completely done,
and want to suggest TO you that the re-
ished by national Democracy will
be a violation of the pledges we have
given the people, when we invited their
cooperation and undertook their cause. /
do not forget that we are gathered together
to ratify state nominations, and that we are
Immediately concerned with state cam
paign. II seems to me, however, that while
national uestions of the greatest importance
are yet unsettled, and when we are on the
eve OF a national campaign in which they
must be again pressed upon the attention of
the voters of the country, the Democracy
of the great state of New York
cannot, and will not, entirely ig-
more them. If we fail to retain
our ascendency in the Empire state. No
matter upon what issue it is lost, 1t will be
claimed as a verdict of our people against
the principles and platform of national
Democracy. Those who act with us merely
because they approve the present position
of the national Democracy, and the
reforms we have undertaken, and
who oppose i'll national affairs
Republican policy and methods, and
who still think the state campaign we have
on hand has no relation to the principles
and policy which they approve, are in dan
ger OF falling into a grave error.
Our opponents in the pending cam
paign, though now striving hard to
hide their identity in the clouds of
dust raised by their iteration of irrelevant
things, constitute faction in party which |
is still far from harmless, and which seeks |
to perpetuate all the wrongs and abuses of |
Republican rule in national affairs. Though |
they may strive to appear tame and tract |
able in this state campaign, they but dis |
semble to gain another OpDOrtunity for |