Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-12-10

Florida from Spain; annexed Texas.
acquired by conquest, and purchased
thas great western territory formerly .
part OF Mexico. So great were our &C
qnlsltions under democratic admins
tration that when. through unfortunate
division, in our ranks, our party was
defeated and We surrendered our gov
ernment to a minority party, We could
proudly boast that our government was
more than three times as large as it
was when Jefferson took possession;
that we had taken our flag from the
east across the great river, across the
Rockies aud planted it at the Golden
Gate, so that it waved from the lakes
to the Gulf, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. Not single one OF the states
or territories acquired from foreign
nation, since the adoption of the con-
stltution was acquired under any other
than Il democratic administration.
I'LL their good work we had no Florida,
Louisiana, or Texas; no Arkansas, Mis-
souri,, or Colorado; no Kansas, Nebras-
ka, OF Arizona; no Nevada, California,
or Origon: no Washington. Wyoming,
or Montana. None of that magnificent
country where now dwell many mil
lions Of happy and prosperous people.
Have you sons and daughters in the
west? They are on lands acquired
under democratic craftsmanship.
"What has the democratic party
done" When the 'alien and sedition
laws were passed, it placed upon the
reptiles head its armed heel and
crushed out its venom and its strength
"What has democracy done?' When
we were yet in our infancy and Eng
land, the greatest naval power in the
world, she asserted the right to search
our ships and seize our seamen.
Washington, Jefferson and their COM
patriots, had freed our land, but we
were still enslaved on high seas. But
a democratic administration dehed
British power and sent jackson to New
Orleans to hurl defiance at our foes,
and to proclaim freedom to all under
our flag, whether on land or sea.
s'What has democracy done?" It
saw the old Know Nothing party
adopt its un-American doctrines and
promulgate them in un-American man.
ners. The party of the people again
came forward and proclaimed it's an
cient& doctrines of Equal and exact
justice to all men of whatever state or
persuasion, political or religious and
triumphed over this new foe.
''What has democracy done?' It
found 200 100000 acres of public land
had been squandered as subsidies to
railroads, and under the administration
of President Cleveland it reclaim
ed more than 1O0,0OO,OOO acres.
1t found that the credit of the govern
ment to the extent of $500, 100000 had
been extended to the Pacific roads that
they were not meeting the interest. Un
der an act passed through the efforts
Of the grandest old Roman of them all
the roads were forced to settlement.
what has Democracy done?" 1t
found silver demonetized and it's COIN
age, except i'll trade dolla1s, suspended.
Over protest and complaint it passed
the Bland bill through the house, forced
it through the senate, overrode MI.
Hayes s'veto and put on the statute book
the law under which, since 1 became a
member of Congress, as your repre- SEN
tative, we have coined more than $3.50
100000 of silver-s65 for every family
in the country, Agan, during the war
there had been issued more than $780,
100000 of treasury warrants or green
backs. The Republican party, then in
control of the treasury, was destroying
and had destroyed 100000 900 of these
but through Democratic exertion and
votes this destruction was stopped and
$346,O00, 1000 Of this currency saved to
the people. Thus 500, 100000 of the
currency out of which the salaries of
officers is paid was saved by Democrat.
What has Democracy done? All, let
me come to that chapter in that history
which tells how it championed human
rights and the cause Of good govern
ment. There was dark day for this
land when there were but four Demo-
cratic governors in all these states; but
eight senators; but forty mine members
of the House Of Representatives. The
Southern states were under carpet bag
rule; Southern citizens were disfranch-
ised and driven from the polls. This
same old party with its same old creed, /,
despised by the evil doer in the govern
ment, again buckled on its armor, and
said to all who would bribe it to do
wrong or terrify it from doing right,
Get the behind me, Satan. ut buckled
on its armor and with lance at rest and
L.