Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-09-28
Senator D. B. Hills Great Speech Of
Buffalo, n. Y.

Buffalo, N. Y.
On last Saturday night, Senator Hill, |
of N. Y, in Music Hall at Buffalo, ad-
dressed 5000 persons in the Hall, and
{, 900 who could not get in were address
ed by othe. speakers in open meeting
outside. Err. Hills speech is one of the
ablest we ever read. We have room
for only two extracts the first from the
beginning and the letter from the con-
clusion, as follows:-
81 am here tonight to aid in the
promotion of democratic principles and
to advocate the election of Grover
Cleveland and Adlai E. Stevenson. No
my course. For over ten years it has
been my custom at each annual cleo
ton to appear before my fellow-citizens
and contribute my share toward the
discussion of the political questions of
the hour. You did not believe that this
campaign would prove an exception to
the usnaErule, and you are not disap-
pointed. Among honorable men the
loyal discharge of political duty out
weighs all minor considerations, and in
this crisis of our cOuntry's history and
in this great emergency in our party af-
fairs, individual disappointments, or
even alleged personal injustice, should
be subordinated in the faithful per-
Torrance If political obligations, not
as a mere matter of expediency, but
from high and stern sense of duty.
Permit me to suggest that we have
all of us now a mission to fulfil. Petty
jealousies must be dismissed, regular
organizations must be respected, party
discipline must be enforced, discussions
must be healed and apathy must give
way to enthusiasm, in order that the
grand old party to which we are proud
to belong may secure the triumph of
right principles and work out the noble
destiny which ought surely to await it.
The control of this government for
many years to come by one or the other
of the two great political parties is the
prize at hazard in the pending contest,
in which all other considerations should
sink into insignificance."
After showing the Interpretation by
the trainers of the constitution of that
provision upon which the Republicans
claim the constitutional power to pass
the Force bill, he said
upon what plea do men thus attempt
to subvert the constitution, establish
an immense army of federal spies, incur
an expense of many millions, set one
class of officers against another, annul
State laws and make partisan federal
appointees the judges of elections
There is no authority for it and no ex-
cuse. 1t is a policy of force and par
tisanship. 1t is the last arbitrary resort
of an INSCRIPTIONS and tyrannical ma
| jority. 1t is the design of party which,
afraid to leave the question of it's con-
| tinuance in power to the free vote OF
| the American people, is ready to employ
any methods which will prolong its
| tenure of office.
| Have you thought what an immense
political machine the enforcement OF
such a law would create? An army OF
$50, 900 workers and resources of &c..
600, 900 for every Congressional election
and all in the interest of purer cleo
| tions
l am astounded at the intellectual
capacity of any public man who pre-.
tends to believe that such an exercise
of power was premeditated by the men
who made our constitution; am sorry
for the un-Americanism of any person
who does not believe such bill as this
to be hostile blow at our form and
theory of government, and l pity the
partisan prejudices which prevent pa
triotic men from joining in the denun-
citation which they must feel for such
an uncalled for usurpation of power;
but am surprised at the hypocrisy OF
statesmen who urge and defend it up.
on the ground of pure elections, and /
am amazed at the audacity of politi-
clans who have devised it as a scheme
of party policy.
| REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION.
The country has not forgotten the
scandalous corruption OF four years
ago, by which the republican party
came into power. 1t had not forgotten
the enormous sums collected from man
ufacturers for the bribery of voters in
the doubtful States. 1t has not forgot
ten those two epistolary incidents OF
the campaign-the Foster STAT frying
circular and Dudley's "blocks of five''
letter. And tits yet not ready to be-
lieve that the chief participants in
principal beneficiaries of this wholesale
corruption are other than hypocrites
and betrayers of the country's welfare.
The Davenport bill, instead of being in
| the interest of pure elections, is direct
thrust at them.
| Political power was never more base
ly prostituted to partisan interests than
when this bill passed republican
House of Representatives. Republican
government was viciously attacked. A
succession of acts like the Davenport
| bill would bring about a reconstruction
of our government, in which the sover-
eign States would become helpless
| agents, and the national government a
| strong centralized power, protected by
no fine system of balances which have
| been the pride of our country and the
security of our liberties, but controlled
| by the whims of majoritics and subject
ed to the dangerous influences which
surround the exercise of unrestricted
authority.
THE THREATENED DANGER.
If the republicans should carry the
coming election there is no moral doubt
that this measure will be pressed again.
The party which has SO firmly intrench-
ed itself in power; the party which set
at defiance the will of the people by
arbitrarily overturning popular major
| tiles in the last Congress; which has
obtained the means of profuse expen-
diture by legislative favoritism; which
has created States to increase its po-
litical strength and which proposed in
the Davenport Force bill to make itself
the arbiter of every federal election
that party will not hesitate to revive
this bill at the very first opportunity if
republican President and a republi-
can Congress shall be the result Of this
election.
We must diligently exert ourselves
to oppose this great issue of centraliza-
ton which certainly confronts us. It
presents more serious problem than
any commercial, industrial or financial
question; more vital to our country's
future welfare; more essential to the
preservation of our institution