The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-10-29
MacvEAGH's GREAT SPEECH
Why he Supports Cleveland.

d'i DeloTe dn auulence OF 0,UUU persons.
His speech was as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: Your kind
welcome is only another proof of the gen
erosity of the American people As you
possibly have observed, | have been for
the last ten days the subject of very wide
and varied comment, and | desire to avail
myself Of this the earliest opportunity to
return my heartfelt thanks for the charac-
ter Of that comment, alike from those who
are in accord with the opinions | expressed
and those who are strenuous opponents of
them.
| have always had full share of the
sunshine and enjoyment of life, but my
share has never seemed to me so abundant
as in these recent experiences of good
fellowship. | do not allude only to the
kindness of my neighbors, the journalists
of Philadelphia, for, apart from them, [
ought to be more than satisfied, and | am,
when, on the one side, Mr. Bayard says
that he feels ''infnite comfort" in finding
himself acting with me, and when, on the
other side, Mr.. Depew begins his humor-
Gus criticism by saying that am one of
his oldest and best friends, and that for me
personally he cherishes the highest regard.
The only serious fault-fnding which has
come to my notice was from lobbyists, and
with them | never was able to get along
very we'll They think it was the fault of
my temper, but think it was the fault of
their occupation.
Mr.. Christopher Magee and Mr.. David
Martin, pa, Mobile Jrat,un', have also had
themselves interviewed in order to inform
the public that they did not think very
highly either of my political consistency or
of my political influence, Such opinions
from such sources are to me the greatest
possible eulogy, for the agencies such men
mean by politics and the agencies | mean
/ by politics are, happily for me, as wide
as the poles asundcr. l never sold my
own vote, never was a party, directly or
indirectly, to buying anybody else's vote,
How, then, could the Magees and the Mar
tins of politics think well of me? Some
of my most friendly political opponents,
however, have been mistaken in their al
lusions to my past political conduct and |
wish to dispose, once for all, of so unim-
portant a question.
My coming of age happened TO coincide
with the birth of the Republican party, so
that | have never been anything but Il
Republican. and | have never felt until
now at liberty to vote for any one but a
Republican for political office.
As is well known, have never regarded
municipal offices as properly having any
thing to do with partisan politics. but,
from 1854 to 1892, have never voted for
Il Democrat for any Office which, in my
Judgment, had any serious political signiti-
cance. of course | voted for Presi-
dent Harrison four years ago, or |
would have made then the same state
ment of the change my opinions have
undergone as | have made now. The
T0-rp,E To repf,aslA Asmes Hhish 9 have never sought
of the suggestions which have been made
that Inever was every good Republican, "
or, if ] was years ago, | had long ago
ceased to be 50.
1t is true that was opposed to the at
tempt to impeach President johnson, but,
with that exception, [ do not believe that
there was any more stalwart supporter of
the Republican party than | was.
1t is also true that at the close of the
campaign of 1876 found myself compell-
ed to believe that Mr.. Tilden was entitled
to the electoral vote of Louisiana, and it
was only after the decision of the Electoral
Commission, and the constitutional declara-
ton by both houses of Congress that Mr..
Hayes had been elected President of the
United States, that ! reconciled myself to
his assumption Of that great Office. 1t is
/ also true that | declined, in November,
1876, to 90 to Louisiana to be present at
the action of the Returning Board of that
State when deciding upon its electoral
vote; for | said then, and believe STILL
/ that, in view of the vast advantages the
Republican party had enjoyed in the cleo
ton which had just taken place, it was
our duty to accept the result as declared
| by the ballot boxes.
! | stated then that on our side there were
President Grant. deeply interested in
the result; Secretary Chandler, of
Michigan, for the first time and hope for
the last time, managing the Republican
| campaign from Il seat in the Cabinet;
Secretary Cameron, with Gen. Sheridan in
command of the troops within the State,
and Secretary RobesoR with his gunboats
in its waters Mr.. Kellogg vas Governor
and candidate for election to the Senate;
Mr. Packard was United States Marshal,
seeking an election as Governor, with Il
host Of special deputies at his command.
In addition to these powerful agencies on
our side, almos1 every militia officer in the
State and almost every election officer in
the State was n Republican,; and yet when
the polls closed, Mr. Tilden had over 1000
more votes in the ballot-boxes than Mr.
Hayes, 1t was, therefore, impossible for
me to be a party to taking the electoral
vote of Louisiana lrom Mr.. Tilden. And
when, in the following april, President
Hayes and his Cabinet requested ne, with
Others, to 20 to Louisiana to reconcile the
political difference existing there, | accept
ed the disagreeable task, because | knew
that the good work Gen. Grant had conn
,y.-ey or vures IN the ballot boxes when |
the polls closed were placed in the offices
to which they had been elected.
BUYING ELECTIONS AND LEGISLATION.
! have had no other serious difference
with the Republican party, but of course
have always held my citizenship as far
more precious thing than nay partisanship,
md have never pretended to approve any
policy or any candidate whose influence
lpon the country seemed to me TO be evil
}ut have watched with pain and alarm |
he steady growth Of the corrupt use of i
money in our politics, aad ! have been :
onstantly hoping that the Republican n
arty would at least turn its face towards n
'wer duties upon imports and against u
ther forms of Congressional bounties. in d
eeoFdanee with the teachings of so MANY o,
its greatest and Yisest leaders, and thus R
radually diminish the temptations to that s
Vful traffic, hateful alike to God and all ot
sod men, the buying and selling of votes. ii
1t vas because of that hope, and of the DC
ny strong reluctance felt to sever NV W,
injection with the party which had con- pr
rred upon me so many and SO pndeserv- 0(
honors and because of my cordial re- by
rd and respect for President Harrison, I'll
d of my absolute faith in the pledge of tir
: platform and in his pledge in respect n,
the reform of the civil service, that I sill
1tinun nd 10 vote tho Do~.Li.z.