Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-02-09
Democratic Northwest.
BRICE'S SPEECH
AT THE ST. JACKSON CELE-
BRATION In COLUMBUS.
A FORCIBLE AND LOGICAL TALK.


The Jackson Clubs reunion of the
Ohio Democracy, in commemorative
of st. Jackson's day, was q complete
success. The Club has achived q
national reputation by its earnest work
in the cause of Democracy an its an
nual banquets. The feature of last
nights banquet was the speech OF
Senator Calvin S. Brice, who was CIV
Ell grand ovation when responding
to the tost, "The Democracy and the
Business Interests Of the Country"
The Senator surprised many who
did know him personally, and who
supposed he was strictly a business
man and not a public speaker. His
voice was clear and his delivery forci-
BILE and impressive The speech has
so many strong points that it should
be read and is given in full below:
Mr., PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN
1t is with pleasure that | respond
this evening to the toast which you
have kindly given me, and as | look
around in familiar faces recall the
touching and eloquent words to which
/ have listened on similar occasions in
the past. / seem to hear again James
Edwin Spear, with his melodious vo ice
charming delighted audience with
his classic and poetic words; to be
again in the grave and noble presence
and listen to the impressive eloquence
of one always loved, admired and hon.
ored by the Democracy of Ohio and
the nation, Allen G.. Thurman. But
aside from ali old recollections and the
reunion with so many friends, | have
II peculiar pleasure IN meeting with
YOU to night. 1t is now thirty years
since, in the'campaign of 1868, L made
INV first Democratic speech to a small
band of Democrats in little school
house in Allen county, advocating
then what l have ever since and now
conceive to be sound principles for the
conduct of q democratic government.
remember that l took from my pocket
a coined dollar and a paper dollar on
which was engraved the handsome
face of that dinguished citizen ofOhio,
Salmon p. Chase, the secretary of the
treasury, and in endeavoring to per-
suade my neighbors to put back that
tide of overissue of paper money which
seemed to me to threaten as much as
waritselfthe honor of the state and the
prosperity of its people, / said: my
friends, this paper dollarsays, | prom
ise to pay dollar, but this coin says
on its face, am dollar" From that
day to this, whether in party conven-
ton or state election, my vote and
voice have been constant for honest
money and against every trick and de-
vice which threatened to disturb the
foundation of business and Democracy,
SO that can fifty both respond to that
toast and celebrate with you here to-
night the name of Andrew Jackson,
the great Democrat of 1882, who stood
so firm In his day for the true interests
of the people against the schemes of
the United States bank, and of that
other great Democrat of 1893, Grover
Cleveland, who has just won such a
signal victory for honest money and
taxation, that on the crest of the great
tidal wave is seen our own Ohio, for
the first time in the history of the Re-
publican party casting an electoral
vote for Democratic President; and
in presidential year, under Repub-
lican gerrymandei, electing majori-
ty of its congressional delegation. For
thirty years, my friends, we have in
this state been In the minority, strug-
Cling continuously againrt overwhelm-
ing odds, and without other hope of
reward save the consciousness of duty
well done, but with such o record in
the past and with the party in this
state more enthusiastic and more har-
nonious than ever before In its histo-
ry, and with confidence in our princi-
PES and In ourselves, I feel that | may
point to the land and say, Courage,
this mounting wave will roll us shore
ward soon."
Mr.. President, you have indicated
by the toast assigned me some appre-
tensions as to effect of Democratic
administration upon what is called
business or upon business interests,
and first let me say that after the 4th
of March next the Democratic Presi-
dent will be supported by Demo-
cratic majority in both braches of the
National Legislature. The admins
tration will in addition have that
moral support which comes from
knowledge on the part of the whole
people, irrespective of party or section,
that the election was fairly won, that
the victory was overwhelming, that
we are entitled to put into operation
the professions of faith upon which
we won the preceding canvass. We
know that during the great struggles
of the political contests of the last
twenty years what are called the busi-
ness interests have been too often sue
cessfully persuaded that Democratic
success meant the triumph of the dis
forces of society, and the
injury or destruction of the tender and
delicate fabrics of credit and enterprise
that have built up such an empire In
Ohio and the whole Northwest terrific
ry, and there is perhaps in the minds of
some Democrats themselves a touch of
fear that some ofthese persuasions and
predictions may be to a greater or less
extent well founded. / have only one
vOrd to say as to this, bat by way OF
preface to that word let me recall some
.hings that seem to me to give an ad-