The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-19

love their country above party" and ox-
hortng them to save that party from re-
pudiatlon, anarchy and socialism, and then
presented Hon Perry Belmont, who made
short speech.
There was second outburst of cheering
and of flags when Mr.. Cochran was intro
duccd, which lasted several minutes and
while it was in progress sixty singers,
chosen from among the city's banks, sang
'Iho Star Spangled Banner" the vast
audience swelling the chorus with ire
menduus effort. Frequent outbreaks of
cheers followed Mr.. Cockran's periods.
He spoke in substance rs follows:
"Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen,
fellow Democrats all: With the inspiring
strains of that national song still ringing
in our ears, who can doubt the issue of
this campaignS Stripped of all verbal dis
guise it is an issue of common honesty,
an issue between the honest discharge
and the dishonest Reputation of public
and private obligations. 1t is n question
as to whether the powers Of this govern
ment shall be used to protect honest in
dustry or to tempt the citizen to dishon-
esty. On this question honest men can
not differ. 1t is one of morals and of JUS
order 1t is the contest for civilization it.
self.
"a Democratic convention may re-
nounce the Democratic faith, but the De-
mocracy remains faithful to Democratic
principles. Democratic leaders may be-
tray convention to the Populists, but
they cannot soduce the footsteps Of Demo-
cratic voters from the pathway of honor
and of Justice. A candidate bearing the
mandate Of u Democratic convention may
in this hall open a canvass lereled against
the foundations Of social order and he be-
holds the Democratic masses confronting
him organized for the defense.
A Solemn Burden of Duty.
Fellow Democrats, let us not disguise
from ourselves the fact that we bear in
this contest serious and grave and SOL
emn burden of duty. We must raise our
hands against the nominee Of our party,
and we must do it to preserve the future
of the party itself We must oppose the
nominee Of tho Chicago convention, and
we know full we'll that the success of our
opposition will mean our own exclusion
from public life, but we will DO consoled
and gratifed by the reflection that 1t will
prove that the American people cannot be
divided into parties on question Of sim
pie nolals or Of common honesty.
I'VE would look in vain through the
speech delivered here one week ago to find
q true statement of the issue involved in
this canvass Indeed, believe tits doubt
full If the candidate himself quite under
stands the nature of the faith which he
processes. say this not In criticism of
l. t,,,A L., - a.,
believe that If he himself understood the
inevitable consequences of the doctrines
which ho breaches that his own hands
would be the very first to tear down the
platform on which he stands. We all must
remember that lurid rhetoric which
glowed as fiercely in the western skies as
that sunlight which through tho past week
foretold the torrid heat of the ensuing day,
and here upon this platform we find that
same rhetoric as mild, as insipd, as the
waters of a stagnant pool.
HE Ia candidate who was swept into
the nomination by wave of popular en-
thusiasm awakened by appeals to preju-
dice and greed. He is a candidate who,
declaring that this was revolutionary
movement, no sooner found himself face
to face with the American feeling than he
realized that this soil is not propltious to
revolution that the people Of this country
will not change the institutions which
have stood the tests and experiences Of
century for institutions based upon the
fantastic dreams of Populist agitators;
that the American nation will never con-
sent to substitute for the republic Of Wash
ington, Of Jefferson and of Jackson the
republic Of an Altgeld, a Tillman or a
Bryan.
Whatever change may have come over
his manner as candidate, however much |
the vehemence of his eloquence may have
been reduced, two things for which he
stands remain unaltered On this plat
forn3he defended the most revolutionary |
plaL0 of the Chicago convention IN !
speeches vehement but not less earnest
than that In which he supported their
adoption. On this platform he defended
the Populistic program Of overthrowing
the integrity OF the supreme court. If
there DO any fruit which has grown for the
baneft Of oil mankind out Of the estab-
lshment Of our republic 1t has been the
demonstration that it is possible by the |
organization of an Independent tribunal I
to safeguard the rights Of every citizen and
protect those natural privileges against
any invasion from whatever source or
however powerful light be the antagoniz-
ing elements.
The Insult to the Supreme Court.
"fhe very existence of that power pre-
supposes the existence Of an independent
tribunal. yet we have this Populist con-
vention, because Populist measure was
as unconstitutional, propos-
Ing, not to amend the constitution in the