The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-09-02
Ex-President Harrison on the Stump.

Carnegie Hall in New York last week,
and his speech to an assemblage of
5000 people showed that he has lost
none of his old vigor and power as a
campaigner, and that he is still an ac-
tive and patriotic champion of all that
makes for the best good and perma-
nence of this American nation. Gen.
eral Harrison said that his interest
in his country did not cease when his
last salary check was cashed. Refer
ring to the democratic party, he said:
" That party has once more exhibited its
capacity to be ruptured, and a party that
cannot be split is public menace. When
the leaders OF party assembled in conven-
ton depart from its traditional principle
and advocate doctrines that threaten the
integrity OF the government, the social or
der OF our communities and the security and
soundness OF our finance, 1t ought to split,
and II dignites itself when it does split. A
bolt from any party is,now and then most
reassuring incident, and it was never more
reassuring and never had better cause than
now. Applause and cries of you're
rightpO But these democratic friends who
are disposed more or less directly to help
the cause OF sound finance In this campaign
party will reorganize itself because the
democratic party has disorganized ITSELF"
This sentiment was endorsed as a
"beaut" from the gallery, and senti-
ment and endorsement were greeted
with applause and laughter. General
Harrison believes in maintaining re-
publican principles and expressed this
belief in this way-and his sentiments
were again pertinently endorsed from
the gallery by the significant remark,
Nobody going out" a reference to
the Bryan meeting in Madison Square
that was greeted with prolonged laugh
ter and applause:
"The republican party, the republican
voter, If sound money triumphs, as 1 be-
lieve 1t will, must in the nature of things
constitute the body of the successful army.
We ought not, therefore, to be asked to do
anything that will affect its solidity, the
| loyalty, the discipline or the enthusiasm of
the republican party. The republican party
fronts the destructionst and trumpets its
| defiance to the enemies OF sound money. 1t
will fight however, without covering any
| OF the glorious notices and insert ptions
that are upon its banner When the house
Is on ireland many OF our democratic
| friends believe that to be the present do
mestic situation-the tenant Old the top
floor ought not to ask the tenant in the
basement to bury any OF his opinions before
he joins the fire brigade, and so our demo-
cratic friends, who realize as we realize
the gravity, the far-reaching consequences
OF this campaign, fought not to ask the re-
publican party to reorganize itself, to put
aside any OF the great principles that it has
advocated in order to win vote. If their
opinion is sincerely held, as they insist, it
ought to determine their action for them
else should do. And submit to these gem
tlemen, for whose opinions have the high
est respect, whether it be true, as they say,
that the success OF the Chicago nominee
would plunge this country into irremedial
commercial distress and drag the nations
honor in the dust, there can be any question
for such gentlemen but this: How can we
most surely defeat the Chicago nominee?"
General Harrison placed in the front
rank of pending issues, not the tariff
or the currency, but the supremacy of
the national authority. His statement
OF this issue was refreshing after the
floods of gold and silver oratory, and
this part of his speech, for its particu-
lar cogency, and its lifting into more
prominent and deserved public notice
than has yet been given an especially
pestiferous declaration of the Chicago
platform, is a welcome and very i'm
portant addition to the discussions of
this canvass:
In my opinion there is no issue pre- |
sented by the Chicago convention more inn |
portant and vital than the question they
have raised OF protecting the power and |
duty OF the national courts and national ex- |
ecutive. The defense of the constitution |
and OF the integrity Of the supreme court OF |
the United States, and of the presidents |
power and duty to enforce all OF the laws of |
the United States without awaiting the call |
or consent OF the governor of any state, is |
an important and living issue in this cam
paign.
Tariff and coinage will be of little mo-
ment IL our constitutional government is
oyerthrown. When we have president
VINO believes that it is neither his right nor
his duty to see that the mail trains are not
INSTRUCTED, and that interstate commerce
has It's free way, irrespective of state lines
and courts; who fears to use our ancient
ana familiar power to restrain and punish
law breakers, free trade aud free silver will |
be appropriate accomplishments of such an
administration and cannot add appreciably
TO the national distress or the national dis
honor.
There is only one rule by which we
can live usefully as a nation or peacefully
as citizens. 1t is the rule of the laws con-
enacted and finally interpreted
by the judicial tribunal appointed by the
constitution.
When it becomes the rule that violence
carries its end we have anarchy-a condi-
ton as destructive to honest labor and its
rewards as death is to the tissues of the hui
man body.
1.-THE atmosphere of the Chicago conven-
ton was surcharged with the spirit OF revo-
luton This platform was carried and its
made with accompanying Incl.
dents of frenzy that startled the onlookers
and amazed the country, The courts and
the president were arraigned for enforcing
the laws and government by the mob was
given preference over government by the
court degrees and by executive orders.
1.-THE spirit that exhibited itself in this
was SO wild and strangely en-
Unused that Mr.. Bryan himself likened it to
the zeal that possessed the crusaders when
they responded to the impassioned appeals
of Peter the Hermit to rescue the sepuchre
of our Lord from the hands of the intidels