Year: 1878




August 2Sth:


He commenced by saying that 1t was with no
ordinary feeliogs he arose to address the present
assemblage, amony whom he recognized many
whose charity had smoothed the dying hours Of
his poor father, and who had ministered to his
own wants without thought of reward, aside from
the satisfying consciousness that comes of charta
BILE actions. 1t touched him in a very tender
place to refresh such memories but we all have
duties that relate to the future, which are more
important and more sacred than any reflections
upon the past He was there to talk of our poliu.
cal duties as to the near future and twas by
thus talking among ourselves that the political
policy of our government is to be formed, The
laws of q country ale first conceived in the hearts
of the people and take shape from their general
discussion by word Of mouth. This said the
speaker brings us to the subject of candidacy and
the Congressional question; and he wished to i'm
press the fact that the present was nota contest
between individuals--not contest between En-
glish and Converse-but contest Of ideas, OF
policy. Mr.. English and himself mIght be sunk
into the ocean, but still the contest would go on
just the same as though they had never been.
And these questions that are In issue now involve
the interests Of us all, Democrats and Repubi-
cans alike suffer from the effects Of bad laws, so
that 1t is eminently right that we should come to-
gether in the true spirit Of sincerity and talk Of
teese things And at this point 1t is well to ask,
what are these questionsH


We can look about us and see want and distress
on every hand, and the wrinkles Of anxious care
upon almost every brow, There are 1000 idle men
In Columbus to-day. The fields Of industry and
trade are becoming barren and the machinery is
falling into decay. Why is itso? Has the good
God of Heaven neglected usP Are not our fields
still fertile? Have we not still the rains and the
sunshine As we came here this morning did we
not see plentiiully the evidences Of the wealth
that the earth Yields in the most bOunteous crops,
harvested and unharvested2 Was there ever a
time when the Good Being showered more plenti.
fully His blessing upon u.s. And yet how many
there are Of us who are despairingly about to see
how we are to get through the coming winter,
There can be but one chief cause for this bad con-
dition Of the affairs Of the peoplebad legislation.
The Republican party has made our laws for the
last eighteen years. The Democrats have had no
opportunity to legislate. Since the war we have
been forced by unwise legislation to pay the en-
ormous debt of the war twice over and still it ex
lists in almost the same proportions as at first
There has been an appalling proAigacy in the
management of the finances of the country The
speaker illustrated the dishonest prOfigacy of the
Republicans in the matter Of the creation of Of
fees by referring to the developments recently
made in reference to what were styled the timber
watchers of Florida, men who were given that
official title and paid from fifty to one hundred
dollars month out of the public treasury simply
to do Republican political skulduggery., Men liv'
ing fifty and one hundred miles from the timber
they were supposed to watch and who never saw
1t had drawn such salaries for years. These
abuses have been ferreted out by Democratic
House OF Representatives, and their correction
forced.


Thespeaker here discussed the sources of wealth
in their three divisions Of agriculture mining and
manufacturing, giving them prominence in the
order stated. He illustrated by showing how the
man who raised one hundred bushels Of corn en-
riched the community to just that extent so on
and winding up with the conclusion that every
dollar we have or ever will have but represent the
great beads of sweat that have stood upon the la.
borers brow; and for that reason 1t becomes every
laboring mans duty to himself and his children
to look after this great question of finance. 1t lies
at the foundation Of all our interests II involves
the whole question Of the digerences Of labor and
capital.


Ever since the close Of the war, the Republicans
have with an unvarying uniformity legislated for
capital, and against labor as such. And now
Converse"


In answer TO thissupposed question, the speaker
here carefully revised the whole course Of leglsla.
ton upon the subject of the public debt, showing
the correctness of his assertion in such fOrcibe
manner as to make dissent next to impossible. II
is matter of regret that this report cannot do this
portion OF the speech something like justice. Due
attention was given to all the great swndles upon
the public perpetrated in this connection, and the
facts were set forth In such clear terms as to force
conviction.


AS to the character of money, he likened it to
the life currents Of the human system, carrying
nourishment and strength to every part Of trade
as the blood of the body does to every one of Its
members and he asked what would be thought
Of the doctor who would open our arteries and let
our strength flow out at the very time when extra
exertions were required at our hands as the
quaCks at Washington have kept on doing ever
since the close the war by their Contractions Of
the volume OF the currency These Republican
doctors at Washington have bled the country un-
VI their patient has tainted upon their hands.
The smoke no longer Wreaths itself about the tops
ofindustrle's steeples; the blinds are up in our
shops; the men who have striven by industry and
economy 70 lay by competency for old age, find
themselves beggars; want Is uDon every hand,
though our harVestS are bounteous, and yet these
doctors keep on bleeding and say, wait, we will
yet reach specie payment.


The speaker here referred to the case Of our
gallant old Governor, who through thirty years
has striVen for something for old age and his
children, aided by skill, untiring industries and
established integrity to be at last caught in the
crusnlng machine OF currency contraction and |
kicked ont Of house and home Just in the evening
Oflie, And HIS case Ia but the case Of thousands
Of others. And these men have done no wrong |
They are as good men as we have. 1t cannot be |
just legislation that will work such results And |
these crushing effects fall as heavily upon the man
whose capital is but the axe with which he cuts |
cord wood, as upon the man whose business ope. |
ratioRs involve thousands. The men who labor |
with their hands, must remind you, must pay |
the public debt and make good the waste of un. |
wise legislation.


In reference to the attempt at resumption the
speaker said, that though 1t was unwise to make |
predictions, he desired to make one, and he wish.
ed that those who now listened to him would re. |
collect 1t In the future. II was that where thou
sands have now failed tens Of thousands will fail
before the resumption scheme is carried out The |
question is can we afford this? Who are to be the
bondholders? and at the expense Of the laboring
men. You ask, what BnOuld have been done |
With the close of the war, all meddling with the |
currency should have ceased. The debts Of the
country should have been allowed IN remain, to
be paid In the currency in which they were con,
hacted And now 1t is for those to say who vote
whether this Ubiquitous scheme known as specie
resumption shall continue-Whether we shall
have greenback currency without cost Of twenty
millions year, directly, and many more indi
reGtly.


ask you in all sincerity, Republicans, as well
as Democrats which policy do you desire to pre-
vail? II is not question Of English or Converse;
ask you to consider the question dispassionatey
and decide 1t only In your own interests by going
TO the ballot box and voting your sentiments in a
way that will impress them upon the leaves of the
statutes Of the country. Observe the men who
are going lntO bankruptcy, VINO are gone. You
will find that they are good and true men. They
have simply been drawn into lt-caugbt In the
financial crushing machine. The decision that
you vote this fall will effect not only u.s. but our
children, because the Congress soon to be elected
will probably fix the destiny of the country.
In this connection the speaker referred to the
third party or labor movement saying that 1t was
not possible for II to come into power In season to
avert the threatened harm. The chains will be
riveted about your neck so firmly that they can.
not be broken before you gain majority In Con- |
gress, while you can give the democracy (whs are
pledged to the reforms you ADVOCATED the full con-
troll OF the coming Congress and then there will
be no eight 10 seven scheme possible. Do this and
occupanto Of the White House, whom viii now
introduce 70 you, - --..-.