Year: 1876

ebfect, yebteGuhy, responded 10 W1tn IN
asm which crowded Wall street and the wide space in
'front.' stretching down Broad street. with many Of the
best OF that financial centre shortly before one
o'clock large procession of dry goods clerks. led by
Grafula's band, marched down from Broadway and
drew up front OF the stand. The platform
pied by prominent nnancers. bankers and merchants
in favor OF the republican candidate for the Presr
dency.


Exactly at O'Clock. the hour named for the
meeting Judge Emott called the blage order
and, after speech or some length, introduced Mr.
Theodore Roosevelt the presiding officer OF the
ing. After some briet remarks upon the object Of
the meeting the President introduced tho speaker or
the occasion, Hon. Lot NJ Morrill,


SECRETARY EogEiLL's spxscH


Mr. Morrill, then advanced TO the front OF the plat
form and was greeted with enthusiastic cheers. He
said:-


and feel disposed TO congratulate tho country that
length the business instincts OF tho people have
become conscious of the impending danger hail u
as the harbnger OF that success which, In
the providence OF God and IN the right
and potency OF the great cause which We advocate
here to-day. TO be our triumph early next week.
(Cheers) Here, now loo years from the glorious Dec
laration announced upon this spot, which made our
govern ment guardian OF human understanding here
on this ground made sacred by the Inauguration as
first President Of The United States. OF him who was
first peace lrst in and FIRST in the hearts OF his



zcns at the end OF sixteen years OF victory and tr-
umph rebellion and civil war and treason, the
served, our credit second to no government on
the face OF the earth Let US hit our hearts ter
venlly 70 Goo and give HIM praise Tor the
(Cheersl am here TO speak to you briefly, provided
you lend me your ears; not from prepared thoughts
FOR the suddenness Of your call and the necessities OF
vigorous In the canvass gives me no time TO
connect my thoughts In any logical way. The ques
tons which will present in a desultory way before
yOu simpe to all and familiar
TO all What are those questtonsy What have been
the questions before you Tor the last sixteen years2
Elementary questi0nsall OF them governmental ques
tOns questions


WHETHER NATION SHALL LIVE PERISH
Time Will not permit me to enter on these questions
extensively. Let me state single fact from whi,n
will make a few observations. Sixteen years ago last
March, whom this party came into power IN whose IN
tercsts you assembled here to-day, you had
national government; the country was torn asunder;
these States were in open rebellion, and had
organized an independent governmcnt-a hostile gov
within your Jurisdiction The credit OF your
government was below par among the nations
oi Europe This nation OF ours had neither
All the potentates OF the world have sent their
bassdors here with their gifts to the Centennial to lay
them at your icet and 10 do You honor Your nation
nlfty asserted IL ranks first class power among
the nations Of the earth; and credit 1t is
second to no nation in Europe or elsewhere. Then
this being SO what are the questions have to deal
withy II we have re-estabisned our nationality; If
credit IS all we desire; what nexts What is
The troubles Is there any doubt the minds OF any
what should be done with the party that has achieved
all thisS The old adagc was is and shall be,


eternal vigilance Is the price ot liberty" II costs
less liberty. and preserve free
institutions than to acquire them. Let me lllusrate


In the last sixteen years the American people have
expended over $ll, 600 000 900 in maintaining and
preserving the liberties and the national credit that
supposed 70 have been organized this spot
friends, our fathers supposed something had boon
achieved when our national independence had been
won. Did they mott Do we not venerate the
and memories OF our Revolutionary tatnersY Bot 10
make good that Declaration Of Independence for which
they fought TO- make good that nationality
nations OF the earth, u has cost sll, 600 900 900
OF money in the sixteen years. Our opponents
say have squandcred great deal Yes, we have
loved country dearly; have served il wcl
think; and IN that respect we defy contradiction.
but Is worth all that II cost. l repeat that TO
maintain q government costs money, requires rare
qualifications, requires endurance and persistency IN


the COST THE GOVERNMENT


since lis inauguration is little over $l5 00o o00 000
expended Sill 600 900 within the last sixteen years
But we have something to show for this enormous
penditurs. We have nation ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
generated, assured and reconstructed, that
in fu and perfect harmony with the glorious
Declaration Of Independence, nation that equal
rights ALL whose flag the symbol Of equal
protection under the constitution and before the law
all men Applause More than that you have
tabshed the national credit and restored and assured
public peace ana public tranquility. II any man
desires 10 know how this money expended from
the time army crossed the Potomac and entered
rebc territory down TO the close OF the conflict
lot him inerrogatc me II anybody enough
to know. anybody desrous 10 critclse how that
money was expended, tho next best thing that
man or party can do is TO drag the bones
OF the dead patriots who perishcd Southern nclds
In the struggle for our national life. (Chesrs) Now,
then, what is The matter? lLauehterl That is tho
question will tell you what is tho matter There is
q skeleton In the house. There ls q solid South.
That's what's the matter. The democrats boast they
have solid South They always had that Cheers
and laughter) But OF such was not the Kingdom OF
heaven by any means at all tLaughter.l Instead OF
civil war and devastating rebellion. cheers. A SOLID
South before the war meant insurrection, rebellion
and civil war, and, my friends It the very
thing to-day. lGreat cheeringl Now that's what's
the matter" d.augh.er)


sourn Is TO-DAY


what 1t was then when II burst into civil war, and
when the day of rcsrbution judgment came cried
out II was only a lttlc unpcasantness that all
blown over. The solid South to-day is the hope Of
the democracy Is the hope OF the lost TO day.
as II always vas Now the significance OF it is what
"a voice, rebellion y Yes, that is IT. incipi-
Ont rebellion, incpent nsurrecion tending to dis
order throughout the South, disturbing the public
tranquility AMI demanding tnat the President OF the
United states shall send the army OF tho United
tCheers And still they cry peace, peace just
they did a. ths very moment they were ready to
not the same opportunity. Thank Heaven the Ameri-
people have learned something In the late opera
tlona They are not all Bourbona That il one OF The
troubles You know what the rebellion did-wnat IL
acheved--the exterminaton OF slavery; next the
enfranchisement OF the slave. The rest was equal





Cnecrsl Out OF these three dstnct positions the prod
uct and rut OF the rebellion, the work OF the repub
lcan party, comes the southern question. What OF
the public creditS What is the trouble about that2
Without public credit there is such thing
public national life Public credit is tho lfe-
blood OF the nation. There is national life without
H. and there can be no public credit without national


e These results are the work Of tho party but they
are not oil party In Nemselvesthey belong to every
patriot In tie land. Next TO this comes the question
OF nnanca Well, what OF ts Al the close Of the war;
notwithstandins all that paid out, our national
debt reached 81 500 600 000 Two billions Of that rest
on the shoulders OF he people to-day The result ofthe
war was disordered currency, which overthrew the
great standard Of values by which the poor mans labor
rs measured and by which all honest transactions arc
conducted. fhat Is our condition to-day. Two bill
ions OF Indebtedness on the part OF the government
The public credit must be kept ana cherished Ike the
apple OF your eye without IL all credit pcrishes oil
necessity Everybody will tell you that The ques-
Ion then, Is what Is TO be done with regard the
payment OF the pubic debt; what Is TO be done with
regaru 70 the resumption Of specie payment-what
about ~ We are all agreed as party about that
what does the democratic party say about II?


Nj. morrill, then read IRON the democratic plat
form m:--"Reiorm "-TlIden and Hendricks Laugh