Year: 1876

superior to another in its morality.


We are all but human, and may fall by


temptation. The great lesson that we


are learning from the condition of our


country is that that party that up


holds right and principle, that party


that closes the door Of the treasury


against corruption, that party that in


sists that the government shall keep


itself within rightful bounds, is the on


ly party that can safely be trusted.
[Applause.1 We do not say to you,


my Republican friends, that you did


not love your country. We do not


wish here to say one word that shall


reflect upon any class Of the American


people. But we do implore you, in


view of the present condition of our


country, to consider Why it is that


this shame has been brought upon it,


because you have overstelped your


constitutional rights, because you


brought this government into action


which did not rightfully hlong 20 it,


and in so doing not only corrupt your


self, but you corrupt us as veil.


We hear it frequently sad that tins


is day of development; tht we are


discovering now from time to time


great malfeasance on the part of the


different departments Of th, govern


ment. When we have been ia power,


and wherever we have been IL power,


we have come TO look at these devel-


opments and these exposures asafford-


ing hope that we are to have bet


ter future. 1t is not merely the de-
velopment of fraud and wrong doing.


We have known these things for ten
years. 1t is not that there has been
something discovered that was cover
cd before. 1t is because for the last


ten years the American people did not
care TO see these acts; did not care 10
hear the proofs of wrong doing. IL
means that all of us have been stultifi.
ed by a greed of gold by unhealthy
speculation by desire to avoid hon
est labor, and that we have forgotten
the great principles that lie at the
foundation of all good government, and
that the time has come for us to cult
vate the virtues Of simplicity, honesty,
economy and patriotism. II is that
that makes people, not political pat
ronage, but the going back to the sim.
pie virtues Of our fathers. Applause.
The development which gives me the
hope which animates me as | speak is
a development that the American peo-
pie have had the scales fall from their
eyes; their eyes are opened, and we
are now to have a renewal of integri-
ty, patriotism and virtue, before which
fraud and corruption will fade out and
die. Applause. The development is
that which | see before me in the faces
of this audience, that laying all aside,
has come together to-day in a thought
iul, earnest spirit TO save our country
and to make IL great and glorious
commonwealth. Perhaps il is not
profitable that we should dwell too
much upon the exposures that have
been made upon the part of our politi-
cal opponents. While it is our duty
to expose wrong, whether committed
by our own friends or by those with
whom we differ; and while | respect
the labors of those who have been en-.
gagged in such developments, we are
toptakc care that we do not fall into
another error. This great Democratic
party does not propose 10 regain power
simply because its opponents are un-
worthy, but because we are fit TO ex-
ercise il. IApplausc We mean in
common with them TO punish all wrong.
doers, and we invoke them to 90 with
us in this effort but we propose TO
enter into a contest of A higher and
more glorious character still' and we
say to our political opponents; We will
forget the past if YOU will only ioin
with us in the great issue which we
now make--wbicb marty shall have
the highest aim2 Which party sball
stand upon the highest plane Of patri. |
otism Which party shall outstep the
other in the great and noble effort TO
restore, to build up and make our
country glorious. TApplausc.l .
/ say to the Democratic party. and TO
our Republican friends we propose TO
enter this contest, not for the purpose
of showing which party is the most
ignoble, not merely for the purpose of
bringing discredit unon them not
with Tho v;ew Of gain,rg n vic,orv no.
cause thew have gonc wrong-I scorn |
such n victory on the mart Of the Dem. |
ocratic party-but we intend to win
this victory because we mean TO show |
that we are more Al 10 hold mower
we have the better claims not he. |