Year: 1872

lish, on the frmest basis, the homestead law.


not only in the National domain, but in every


State where it has power. The home and the
fireside is the sacred refuge of every citizen.


The Republican party has, by its policy in pro-


tecting and encouraging industry, largely in


creased the wages of labor, and yet has added


to the domestic production of every kind of


article for the use of man. Loud applause


and waving of hats. Under the Republican
policy the railroad system has been increased to


an extent unexampled in the world We have


now 10000 miles of railroad, worth in cash


50, 0OO, ,000, 900, and they are increasing with


amazing rapidity, thus promoting the exchange


of commodities, so that distant States are now


more akin to each other than were counties in


the same State twenty years ago. Your own


State and Pacific Coast is indebted to the Re


publican party for the great line of railroad that


now enables you in seven days to cross the con-
tinent In few short years more you will have


four such lines, all founded by the Republican


party, and all largely aided by the GeneralGov-


ernment. [Deafening applause.


The Republican party has been instinctively


honorable in the preservation of the public


faith and the public credit. Under great pres


sure of necessity, we never failed to meet our
obligations No promise has been violated; no


faith has been broken During the war we


coined the public credit into money; we made


that money the basis of domestic transactions;


but wherever and whenever we agreed to pay in
coin we have done SO, and we are sure, for the
first time in the history of mankind, to make
every dollar of our paper money as good as
gold and silver coin. Tremendous applause,


which was renewed and continued for some
time. In what respect has the Republican
party been wanting in fidelity to the trust COM


mitted to it by the American people.


GREELEY AND HIS ANTAGONIST TO
DEMOCRACY.


Our old adversaries admit the strength of our
position. They know they dare not appear be-
fore the American people upon their old princi-
ples-their old record-with any hope of sue


cess. In this respect they stand precisely like
the Federal party, after its defeat under John


Adams by the Republican party under Thomas
Jefferson. They must, to use prairie phrase,


g take cover" and they do it under the tail of


the philosopher and sage, Horace Greeley.
| What a conjunction of distinctions. Let us


examine little more in detail the incongruity of


Democrats supporting Greeley. Is there sim
| gle communion OF opinion between them? Is


there a single position of the Democratic party,


for the last forty years. that Greeley has not as


sailed? Is there single tradition of the DEM


ocratic party that Greeley has not ridiculedR Is


there now, at this moment, single question of


public policy, for the future, upon which they


agree? Is 1t upon State Rights? The Demo-
cratic party, even in the North, has gone to the


extreme verge of Secession ON the rights of the
States as against the Nation. Their doctrines


would hamstring the National Government in


any time of National danger. Under them this
| Government would have been a rope of sand,


which would have melted away at the very out


set of the throes through which the Repubi-


can party carried your flag and your nation in


honor and safety. Does the Democratic party


surrender its ideas on this subject? The plat
form says yes, but Democrats tell us no.


ABANDONING THE PRINCIPLES OF A
LIFETIME.


| Every Democratic speech will be full of the


old doctrine of State Rights, somewhat mode


rated by the intense nationality developed by


the war. But Horace Greeley has pressed the


assertion of national authority, as against State
Rights, further than any living American, and


will be bound, if elected if he is an honest man,
| to maintain his opinions. So on the question of
protection to American industry, and on all the
questions growing out of our Tariff and Rev.
! enue laws. The instincts of the Democratic


party are for Free Trade-for British free


trade-for free trade that is utterly inconsistent
with the maintenance of manufacturing indus
\ try and reasonable wages to the laboring men of


this country [Applause.] We may, no doubt,
\ under free trade, maintain the coarser prices of
| industry, but it can only be done by reducing
| the wages of our labor to the European stand


ard. On the vital question, which affects the
| bread of hundreds of thousands of our fellow
citizens, Mr.. Greeley has been compelled, by
4 this unnatural coalition, to abandon or to hold
in reserve the cherished principles of his life
| the ideas which, more than all else, have given
him his name and his fame. On this vital
point to the laboring people, he has been COM
| PEELED by political bargain to surrender and
renounce the power of the President to check
I Al IL
! ject. Suppose Washington had been asked, as
condition of nomination for President, to sur
render his conviction on the neutrality laws.
Suppose Jefferson had been called upon to sur


render his opposition to the Alien and Sedition
laws. Suppose jackson had been asked to sur
render his opposition to Nullihcation. Sup
pose Lincoln had been asked to surrender his
opposition to Slavery. Suppose Grant had
been asked to surrender his power to protect the
people of the South from lawless violence.
What would have been the answer of each one
of them? And yet Mr.. Greeley penned with
his own hand, political trick to crush an


honest, bold expression of his opinion, the


shabby desire OF surrendering in advance his


power, if elected, on all the financial questions
that affect the business interests of TINS great
country of ours. Prolonged applause.


Felow-citzens, we have had in our political
history two examples of the nomination of men
who did not represent the convictions of the
party that nominated them. | refer to John
Tyler and Andrew johnson. These were mis-
taken men-inviting nominations that were
made with good purpose, but with bad results.


But in neither case was there any bargain, trade,
dickering. surrender or remuneration of vital
powers. What was the result to the country of
these mistakes? Disorganization, corruption,
damage to business, public and private. And
so now, if it be possible that Greeley and Brown
should be elected, what confusion and disor-
ganization would evidently ensue. What kind