Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1887 — “THE OLD ROMAN.” [ARTICLE]

“THE OLD ROMAN.”

His Opinion of Cleveland—An Eloquent Tribute. Hon. Allen G. Thurman addressed an immense mass-meeting at Kenton, Ohio, recently. We find the following report of his speech in an exchange: The ex-Senator has been confined to his room for a month with rheumatism, but said he could not resist the cull of the Democracy to once more, before crossing the dark riier, speak for the cause he loved so well. His reference to his old age and to his last effort for his party was pathetic. The enthusiasm of the audience, and especially that of the Thurman Club of Columbus, an organization of young men, seemed to make a new man of him, and he delivered a grand speech in spite of his infirmities. He spoke of the unpatriotic action of tue Republican party in regard to sectionalism with deep feeiing. He referred to the demand for tariff reform, and appealed to the people to stand by the Constitution. His reference to the President was as follows, and was greeted with tumultuous applause : I want to speak of a man I know—Grover Cleveland. I have lived through a good many Presidential terms I have known several Presidents pe<sonally. I have read tne history of all the administrations. I say upon my honor, as a man bound to tell you the tru’h as faithfully as ever man told the tiuth, that a more honest, braver, truer man never filled the Presidential chair. I say he is an honest, plain man, of more ability than the people generally think. He has that supreme facultycommon sense. If h« is not a level-headed, honest man, lam no judge of men. He grows in the popular favor every day, and when the four years of his administration are at on end the people will say : “ You have done well. You may take your seat for another four years.” In conclusion, Judge Thurman said: “I came in this beautiful weather to talk with you and am feeling better than I have for ’a year. The best medicine I can find is attending a Democratic meeting. I have been confined to my room almost a month, but as I came up here I felt better every mile. Probably this is the last speech I shall ever make. I don’t know, I may be wandering around on the banks of the Styx talking Democracy. I’m sure I shall never talk anything else. As my parting words, I beseech you to stand by the principles laid down by Jefferson, under which this Government has become one of the greatest, best and most lovable on the face of the earth. Be thankful for such a government, and when you sift It down you will find every principle that has contributed to your happiness is a principle of tne Democratic party. A Great Manufacturer Talks. Mr. John H. Flagler, of McKeesport, Pa., tbe General Manager of the National Tube Works Company, recently returned from Europe, and upon his arrival at McKeesport was presented with an address of welcome by the employes of the company, numbering nearly five thousand men. The address of welcome evinced that the most cordial relations had always existed between the General Manager and the workmen. And in his response Mr. Flagler reciprocated every kindly expression of his employes. He said to the men: “Our pleasant association together for the last fifteen or twenty years has so grown on me that when I say lam one of you I recognize in you tho copartners of this institutution. Together we have raised it from the little establishment once giving employment to but 125 men to one of to-day employing between 4,000 and 5,000. It shows what you have done with your efforts and good-will in helping me.” It is quite cheering to reproduce such words from a man in the position of Mr. Flagler. He is disposed to give credit where credit is due. And he shows that a large per cent, of the credit of the success of his enterprise is due to workingmen. Mr. Flagler discusses a number of propositions, and among other things said to the men: Our country is not safe when politicians go about talking of what the country did, or the South did, or What occurred twenty-five years ago. They are no better than socialists,‘with their inflammable language in recalling scenes that were buried when Grant shook hands with General Lee and said, “Let us have peace.” The nation at that moment became again united. These politicians forget that a new race has grown up. The young men of to-day have no desire to look back, and the best evidence of this is shown by their quiet, manly perseverance, and in the wonderful development of the South, which is rapidly taking its position in the commercial world, Let the old flag once become endangered, and from what 1 know of the South I tell you the North would have to hurry to get there, for they would find the South close at hand. What we all want is a unanimity of feeling, good will toward all, a business Government that will be progressive, and, with proper protection to the now large working class, by a modification of the emigration law. which, if not altered or modified, means low wages and high rents. Here we have it from a man, one of the largest manufacturers in the world, that the miserable Republican blatherskites like John Sherman “are no better than socialists with their inflammable language.” He told the truth; such men are determined, if they can, to forever keep alive the asperities bom of war. They are the enemies of the country, the enemies of its industries and its workingmen, and the words of Mr. Flagler should be read and pondered by workingmen everywhere. The business interests of this country demand peace. Republicans aie seeking to promote and perpetuate strife. They are socialists, communists, anarchists, the enemies of the peace and prosperity of the country. They are, as Mr. Flagler intimates, slanderers of the South—bloody-shirt fanatics and worthy only of scorn. It becomes, therefore, the duty of the workingmen to sit down upon a party which seeks to triumph by methods, the fruits of which, if they succeed, can be only disaster. A republican paper calls President Cleveland’s speech at Montgomery “a bungling denunciation of the bloody shirt.” His remarks at the Alabama capital have touched all the organs on a tender spot. A denunciation of the bloody shirt that has been so generally effective could not have been bunglingly dohe. The fact is, it was the neatest thing the President has said during his journey. His whole course since the rebel-flag business has been very disastrous to the bloody-shirt fiourishers. It hasn’t left enough of that ensanguined garment to streak the pale air of politics with the faintest hue. Mr. Andrew Carnegie says: “I am a stanch Republican, but I would be a very dishonest man if I did not say that Mr. Cleveland’s administration has been highly creditable. The American abroad has no cause to blush, and I for one will shed no tears if Mr. Cleveland is re-elected.” There are thousands and thousands of Republicans who think exceedingly well of the Cleveland administration, and next year, as Mr. Curtis says, there will be a very large amount of independent voting.— Chicago Times. Mb. Halstead says that Mr. Blaine was very fond of the waters at Homburg. It must have been pleasant for Mr. Blaine to meet a drinking question that be didn’t have to dodge.