REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION

June 24, 1875
Columbus, Ohio

I discover, my friends, that you are all beginning to understand how to carry on and win a political contest. Of course, you do not expect a formal speech at this time, at short notice, at the house of a friend. I desire to thank you for the honor done me in naming your club after me. If it shall turn out that the party in power are opposed to a sound, safe, stable currency, I have no doubt that in October the people will make a change. If it shall turn out that the party in power were guilty of gross corruption in the legislative department, and that when corruption was exposed the majority shielded those who were implicated, I have no doubt that the people will make a change. If it should turn out that the party in power yielded to the dictation of an ecclesiastical sect, and through fear of a threatened loss of voters and of power suffered itself to be domineered over in its exercise of the law-making powers, there ought to be, as I doubt not there will be, a change. If it shall turn out that the party in power is dangerously allied to any body of men that are opposed to our free schools and have proclaimed undying hostility to our education system, then I doubt not the people will make a change in the administration. Governor Allen in a jollification speech some months ago, predicted a majority of about 70,000. I don’t predict majorities, and if I relied on such figures I should certainly be considerably discouraged. But I find that Governor Allen made another speech after his recent nomination, and that in that speech he estimated the Democratic majority about 50,000. That is a falling off of 20,000, and if Governor Allen keeps on at that rate he may by election time get the figures more nearly right. I have learned from experience that the best time to compute election majorities is after the returns come in. But I feel that, going into this canvass as I do on the right side of the question, and going into the canvas under the circumstances I do, if I should be defeated, I think I could stand it, and if I should be elected I feel quite sure I could stand it. In our pleasant town of Fremont there was nothing wanting to our happiness, speaking for myself and my family, that we should want to change our residence, even for two years, and yet I may say, speaking confidently to this crowd, that during four years’ stay in this beautiful city we were so pleasantly treated by all classes that if we should be called to stay here another two years I think we could stand it.