The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-08
AS OTHERS SEE US.

THE SPEECH OF THE HON. JOSEF ID Il. M DON
ALD-ISDIANA POLITICS REGARDED AS RE-
DEEMED.
Among the many favorable comments on
the recent speech of Judge Mcdonald the
folio wing from the Boston Post will serve
as a specimen. The Post is the organ of the
democrats of Massachusetts who have stuck
to their principles through a series of defeats
that would have discouraged less honest or
less earnest men: The chairman of the In
diana democratic central committee, the
Hon. Joseph L. Mcdonald, has ma de an adj
dress in answer TO Senator Morton's recent
speech, which at once places the party in that
State upon the high level of the national de-
mOcracy. Accepting Senator MOrtOn'S po-
sition, that the history of parties afford indi-
cation of their fundamental purpose and
principles, Mr.. Mcdonald traces the growth of
the republican party of to-day from the old
federalist party, with its centraliZing fea-
lures, and its subordDation of the right of
local self government and the reserved
powers of the STATES to the federal govern
ment at Washington; while the democratic
principle of the limited sovereignty of the
general government and the supremacy of
the States within their own sphere is the
found alton of the organic law, and the dem
ocratic party of to-day still maintains this
idea and is known as the only party
that has persistently demanded strict
construction of the constitution, honest
administration of public affairs, and
a total abstinence from all inter.er-
ence on the part of the federal government
with the local affairs of the several States.
Another legacy of the federal and ghig par
ties is tho party necessity of adjusting the
tariff upon the basis of protection, a prin-
ciple which runs directly into class legis-
lsiion, or the payment of bounties to
certain industries at the expense of others
On the other hand the democratic party
has ever held that it Is not one of the
duties of government to discriminate be-
tween its own citizens, but to leave each as
free and untrammelled as ossible, and while
recognizing the necessity OF revenue to
support the government, has insisted that
| the object OF revenue laws should be
revenue alone, with no faint of class legis-
lation attaching to the system. With re-
gard to the redistribution of national bank
issues, for which Mr.. Morton claims such
potency, Mr.. Mcdonald designates it as a
"bold humbug," which presupposes the
theory that the section from which national
bank notes are issued will retain them as
circulating medium within its limits. And
while recognizing the difficulty of the finan-
cial situation, be maintains the reliability OF
the cold fashioned ideas springing from
democratic principles" Among these,
first, is the necessity of specie basis for
| the circulating medium of a commercial
nation. To recover from our present alb
normal condition, in which specie is an arti-
Gle of merchandise, and deprecated cur
rency is the medium of domestic exchange,
it is not necessary that the government
should violently interfere, but that 1t should
steadily look toward resumption and con-
stantly stimulate production, and remove
obstacles from the path of reviving trade
Mr.. Med )nald also protests distinctly
against that new development and centrali-
zation found in the proposed interference OF
the federal government with corpora
tions chartered by the States, under
the plea of regulating commerce
and couples with this the alarm
ing growth of official corruption under the
fostering care of the republican party
Twelve investigation committees, during
the last session, were unable to get to the
bottom of this pool of corruption; and the
party for which Senator Morton claims
the power of purifying ITSELF has
been able to punish no one for betrayal
of official trust or for flching the peoples
money, but has rewarded Richardson for the
SanbOrn business with life Office and he has
seen. without indignation, Shepherd reap
pointed by the president to the position from
which he had been ignominiusly expelled
Mr.. Mcdonald well styled the admins.
tration of this party "school tc
teach how crime may be committed with
impunity."