The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-02-07
The Republican Party Against tht
People.

The Republican Party Against the
| People.
The true theory of the American govern
ment Is to preserve the rights of the people
against the encroachments of the rulers and
party leaders. The mere fact that for a while
the majority of the people follow the lead of
an administration, or the dictates of party
leaders, does not necessarily indicate that
the will of the people is not being violated.
Deception, party prejudice. the ignorance Of
the masses of the ultimate designs of the
managers. and many other things frequently
lead the masses of the people to sustain a
party, when at the same time that party, or
the leaders and managers thereof, are really
deirauding the people and trsmpling on
their dearest rights.
But the people at times wake up. Their
eyes suddenly open to discover that they
are the dupes of designing men,
and that they have been following
the fortunes of men whose only object Is
personal sggrandizement and plumber. The
people of this country to-day see the politi-
cal situation in light that convincss them
that the Republican party leaders have been
most wickedly betrsying the trust reposed
in them; that the interest and well being of
the masses of the people are grossly sacri-
feed to the rapacity of the few. The history
of Republican legislation In this country
shows no favor to the masses. The common
people, without money or influence, have
received no consideration at their hands.
The tariff legislation of the Republican
most shameful disregard of jus
tice to the masses, and directly
in TIE interest OF aggregated capital. With
the shallow pretense of raising the revenue,
tax has been levied on articles of common
use, that, while it put one dollar into the
treasury of the United States, it put nine
| into the peck cts of manufacturing corpora
tons. The people en- masse had to pay ten
dollars, when if the tariff had been properly
adjusted they would have had to pay but
one The financial legislation of the country
shows the same discrimination in favor of
the rich. The necessities of the government
involved the credit system, and the paper
currency, irredeemable In gold, was put
forth to represent portion of the nations
debt, and this was done in a way to give
double profit to the bankers. Vast amounts
of the legal tender were issued when the
country was prosperous, and speculative
industry became ready to develop the
resources of the country, but at
the bidding of the bankers and money ed
corporations, contraction commenced and
hundreds of millions of the currency was de-
s.royed. An internal revenue tax drained
the country of the currency, and suddenly
in the complications of commercial chica-
merry the money power became psrslyze
on a Black Friday, and at its bidding ex-
pansion ensued. Then again, when that
power had so hedged about for its own profit
that by contraction 1t could better Cypress
the people, contraction was again resumed,
and so it has proceeded until the present
day, the weaker yielding to the grasp OF the
powerful, until all speculative industries
have been brought to stand still, and CAPT
tai stands threatening with its mortgage
grasp to assert the ownership of the mate
rial wealth of the country.
The same one-sided policy has obtained in
the subsidy legislation OF the dominant
party. Instead of making 1t easy for the
masses of the people to secure homes In our
possessions In the West, instead OF divid-
ing it out in liberal homssteads to the SOL
diers OF the republic, the vast domain has
been given away to gigantic corporations,
whose capital amounted TO scores OF mill
ions, thus enriching the few and defraud-
ing the many. The leaders of the Republi-
can party, in all these schemes OF robbery
and plumber, surfeiting themselves with ac-
copied brides of stock and gold. Rings
within rings have enabled congressman,
senators, cabinet officers, revenue collectors
contractors, to retire with brief terms Of
service into the luxurious occupation
of clipping coupons from govern
ment bonds. A brief recapituIation of the
various systems of government swindline
J In which the Republican leaders have had
their hands elbow deep, would sicken the
heart OF a true patriot. Laws have beer
! passed through congress without suspicion