The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-10-02
Ex-aov. HENDRICKS SPEECH ON
TIEBusTNEss MEMS DODGE.
4 scsthing Review Of the Republican
Party and James A. Garfield.

Hon. Thes. A. Hendricks delivered o
speech to an immense audience at Michi-
gan City. Ind. ION Sept 29th. In which be
reviewed G the record OF the Republican
part, and alluded scathingly to the con-
duct Of James A, Garfield In the electoral
count eff 1876. Ggt-.- --
Mr.. Hendricks first called attention to
the Republican statement that
THE BUSINESS INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY
would suffer ifthey elected the Democratic
ticket He characterized such statement
as absurd in the extreme, The business
men of the country could not be blinded
by such sophistry. 1t would be best tor
the Republican leaders to let up on such
nonsense Upon what could che Republi-
cans claim better judgment than the Dem
ocrats in the manaSement of the affairs OF
the country7 he would like-to know. What
was there In their past to justify the
assertion that they could protect the coms
merclai interests of the country so much
better2 After the close of the war there
was an abundance of money in the land.
and apparent prosperity. The Republi-
cans had the majority in congress; they
had the president, all the great offices of
state. and the entire machinery of the
government. But what came of it?
THE FINANCIAL PANIC,
which struck the country as paralysis
will shatter strong man. tApplausel
What credit could the Republicans claim
for bringing upon the land financial dis
tress, such as the world had barely ever
known before. The Republicans could
keep'their advice to themselves about their
business talent, for those who had SO
IL .n.~ "a
concerns should not be trusted with the
interests of others. Those years of dense
gloom and universal depression, these
heartbreakine years of 1873, 1874 and
1S75-Who would ever forget them? Then
labor was paralyzed, and the Republicans
were crying for strong government TO
put down the tramps. daughter and
hisses.) If there was crime or an ofense
OF any kind committed, they at once laid
1t on the shoulders of poor tramps.
(Applause.) The fact was most of
THOSE TRAARs
were honest and hard working men, many
of them skilled in trade; but they could
not get bread for their wives and little
ones, and. sick at heart and footsore. they
tramped it all over the broad land. in
poverty, in distress. And this state of
things was brought about by the reckless
ness and ignorance of a Republican
government, under which the taxes
were as high and the financial burdens as
grIeVlous as they had been during the war
There had been no decrease in the expen-
dltures, no diminution of taxes, and the
consequences was that tbs business in
terests of the country being overburdened
at last gave way. and the ruin was general
those disastrous years from 1873 to 1875
were the commercial interests of the
country SO glibly boosted OF by their re-
publican friends. Laughter and cheers
1hefe were many reasons which might DO
assigned as the cause of this state of
things; but the principal cause was the
tact that no expenditures were reduced
and the government was wasteful and even
CRIMINAL IN IT'S WASTE
Of public money. When the democrats
came into power the aspectlof affairs chang
ed materially. No sooner did they get |
majority in congress than they used it to
such good advantage that there were $50, |
9O0,O00 taken off the public burden the |
nrst year, and another $4,000, 900 the |
following year. Since the democrats had |
some into power sthey had saved over
300 600 900 and if that sort of thing had
been going on for the ten years preceding.
md $780, 100000. or so had been saved.
lid they think that the panic would have
'ver struck the country? lApplause and
'ries OF No." They ell knew what hard
lines they had to go through. The
women knew it as well as did the men, and
'Ven better. They had known what it
vas 10 practice the closest economy 10 the
lum olest necessaries of home, and would
aot buy an extra silk handkerchief if they
'ould avoid it.. They never wanted to see
'nch hard and grinding times again.
those bitter days OF poverty in this great
md fertile country were the result of the
' Il Dllcan party, q Laughter. When
me republicans told them sthat they knew
now to take care of good times. and that
the interests of the business men of the
,ouhtry were safer in their hands than
any body else. he wanted them to ask re-
3uollcans the question. What were they
doing prior to 1882
TIE MOST TERRIBLE OF ALL DISTRESS
mad been upon the country in those panic
year :. but the fact that the Republicans
lao IL all their own way did NOS Seem to-