The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-08-31
POLITICAL MOVEMENTS.
Ex-senator Mcdonald Sounds
the keynote in Indiana.

the keynote in Indiana.
At Indianapolis, on the 21st, Ex- Sena-
tor Joseph E. Mcdonald, at a largely at
tended meeting of the Jefferson Club,
delivered a speech, intended to prerent
| the issue of the State campaign from a
| Democratic standpoint. He assailed the
| Republicans because of the eXtrava-
gance for which, he said, they had al
ways been notorious since they had con-
troll of public affairs. No sooner, he said,
had the Republican party been restored
to power in Congress than the economy
which had been introduced into public
expenditures by the Democratic Con-
gress was abandoned, and they returned
at once to their former extravaganza.
The increase of the revenue in 1882 had
been such that if the expenses had been
kept down very large surplus might
have been applied to the reduction of
the national debt, and the fact that the
national debt had been at all reduced
was because Democratic economy had
saved the money which the Republicans
had boastingly applied to that purpose.
He ridiculed the attempted legislation
both of the House and Senate, and said
the Republicans only endeaYOred to
help those who least needed it. He said
that what the Democrats and the people
demanded and would insist upon was,
that although the peace policy shall be
adopted as to revenue and expenditures
the present unjust system of taxation
shall be revised, and that taxes levied
as duties upon imports shall be confined
strictly to a revenue standard, and if in
so doing it shall be in our power to dis
pense with all other taxes, then that the
internal revenue system of taxation be
repealed, thus relieving the Government
and the people from the expense of
maintaining a double system of taxa
ton.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
After referring to the spOils system
and the placing upon the shoulders of
the public employees the burden of parti-
san expenditures for their party, he said
it was not surprising that party with
with such a record should seek, in this
canvass, by immateTial and false issues,
ia draw public attention away from its
misdeeds. RecOunting at length the
provisions of various States as to the
amendment of their Constitutions, he
argued that in all of them it was re-
uuired that the election at which the
people shall be called upon to vote upon
a proposed amendment is at a general
election, usually that at which mem
bers of the General Assembly are to be
elected next after the measure has
| passed through the forms of legislation.
His conclusion was, therefore, that the
constitutional amendments now pend
ing before the people of Indiana neces-
sarily come up in this campaign for set
! tlement, as political questions of the
very highest Importance and of the very
| greatest consequence. He thought the
resolution of the Democratic Convention
clear and unmistakable in opposition tC
the prohibition amendment, that it was
consistent with the past record of that
party in this State since 1854, and thai
it was in harmony with the Constitu.
tiOn in demanding that the amendment
should be submitted, if at all, at gen
eral election. He charged that the Re
publicans, after initiating the question
had endeaYored to shirk the response
bility by an immaterial issue and by
proposing to take from the next Legis
latqre the power Of judgment and de
cision upon the merits Of the proposed
amendments by their demand that they
! should be submitted pro forma. To give