The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-05
SENATOR M'poNALp's REMARKS.

T. A. HENDRICKS
SENATOR M'DoNALD's REMARKS.
Following the reading of Governor Hendricks
letter, Senator Mcdonald was introduced, and in
his predatory remarks he stated that he had list
ened to the reading of the communication with
great interest" He regretted that he was not
as well prepared to speak as the occasion de
manded, explaining that owing to his business
he had not been able to devote any time to pre-
paration. Governor Hendricks had not said any
too much about the Importance of the Demo
cratic press, and, as chairman of the State Cen
tral I'M he knew that there was no
agency which contributed more to the
success of the party. From the hour the State
convention had adjourned he had entertained
no donbt ahout the Democrats carrying Indiana.
Inc party had met with marked success through
out the country, but IN no state hal the victory
been so great as here in Indiana, where they had
fought the combined forces of the Republican
party, in which there was no break. In other
states the Republicans had been weakened by
backbiting and internal dissensIons; and the vic
TORY achieved by The Indiana Democracy had
been a substantial one. 1t has, he said, placed
the Democracy virtually in the ascendaney
for the next two years. After the 4th
or March Congress passed into the hands of the
Democracy. 1t does not go necessarily to re-
said, (which has "A vested right to office, and
therefore a party in power is always a party on
trial. Defeats administer their lessons-ad
versit is a stern teacher, but l am willing to ac-
cept IL on those terms, and you who stand as the
watchmen of the party ought to have that I'M
dersto0d." The Republicans, he thought,
mad had a lesson in the late election
and said that already they were profit
Ing. by it. He attacked President
Arthur, charging that he did not exercise his
power in checking the abuses of political power.
He himself had always ~sympathized with the
poor clerks of the government, and was opposed
10 the collection OF campaign assessments from
them. He had been a member of the committee
appointed in 1873 to investigate the system Of
raising campaign money, aud knew something
about the matter. He said Lhat 80. 600 had hppn
sent to the First district in Indiana to aid in the
election OF Holman, and money had been dis
trlbuted in other close congressional districts.
After dwelling on this subject at some length
he touched briefly upon the question of civil
service reform, stating that he had not examined
the Pendleton bill, (which the Republicans, it
seemed, had fallen in love with" He was OPP
posed TO perpetuity in civil office, because it was
antl-democratic, ana in this particular the pro-
posed civil service would meet with his OPPOSE
ton. He was in favor, however, he stated, of
making the employees of the gov.
perpetuity in office was adopted it would simply
be borrowing from Great Britain, and the neces-
sary sequence would be a civil list. In the mat
ter OF revenue reform on internal and most im-
port duties, he said; "f am in favor of the great
est possible reform in the revenue system, but l
want it to begin with the tariff laws, with
which we will adjust the internal revenue" The
enpenses of the war made the internal revenue
indispensable. The government had been
running on "A high-pressure system since the war
and had been operating under the stinnulant of
high protective tariff. AS a result, our manu-
facIures are producing only for the local mar
ket, and our IN with foreign nations is
now restricted to the products of the farm. He
entered into a statistical discussion of the tariff
question, dwelling upon 1t at some length. In
conclusion, he said that Indiana, having re
deemed herself, will now go forward, and asked
the Democratic press to unite il the advocacy of
sound Democratic principles.
AT the CONCLUSION of Senator McDonald's
speech, Hon. Bayless W. Hanna spoke briefly,
enliveuing the occasion with some humorous
eonceits of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Murat- Halstead" order.
In the course of an excitable political speech
by DR.. W. r. Sherrod, surgeon OF the Prison
South, the name of Joseph E.
Mcdonald was proposed for President in
1884, and was greeted with liberal applause. A
motion TO adjourn followed and was C: r led, but
before leaving the room the crowd was called to
order to hear an address by J. b. Maynard, of the
Sentinel, prepared for the OCCASION, which was
then delivered.
The next meeting of the ASSOCIATION will be
held on the last Thursday in June, at Logans-
port.