The Indianapolis journal., 1884-06-24
MAJOR CALKINS AT HOME.
A Rousing Reception from His Friends and
Neighbors at LaPorte.

"A Rousing Reception from His Friends and
NeighbOrs at LaPorte.
On his arrival at LaPorte Hon. William H.
Calkins was met at the depot by large number
of citizens, accompanied by the Republican
drum corps and the LaPorte band. He was at
once escorted to the court house yard, where an
enormous gathering of his old constituents and
friends awaited him, who were soon after Joined
by a large delegation from Michigan City The
Michigan City delegation was accompanied by
their local band and detachment of the Porter
Light Artillery, with cannon. who on their ar
rival fred salute of twenty-one guns in honor
of Major Calkinss nomination. The meeting
presided over by Mr.. p King who intro
duced Mr.. Calkins by IA reference to Blaine and
Logan, which was received with cheers.
Mr.. Calkins began by thanking his friends and
neighbors for their hearty welcome, and assured
them that whatever importance there was in his
selection as the Republican candidate for Govern
OF it belonged to them, because if it had not
been for their loyalty to him he would not now
be the chosen leader of the Republican party of
the State. He further assured them that warm
place in their hearts was of greater Importance
to him than the greatest office in the gift of the
people. He remarked that he would not open the
but might be pardoned for brief reference to
one of the important measures that had attracted
public notice during the present session of
Congress He briefly explained the provisions
of the Morrison horizontal tariff bill and said.
You will ask me il the tariff needed revision and if
So why the lower house not willing TO consider
the bill in committee and amend it so that any evils
existing in it might be corrected. l answer aud saw
that the bill was based the theory of tariff for
only that the 20 per cent horizontal cut was
step cSkng to the eventual reduction of the tariff to
basis without reference the effect it would
have on the great industries of the country the
wages paid TO the laboring classes To this view the
Republicans and Democrats who acted with them were
unaterably opposed, and believed that the tariff
should be adjusted that it would produce the equi-
site revenues for the government and afford protec-
ton to the industries and wage class. The Morrison
bill therefore, could not be amended as to correct
the evils that exist, because it based upon the
wrong theory. Nothing short Of an entire new bill
would answer the purpose the ends sought
be met.
Mr. Cakins illustrated by referring to the
various articles which were involved in the
tarif-wool iron and other items being the
subjects. Mr.. Calkins, during the course of his
remarks, referred to the fact that as long as we
were one of the members of the family of
nations, and our schedule of wages was higher
than any other it was our duty to close the gap
by our tariff law between the schedule we pay
ana that paid by other nations. Illustrating
his remarks on this subject, he referred to the
cheap labor of the Chinese; that years Of
brutality had Injured them to coarse and meager
diet, which enabled them to live cheaply and
work for lower price than our own laboring
people could live on; that more people in this
country had nothing to sell but their days
labor than any other class, and that it was
our duty to pass such laws as would afford an
ample market for as many days work as pos
sible and at the greatest price obtainable; that
the result of free trade would inevitably lead to
an open market for labor and throw the doors
wide open to European labor We would
then have cheap food and cheap products, but at
the same time we Will have beggared our own
wage class and deprived them Of the means of
earning sufficient money to buy the food and
clothes thus cheapened. He closed his remarks
by saying that SO long as he was in public life he
should legislate for Americans and not in the in
terest Of British capital
He then referred to our candidates, Blaine and
Logan. He said that already the enemies of
Blaine were sharpening their shafts Of calumny,