The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-06

whOle-souled outspoken, practical men, who
are pretty close to the people whom they serve.
| They are politicians, like great many other
active Republicans of the State, but, so far as /
can learn from their opponents. from Independ-
ents, and from themselves, they not using
their official power in behalf of any candidate.
They talk kindly about Arthur. but they do not
forget that his fortunes must depend upon New
York and Ohio. and they know that the people
would be repealed from any candidate if he
should 90 to work openly for himself. especially.
| if that candidate controls the patronage of the
government. They say that ''the people won't
have it, and that the people have determined to
make the nomination themselves this time.
THE DEMOCRATIC CHOICE.
The delegates from Indiana in the Democratic
convention will, in all probability, cast their
votes for ex-S Senator Joseph E. Mcdonald They
will be instructed to vote for him, and every
effort will be made to put him at the head of the
national ticket Mcdonald is probably to-day
the strongest candidate of the low-tariff wing of
his party. He was chairman of the delegation
in 1880, when the delegates persistently voted
for Hendricks. As soon as it became plain to
every sensible man that Hendricks could not get
the nomination, politicians who knew that Indi-
ana fighting ground went to the other dele
cations and found out how many votes would be
cast for Mcdonald if Hendricks should retire.
| The list was made up, and an influential Demo
crat Of Ohio put it in his pocket and came to In
dianapolis. he showed it to Hendricks. He
hoped that Hendricks would return with him to
| Cincinnati and withdraw his name. Hendricks
refused to withdraw, and, as Nc
Donald and the delegation
loyal to him Indiana became a cipher in the con
test. Now Hendricks is in Europe, and Melon
aid is the leader of his party in the State. The
ex-senator has law office in this city, and he is
respected by prominent men of both parties
Hendricks was more popular as politician than
Mcdonald can ever be, but Mcdonald has a bet
ter record. The ex-senator a war Democrat,
and he boldly defended hard money on the stump
when his party and its leaders were going head,
neck and heels into the sOft-money camp. His
tariff views ! will take up later on He is
pleasant gentleman of the old school. He is not
an eloquent speaker, nor is he master of any of
the arts by which some public men arouse en-
thusiasm and gather around them devoted adj
herents HE can empty public hall quicker
than any other man in Indiana, said Repub-
lican who knows him well and likes him He
has been candidate before the people
only once, in 1864, when he ran for Governor
against Morton, and was heated by 20, 900 votes
1t Will not be enthusiastic support that the dele
cation will give him, because men like Mcdonald
never get that kind of support, and because
Hendricks and the old ticket survive in the
hearts of Democrats in some parts of the State,
but it will be respectable support. He will have
many votes from other States, and it is reported
from Washington that many senators from the
Southwest and South have determined to work
for him. 1t is said that some of the farmers
don't like him because he appeared in court as
counsel for the owners of the driven we'll patents.
There are thousands of these wells i'll northern
Indiana. Some years after they had been put
down and paid for, the owners of the
patents proceeded against the farmers for roy
atty. Some paid and others fought, at cOnsd
cradle expense. Many of these cases are still
pending, but the owners of the patents have the
best end of the contest 1t is not probable, how
ever that Mr.. Mcdonald will suffer greatly on
this account.
no Of ho
lieves not only that the tariff rates should be
reduced as to cut off the surplus revenue, but
also, that with such reduction the rates would
still be too high for the best interest of manufac
turing industries in this country and for the good
of the people. He holds that an average ad val
orem duty of only 30 per cent would be injuri-
Gus, because it would not be low enough to allow
American manufacturers to sell in foreign mar
kets. Believing that under protection we have
outgrown our market, he maintains that we
cannot continue to be prosperous unless open
foreign markets to our manufacturers by cutting
down +%riff duties. Free trade between nations
as between individuals said he, in a speech de-
livered three years ago, which fully represents
his present position, lis undeniably the foun-
dation upon which commerce should rest,
and the government that can most nearly APP
proach this policy, consistently with a proper
administration of its affairs, will in the end
bestow the greatest benefit upon its people.
1t may be true that in some exceptional cases,
and for a limited period, it would be beneficial to
give projections but the erils of IA general policy
OF protection have been so strikingly exempfed
in our past history that if there was no question
of the power of Congress to pass protective leg
islaton, policy it ought to be abandoned
While Mr.. VOORHEES, whose speeches indicate that
he free-trader in 1866 favors tariff
that will yield sufficient revenue and at the
same time protect American manufacturers, adj
vocates protection for the sake of protec-
ton, Mr.. Mcdonald holds that the Incl
dental protection that must accompany
the collection of only $3.50, OOO, 900 of customs
revenue is injurious instead of beneficial, and
looks to free trade as the ultimate system. He
is in sympathy with Carlisle and Morrison, and
is identified with that wing of the party. NC
Donald is at heart free-trader," said a gentle
man who knows him well, but now he is talking
about incidental protection. He is hedging Il lit
tie But he is widely separated from such men
Randall and Payne the tariff question.
You can play as many tunes ON incidental pro
lection, however, you fiddle, and
you'll see that the Democrats will make an Incl
dental protection and tariff for revenue platform
broad and vague that Payne, Carlisle,
Randall and Mcdonald all get on. Yet, |
don't believe Mcdonald will yield inch. He
means what he says and he'll stick to it,"
TARIFF AND CIVIL SERVICE
How much effect will tariff reform have. as an
issue, upon the vote of Indiana next November
Notwithstanding the existence of an intelligent
public sentiment with reference to this subject,
l am inclined to give much weight to the opinion
of we'll known tariff reforner-a Republican
who says: 'The question will probably have no
effect upon the strength of the two parties in
the next election. The great majority of the
Republicans are protectionists although not,
perhaps. of the pronounced type, and the Re
publican tariff reformers, or low tariff men, can
not trust the Democratic party For that
reason they will vote the Republican ticket,
even if it is backed bya high tariff platform
The Democrats generally free-traders or low
tariff men, and don't think Mcdonald. if he
should be nominated, would lose any of them.
They would all vote for Payne. don't see how
Republican tariff reformer vote with the
Democrats The progress of the reform will be
ILL Al.-.a IL i l. L.