Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-07-05

| tLal WI INV 4 Il "IlCIl Ics1tt
no sea unexplored and n navy whic
takes no law from superior force.
Mark the word, $50 that it may agai
be true that we have commerce whic
leaves no sea unexplored and nav
which takes no law from superio
force" Here is an indictment of tn
republican party, drawn by friendl
hands, which sets out four things
First, that a burden rests upon Ameri
can shipping; second, that it is de
pressed thereby and that they demand
relief from congress; third, that Amer
lean commerce may flourish again an,
fourth, the humiliating confession -tha
it now takes its law from u superior
force. A confession that burdens res
upon American shipping; a confession
that it is depressed; confession tina
it once tiOurishe,l; confession that j
now takes its law from superior force
When were these burdens created
They did not exist when the democratic
party laid down the control of the gen
eral government. Commerce was no
then depressed. No. upon their owl
statement it was not; for they ask tina,
it, commerce, may again flourish
They had not the manhood to say, thai
it may again, as in the days when the
democratic party had control of the
country, tiourish! Again: 1--WE de-
mand the restoration of our navy tC
the old time,"-the old democratic
days-''to its old time strength and
efficiency, that it may in any sea protect
the rights Of American citizens and
the interests of American commerce >
Was there ever such all Indictment
drawn against the republican party b,
the most unfriendly hands Com
merce burdened, commerce de.
pressed and the navy destroy.
ed. And they promise congress shal
grant some relief! They start out in
that platform, in the first clause, by
pointing with pride to the twenty-foul
years control of this government by
the republican party, yet this lamenta.
ble state of facts existing by their own
testimony, has all been brought about
during that period. Can you look fol
relieffrom that scource. !? Not at all.
What do they tell you Are they hon
est in desire to restore American
shipping and American commerce
This question is answered by them
selves. In another section of the same
platform, the man who wrote it being
unable to remember the preceding
section, says: "We therefore demand
that the imposition of duties on foreign
imports shall be made not for revenue
only, &C." What has destroyed Amer
lean shipping What has destroyed
the American navy What has driven
from the sea American commerce
Why, it is the protective policy. There
is no doubt about that. 1t can be ex-
planned in word. Under the protective
system now in vogue in this country,
there is levied, upon all average, forty
three per cent Oh every article that en-
ters into shipping interests. Upon
everything that goes into shipbuilding is
levied this protective tariff. In Eng
land man can build ship for hum
dred thousand dollars, but in this
country the same ship will cost hun
dred and forty three thousand dollars.
You know as business men that ii you
have here man with hundred thous-
and dollars III his business, and side by
side with him is anOthermam, in identical
ly the same business of the same charac-
ter and extent, with hundred and forty
three thousand dollars III the same bus
iness, you know that the latter cannot
compete with the former. Hence this
protective tariff OF forty-three per cent.
has absolutely stopped ship building in
and driven American coInluere
from the sea. You know under the reg :.
istry laws you cannot go to England and
buy ship built there and register it as
all American vessel. SO the republican
party goes before the country depIor-
ing the depression Of commerce upon
the high seas, which are tree to all,
and asks that it be restored, and then
pledge themselves to main al IA the very
policy which has been the instrument
of this depression and destruction. Then,
my fellow citizens, if it be true that the
destruction OF American commerce j.
to be deplOred, it cannot be restored
through the instrumentality of the re-
publican party.
Again, it says: "The republican
party tavors policy which shall keep
us from entang ling alliances with for
elgn nations and which shall give the
right to expect that foreign nations shall
refrain from meddling. in American
affairs" This is wise. But after they
have put forth that declaration they
turn round and nominate for the presi-
dency James G. Blaine; the very man
who in accepting the portfolio OF state
under Garfield. said his administration
should be made brilliant 50 as to COM
mend it to the American people for Il
second term, and he sought to do that
by meddling in the affairs OF other ma
tions. If there is anything sa
cred between man and man it is a
piighted word. Ii there is ANYTHING
that is sacred between nations il is their
solemn treaty. This man, to make
administration great, turns
round and violates solemn treaty of
the United States. He would avoid
alliances, but thro Ws his arm
as secretary OF state surreptitiously and
to us as people, into the
affairs of South America. The Monroe
doctrine is good thing, when you
have a navy to back it. That doctrine
as originally announced, is that we are
opposed to the estab ishment of mon
irchial governments Oh American soil;
but MIR. Blaine went farther and inter
tered with the internal affairs of a
south American republic. They put
The declaration there, we are opposed
10 ''entanglimg alliances" and then
nominate the very man who used his
noWer AS secretary of state to draw us
nto just such Il difficulty
But look further into their platform.
# we 60 back little further we find
his section: eve have always recon-
nendrd the best money known to the
'iViliZed world, and we urge that all
.tfort he made to unite all commercial
nations in the establishment OF an inter-
rational standard which shall fix for all
he relative value of gold and silver
:oin.'
What is it that moves the CONNER
ial world! There is AN old lady down
II our country who, when some one
old her that money was not happiness,
aid it was the next thing to it. And
he about hit the nail on the head.
What is the power behind the sword? |
is money. This party having de- |
Jared itself opposed Ia entangling alli- |
nrrs with foreign nations, turns round |
nj in the most vital part of its policy 1
a, : it is in favor of uniting, forming
IIitmces as to that policy with all the
alions of the earth. The platform is
complete medley.
1t says further that the republican
arty is in favor of holding the public
.nds as heritage of the people of the
initcd States ,andthat they should be re-
erved for actual settlers. A party that
AS given away to single corporations
asst tracts of land as large as the state