Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-05-01

And where stands the Republican party to
day upon this mighty question in our loca
politics? 1t heeds the voice of public judg
ment. 1t recognizes the relief that has com
To the overburdened taxpayers of the State
1t stands by the Scott law. 1t stands by il q
a measure of revenue, and not only as a tal
upon traffic that is injurious to the best In
terests of the State, but il stands by il as
measure of restriction and regulation. Ii j
not unmindfnl to-day, my countrymen, tina
800, 900 lawful voters of Ohio, al least las
fall. marched to the ballot-b xes, and inss
much as this traffic refused to be taxed; mas
much as this traffic was combining with tht
Democratic party TO destroy the Scott law
they demanded absolute prohibition. Tha
voice is not without its potency in Ohio pol
itics to-day. The Republican party will lis
ten to the voice of public judgment, as to the
call of duty, and will heed the behests of the
people when thus made known, although il
stands upon forms shcrt of prohibition.
Let the friends of restrictive legislation, the
friends of taxation. the friends of progress
upon the liquor traffic, stand by The Republi'
can party in its upholding of these measure:
OF taxation, regulation, and reform, and the
Democratic party will be compelled hereafter
20 acknowledge the wisdom OF the Judgment
of the Republican party. 1t will camp to-
morrow night where we camp tonight upor
this question. Hungry and weary, foot sort
it may be, but following along in the rear, ltl
eyes upon the signal lights that fash from tbs
victorious banners of the Republican party
They know that our progress is in the righl
direction; that there are no rocks In the
channel, no simoons upon the plain, while
they follow submissively the leadership of the
Republican party.
lime would fail me to speak of other mat
tiers of State legislation in which this Demo-
cratic party has failed to make good its prom-
ises of reform and intelligent legislation
Time would fail me to speak of its promises
to abolish the contract system, unful1lled to-
day. They have kept, in that regard, ''the
word of promise 10 the ear, bnt have broken
il 10 the hope"
But one year ago, and our Democratic
brethren were shedding crocodile tears over
the sheep interests of Ohio. The flock mas
ters of the State were the especial wards of
Democratic craftsmanship and they cried out
and lifted up their voice by night and by day.
They said if they were put in power they
would restore the tariff of 1867, and lift up
this falteriHg interest in Ohio. And they got
into power. They elected the Speaker of Con>
gress. They elected majority of the House
of Representatives, and to-day their record Is
that the demands of the sheep interests of
Ohio, and Of the Nation, were disregarded by
this Democratic Congress, and the represents
atives of that mighty industry came home
Iisgusted with the party of promises. They
would not permit it to come before Congress,
and up to this time their paper has gone to
protest upon that great question.
Look forward. Where stand the two
great parties, confronting each other in Ohio,
upon the threshold OF this great national bat
tie? fhe Republican party, without broken
promise, with record of administrative sue
cess sueh as no political organization in the
United States ever had befere-a record of
and farthfulness such as was ob-
-ained by no party representative of free
government anywhere else on earth. Right
n its past record, right in its present aspIra
ions and hopes, the people assured that its
promises will be redeemed, dollar for dollar
Ii the gold coin Of truth, it promised to take
steps forward to release the civil service of
,he Government from the incubus and curse
If partisan politics. 1t has made substantial
progress in that direction; and the Republi-
;ans to-day have right to demand OF the
Independent men of the country-the men
Who have made this question of civil service
eform cardinal point in their platform.
cardinal idea IN their views of government
hearty and earnest co operation in the strug>
lie of 1884. For, not only has the Republican
party done all this, but the great Democratic
party of Ohio struck down one of its greatest
of its purest statesmen, one of its
)est eXponents-for the crime of hoving fas
7ored civil service reform. And to do it.
hey had to go into the catacombs of past
and exhume from the musty and
noldy cerements of the tomb, the man to do
he work with.
But the Republican rarty to-day stands as
he champion, and the sole champion, of the
dea and principle of protection to American
and this will be one of the great
md all>important questions of the coming
Other questions may provoke more
Utterances upon the stump upon
,ther subjects may draw forth louder ap-
,lause; but the question that will bring the
Toters from the workshops, and the mines,
ind the farms, and all the industrial pursuits
If the country, to the balIot-box, to vote the
Republican ticket, will be the great question
,f sustaining the industrial prosperity of the
country.
The record of the Democratic party upon
his subject is equivocal an3 dishonest. Its
platform utterances have always been in
ayor of free trade, or its substantial equiva-
ent. The record of the Republican party, on
he other hand, has been uniform, consistent
md persistent. 1t demands that the revenues
If the Government, derived from taxation
Ipon imports. shall be so levied-not only as
matter of Incidental resuIt-to operate as
to American labor, but that they
hail be thus levied and thus collected upon
he very principle and idea of protection.
speak not for q political party, but for
myself, when / say that, instead of a tariff
or revenue, with incidental protection, l.
would have tariff for protection, with incl
leutal revenue. 1t is true that some Ohio
Democrats give expression to sentiments al
most similar to these, and some of them have
Ound their way into Congress. but they are
,owerless to aid in establishing protection;
nd wnen MIR. Carlisle was nominated by the
Democratic caucus, himself an avowed free
raider, these men of Ohio, Democrats elected
lpon the very issue that had gone down in
hat contest, were compelled by the trans
nels of party caucus to support free trader
or Speaker, and train of evils has flown
rom it. To-day the interests of the country
re suffering from the uncertainty that hangs
bout the future of legislation upon this
question. a great majority of the Democratic
members of Congress are in favor of free
rade, and they hold over the interests of the
ountry a Damocletian sword of free trade
egslation that unsettles public confidence,
'uts out the fires in the forges, silences the
um of the spindle in the mill, suppresses the
inc of the pick in the coal deposits of the
ountry, and paralyZes industry everywhere
md the effect of this terrible threatened Leg
Station is felt to-day in the depreciation of
he values of the products of farms, and
verywhere if operates like an Incubus upon
he prospects of the country.
1t is the mission of the Republican party to
urn back this tide, to drive out of pewer and
'laee the men who have thus been unfaithful
o American labor and American prosperity, |
nd establish upon the solid rock Of public |
onidence again the industries and business |
# the country Ohio Democrats took strong |
round against the Morrison bill, and strong
round In favor of the restoration of the tariff
IN wool, but the caucus of the party laugh |
d in their faces, ard the majority upon the |
loor spurned their wool measure from them; !
nd the Democratic National Committee, as
10 enDhasize tho failure 0f Ohio tariff Dax,,