The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-23
A CORRUPT SYSTEM.
What the Republican Party Has
Accomplished.
An Excellent Speech by Thomas J. Wood
Member of Congress from the Tenth
Indiana District, at Royal
Center, Ind.

Tho ReDlDilc0u party mas uAl lllll power
this Government for nearly twenty four
years. During that time more OF the peoples
money has been wasted through fraud, pecu-
Iation and bribery than in the whole seventy
two wears of Government administration by
the Democratic and Wing parties. Go back
four years and recount the defalcatIons or he
publican officials. They cover shameful
page in our history, and include burnside,
late dishursing officer of the POst-oihce De-
partTnent $4,000 and john Hall, United States
Marshal at Pittsburgh, SIS, UJ0 The list is a
long one The amount Of defalcations since
June 81. 1881. up to June 81, 1888, amount TO
nearly 5000 O0O. Straw bonds were taken IN
hundreds of cases, and when the official be-
came a defaulter the AttOrney-General or
dered suit brought upon the bonds which
were found TO be worthless. and this vast sum
of money was lost to the Government every
dollar of which came from the pocket of the
people. But bad as this is the worst is not
told There we're defalcatiOns of Govern
ment officials from June 20, 1881, to June 81,
1873 of over Sl.S54.O0J, and the Attorney
General, knowing the bonds of such de-
faulting officers 10 be worthless, did not
sue them, but compromised with the de-
faulters for about SAL 0J0. leaving total loss
to the Government of over $I4l3,O0J. The
sum total of defAlcations in the last three
years reaches the enormous sum Of 5 i,0UU,00l.
With this bad record before the people tie
Republican party asks to ..be again trusted
with public Affairs. Can you trust 1t another
four years in the face Of this dishonest rec
ordI | expected nothing less than this when
/ saw the leaders OF that party spending vast
sums of money in 1880 to corrupt the people
then sown broadcast over the country, and
the result is a general defacatiol OF public
officials. The same unholy and corrupt sys
tenn is adopted tbs year Your neIShbor is
to be corrupted, if possible, by m )ney-mOncy
wrung from 100 - Oifice-hOldsrS in defiance
of the tivil-ScrYiCe law. Your elections arc
to be corrupted. YOur baOt-boX 70 become
a mOckcrg of honesty ana honest men. How
will the people enforce reform and purity in
the admin Ir3tiOn OF this Government when
the ballO.-JON, the only peaceful res ut OF
free people to remedy evils, becomes
a receptacle for dishonesty and cor
rupt on. VII the dishonest men Of this
country permit his corrupt system 10 be re-
pcafc this year? VIII raSca Ity suppIant the
honesty of the people There has not been
fair and honest Presidential c ection III this
country Tor Twelve wears bribery, ifaui,
corruption and general dishonesty, brought
about by the force of unhOly money. mas ca
ricd the last three Presidential elections.
How long is the voice Of the wOrkiuCuen, the
farmer, the mcci anic and tn. ~. san To be
Sti!cd in this way Their uewSDa DerS pub
lish anything, true or false. TGeir workers
and strikers Labor to SANDER, daianc ana
Willy. can such party tee longer trusted:
The RCpubi can parry in congress deheS
every cHOrt to c.lucc the Government taNes.
IL i known as The high-taN party. The con-
test this tai. j. between hiGh tax aud tow tax.
The Repuu llcan party wants a protective tar
if, which means Il high tax on llnpo Is me
Democratic Darty adY0caUs lower tax, one
sufficient To raise money enough to support
this Government and no more. Ii does not
believe IN protection beyond this amount.
pay. What party make nigh Gov
crnment taxes. " nat party cOmDelS the work
ingmen TO pay three dollars for TWO dollars
worth ut sugar: Is fifty per cent tax on
suaar high or not Wha1 party coInpelS the
labor ing man to pay az Cor so suit OF
wColen clothes; Is sixty per cent. On-woOicnS
Il hia-n tax or note A;id so on through the list
OF two thousand articles. We want less tax,
less Gefacati on. and better government This
high tax on all the worKingman wears and on
part that he ca's takes back part OF his daily
wages for the benefit OF the monopolISt. Let
him count the increase of price on ali he buys
during the year hy virtue of high taxes. and
subtract the sum from his daily wages and he
will find that he * paid less at the end of the
year than the saborarS of England. The labor
ing man does not grow rich by high-tariH
tax. Who docs: Not the farmer or mechanic.
The mOn0pOliS5 is the man benefited by the
hightar1n tax. He is prosperous from the
earnings of others that ne has paid nothing
for. Is this tue. Go over to the store and
you find one price for sugar, whether II Is
the imported domestic article. The inn
ported article has paid fifty per cent. tax white
the domestic article has not yet they both
sell for one price. Tne manufacturer there
fore gets the benefit ofUhe high tax and does
not pay one cent Of il. GO to the drH-"oOds
store and you ind the same thing. The I'M
ported and aOmcSt article rose IN price side
by side. one has pad a high Government
tax, the other no tax The wealth OF the
country does not pay the Government tax 1t
is paid when imported goods are purchased.
The consumer pays II when he buys the goods
that have pad the Government tax. Now
the great railroad wealth and bank wealth,
and osher corpor ite wealth pa; scarce V any
thing Of this Government tax. These wealthy
corporations buy none OF these taxed gooIS,
and il therefore goes free OF bearing a Just
proportion OF the burdens OF the Government.
The moor IN pay it when they purchase the
goods \ poor man worth $1,000 with ;n av
e-,1ge .fa niv will purchase about the
same amount OF WOODEN goods per
year "a man worth 100000 with
an average family. Here the poor man
paws as mucl Government tax as thu
rich man. { is so on cry article. Ought
not this august and une ual law be reformed!
The Republican parry says, no. 1t works on
the side of wealth a the while. What party
created the monODoies of this country! They
Were created BY high taXcS-nOthing else.
The Government made taxes on two thousand
articles high to luild mp home mOnopoicS.
Do YOU favor such policy: If so. vote the
Rcpub lean Ticket. 4 he Democratic parry
wants fair and just reducIi II OF Govern
mcnt taxes. High taxes are unnecessary
now To bring sufficient revenue and unneceS-
sGry III protect our Infant industries" They
W b. nIOtetted enough 10y revenue tariff
That Will give tnem over SlI5.HO.01 protcc-
ton. Is thar not enough? What decent Re
pub lean desires 10 give them more protection
than his \ protective tariff protects Il few
people " no need no protection The protect
ed few are tinanc ally the ableSt OF our people.