The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-03

administration, the credit of the government was
so low that the governments loans could not be
negotiated at less than 10 to II per cent inter
est and found few takers even at those rates.
To-day our citizens willingly lend money to our
government at three per cent interest Yet the
Democratic platform says that the Republican
party has for twenty four years steadily de-
cayAd in moral character and political capaeity!n
How sublime must have been the moral charac-
ter, how transcendant the political capacity of
the Republican party in its early days, if, after
twenty four years OF steady decay, it can bring
forth such results.
CURRENCY.
The Republican party has furnished the
United States with the best and safest currency
it ever had and as good as the world has pro
duced Who would dare to advance the pPopo-
worthless curreneyl The Republican party was
right on the greenbaek question, and has always
insisted that every dollar of paper currency
issued should be readily convertible into gold
Nation should remember that after denouneing
green backs as frauds upon the people the Dem
ocratic party demanded that the government
should violate its pledge, limiting by law the
amount OF greenbacks to be issued, and called
for an unlimited issue of greenbacks which
would have been bad faith and virtual repudia-
ton, rendering a return to specie pay
ments impracticable The Republican
faith Of the Nation, kept inviolate its
solemn promise, and speedily made every dollar
of greepback and national bank currency worth
its face in gold. The Republican party has
long favored, and now urges the permanent fix
ing of the relative values of gold and silver
coinage by international agreement to the end
that common standard Of value may be estab-
lished that will enable the United States to use
the silver coined from its mines as an auxiliary
~ conducting It's foreign commerce. Upon this
important question the Democratic party is 81
lent IN its national platform
REDUCTION OF TAXATION.
The Democratic national platform contains
this statement: I'VE denounee the Republican
party for having failed to relieve the people
from crushing war taxes which have paralyzed
business, crippled industry and deprived labor of
employment and just reward" Hendricks in
his ratification speech of July IL, says: There
has been no reduction in public expenditures
although the war all the while is passing
further and further away from us. Still, this
Republican party makes no reduction III public
expenditures. Shall we have good government
Shall we have low taxes?s Now, every intelli
gent person in the United States knows that
both of those statements are untrue. The
statutes and official records prove them to be
false. But before stating what has been ac-
complished by the Republican party upon this
point. let us inquire what has the Democratic
party done toward reducing national taxationl
The specious promise that it will reduce taxes is
favorite deceit praetieed by the Democratic
party. How has it kept these promises? 1t is
now nineteen years since the war closed. During
that period the Democratic party had control of
the House OF Representatives of the Forty
fourth, Forty-ifth Forty sixth and Forty-eighth
Congresses. All bills touching the raising of
government revenues must, under the Consti-
tutlon originate IN the lower mouse OF Con-
gfess. Inc Dehocfatlc party mas had full
control of the lower house of Congress
nearly one half of the time since the war closed
ana mas mad control OF both houses OF Congress
two years of that time- What reduction of taxes
mas 1t mades Inc only reduction OF internal
revenue taxation made during the eight years
the Democratie party mas had control o. the
lower house OF Congress, Is that the tax ON
qulnlne mas oeen removed, and even that reduc-
uion was accomplished Dy hepuoncan votes III
the Rouse ana senate. NOW what has the he.
publican party done towards lowering war taxes
Turing the war almost every article, trade and
Occupation was heaviiy taxed oy the general
government. Iaxes tnus raised are called lnternaE
revenue, as diSungulsneo from customs revenue
oerlyed from d9tes psso upon imported ARTICLES,
winch arg ealteu taLll taxes. AS soon as the
war was over the hepuphcan party began TO
rednce taxation, foiiowing one reduction by
announcer as rapidly as the necessities and the
PreserVaelun q the Iai5n anu crealt Of the
Nanon Would permit. fAghe olIerent reaucpons
y lileelni rsseLue eAes .Ve oeen nlue ~ Inc
fGepuullean party, aggreeatlnS q totai reouetlon
OF annua. lnternai revenue taxatlon 20 the
amount OF over TWO hundred ana ntty mllhons
y uoliars' zreless trssGes anu occupations that
Prouuceu' III que year ehelig June oV' IoUo an
lh1elhal revenue OF over TWO hundred and hfty
miiilon dollars, are now entirely exempt from
1eaera Gaxation-
Inc hepuallcan party has also made re-
ducelons IN the tariff revenue aggregatng
total reduction OF nearly one hundred million
dollars IN our annual customs revenue Only
three articles now pay any internal revenue tax;
they are liquors tobacco and national banks
while the hist OF imported articles admitted free
OF tariff duties has been largely increased. Now
let us see What truth there IS IN Hendnckss
statement that This Republican party makes
The net ordinary expenses of the government,
auI T 1he wal, wltious lneiualag interest
were as follows. as shown by the uay reps.