The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-08

VIC &NUttt<A W nn ctts~ WV ~
pearance Of the speech which ex-senator
McDoxsIp, OF Indiana, made last week, IL
indianapolis. to the Democratic editors o.
that State, and were rewarded yestcrds,
by finding full copy OF II in one OF ou'
exchanges We were anxious TO know
how Mr.. MCDONALD would attempt Il
smooth his way to the Democratic nomlna
tion for President OF the United states
lie l. said 10 be the candidate OF Mr. WAT
TgEsox. and 10 represent the same portion
OF the Democratic party that was successful
i'm elec,ing Mr.. CARLISLE Speaker OF the
presen, House OF Representatives. In
word. he Is constantly spoken OF as sori
OF congressional cauddate--that is to say,
the favoritc OF the Democratic members OF
Congress.
In 1876, on our way TO the Democratic
National Convention, we passed through
Washington. and found, TO our surprise
no doubt. though we are not sure as to
this, that we. who had for months been
advocating the nomination OF Mr.. TILD.N,
were entirely out OF accord with most oil
the Democratic members OF Congress
but when we reached St. Louis, and talked
with the delegates to that body, who were
fresh from the people. we soon ascertained
that congressman are not infallible.
In 1880 the uncertainty which existed
ND 70 the time Of the meeting OF the Demo
cratic National Convention as TO whether
Mr.. SEYMOUR and Mr.. TILDEN would con-
sent TO the use of their names rs candidates
or not kept matters IN state of glorious
uncertainty even up to the moment OF the
assembling Of that body; end when letters
were read from both taose gentlemen decla-
ring positively that they would not accept
the nomination, it was too late for our DEM
ocratic would-be rulers in Washington to
agree upon a candidate.
The declination of Mr.. TnDEN threw
MIR. HENDRICKS overheard. very much to
his astonishment. The Indiana delegates
had gone 10 Cincinnati pledged TO his nom-
inatlon. They were led by Mr.. McD0N-
AID. Mr.. MCDONALD himself would have
received the nomination, we believe, II he
had not absolutely refused to be nom-
mated in preference to Mr.. HENDRICKS,
who acted the part OF the dog in the
Manager. This act OF seif-sacrifice on the
part OF Mr.. MCDONALD proves him to be
a good man and true, and to be all that he
ought TO be, so far as his personal charac-
ter is concerned. We fear that MIR. HEND-
RIcKs would not have been, as Mr.. BEECH
Err said on a memorable OCCASION, ga better
man in his place." Anyhow, Mr.. McDoN-
AID, like Mr.. SEYMOUR, declined nomna-
ton which would have made him Presi-
dent: for il was the loss OF Indiana in De-
tober, 1850, that caused the defeat Of Gene
raj HANCOCK in November, and il Mr.. |
McDosALD had been our candidate, In |
diana would not have been lost. BY the
way. let us say here that Indiana will this |
year hold her State elections on the day OF
the presidential election.
Well. what did Mr.. MCDONALD say in his
speech TO the Democratic editors Of In
diana: Not one wordIthat will help him
in his race for the presidency. We called |!
attention last week to his unfortunate at
tempt in a reported interview to convince |
the workingmen OF this country that high |
money-wages were not proof positive that |
the real price Of labor was higher in this
country than in Europe. II "thc woman
who hesitates is lost" the aspirant to the
presidency who does not hesitate to express |
such an opinion as the one referred to is |
In great danger OF losing his presidential
boom. II we should fix upon BAYARD. or
FIELD, or RANDALL, or HANCOCK, or HEw-
TIT. or any other man, rs our first choice
for the Democratic nomination for
President, and lie should write a
letter, or make q speech, or put
an interview into newspaper. in
which he should try TO show American
mechanics either that "protection does not
protect" or that they do not receive better
wages than the foreign worllmen receive
in their own country who are Hooking
10 this country by thousands. we should
feel that our fayorite's cake was all dough.
III Mr.. MCDONALD has not done either OF
these things in his last speech, he has cone
so near il that he viii probably be charged
always with having done both. We give
an extract from his speech. BY the way,
his speech il most OF it entirely unobiec-
tionable. consisting Of lot OF innocent
statistics, garnishcd with few guileless
remarks on the decline OF the SHIPPING Of
this country. In fact his subject was, " Our
Commerce with Foreign Nations, and Its
Relations to the Productive Industries Of
Indiana" II was natural, too, for him TO
touch the tariff in discussing that subject,
He says 10 the worklngmen:
cit has been insisted that TO compete
with foreign manufactures and foreign
markets ii Will require a reduction VI
wages in this country to reduce the cost OF
manufacturing. This might he true of
such articles as derive their chief value
from the labor bestowed and where the
raw material cost but little; in most OF this
class OF goods France has taken the lead,
and it Is not likely that We, or any other
people, will enter into serious rivalry with
her, but II is not true In respect to the
great bulk Of manufactured articles-either
textile OF metallic. It's tact, well known,
that the higher price Of American goods
and wares which have heretofore kept
them out OF foreign markets has not re-
suited to the benefit OF the laborers engaged
in their production. That labor is not
paid, nor the price OF IL fixed on any scale
dependent upon the profits invested,
is fact that has been often demon.
strated and that capitalists will import
labor as readily as any other commodity, IL
II is profitable to do so. The great law OF
supply and demand regulates its price as it
does OF anything that is to he bought or