The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-10-30
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS.
A Grand Speech by a Grand Old
Statesman.

Excellent Speech Delivered at Gin
cinnati a Few Days Ago by That
Pure-Minded Patriot, Thomas
A. Hendricks.
The following is the main portion of
q speech delivered at Cincinnati d few
days ago by Mn. Hendricks:
Mr.. PREsrbsNT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
Have you stopped to consider what it is to
United states2 It is not only to seiecr the
men, but it is to decide upon questions of
policy. OF Government. 1t is an election, a
choice, a decision to be made by the people
a decision, l may say, whether there shall be
2 change in the administration of affairs.
Thas decision, ,S shall turn not only upon the
PRINCIPLES and policy which they represents:
APplause9
whether the Administration in the past have
been satisfactory, is 1t not right for the peo-
pie to consider whether now, after SO long a
change? Appiause) Does any other remedy
occur to you for a free people except a
change? If there be defects in Government,
administrations Shall l turn to some consid-
erations for a few moments why there should
be a change? First, l will ask you to consider
the platform adopted by the Republican party
at Chicago.
The first proposition of that platform is
that the Republican party will modify the
move the Inequalities that exist, and to re-
duce the volume of revenue. The resolution
to which l have referred comedies two de-
fects: first, that the Tariff laws are not based
upon equality; secondly, that a larger rev.
enue is collected than ought to be collected.
Great applause.) When in its platform that
Oraaf no 4 nnn nnAna fhaoo ky-~
the question, as it has been suggested, no
doubt, to your minds already, why is it, il the
tar1f be unequal, and if there be collected OF
revenue more than the Government ought to
collect, why is it that the remedy has not
been furnished by the Republican party long
a ag2 pr Sereat a apPlau ,ssre viii vii you tel me Of
laws than that to neglect, first of all, the aual
tiles of law which collects from the people the
a concession made by a great party that the
laws under which we have been living are not
equal in their influence and bearing upon all
rolled by when the Republican party has had
the W to grant the reform have they not
made the reform' tApplause)
laws now bring into the Treasury more reve-
nue. than the Government requires, I ask the
same question: Why haven't they put a hand
to that evil long ago? (Applausej And when
l consider the question before you o.nlght
whether there ought to be a change in the
administration and management of public
affairs, is it not very prominent 10 your OBJ
servation that this party nov admits that for
long years that serious objections have exist
ed in the Revenue laws, and yet they nave
provided no remedy? (AppIauseO
My fellow-cltizens have you stopped to con-
slider how much above the needs Of the Gov
ernment the evenues collected have been? L
turn your attention to the message of Presf-
dent Arthur but two years ago In that mes
sage he admonished Congress that once before
ne mao SAID TO them that the excess of reve-
nue. above the needs of the economical adj
ministratiOn of the Governmen would require
lieve the energies and the enterprises of the
country of such unnecessary burdens. (Ap.
plause) In that same message the Presf-
dent Informed Congress md the country
that the excess of revenue above the de-
mands of wise and economical administration
was at the rate of 500, 600, 600 to $I25, OOO, OOG a
of the President. 1t Is known, no doubt, to
most of you. and it was the enormous sum
OF $!OO, quo 1000 a year. Acorrection was asked
by aim to remedy the evil, and was the cor
rection nader Time went on, and q modifca-
ton of the law was agreed to, and on the Sd
OF March, 1883, that modification was adopted.
But it reduced the volume of revenue but q
small per cent, q very small per cent, COM
pared with the Recommendation that had
been made by the Tariff Commission at the
session of Congress before, so that at the next
session of Congress the Secretary of the
Treasury advised Congress that the excess of
the revenue above the needs of the Govern
ment economically administered was still
So.OOO,OOO a year-$S5, 900. 10 in excess of the
cost of economical administration. And the
Rress: at still presses upon us what iegisla.
ton viii relieve the people of this unneces-
sary burden of taxation" And now 1 say to
with the weight of SIS, 900, 600 a year-$S5, OOO,-
600 kept from the pockets of the people, kept
from the channels of trade and of commerce,
Kept until the business of constructing addi
t1onal vaults under the Treasury has been re-
Gently going on, SO that, my fellow-citizens, q
party that has kept upon the shou ders of the
people the burden of unnecessary taxation
sometimes amounting to Sl00, 00O,0)0 a year
sometimes amounting to Sl45,OOO,0O a year
and lagain amounting to $4,000, 600 a year
the question is, have they a right to ask of the
American people a continuation of their pow
er 70 iegisaatef Cries Of "NoI"1 Four years
lively good. Men who had products of the
land for sale could easily command ready and
all the interests and enterprises of the coun
try were reasonably prosperous. and SO the Re
publican orators said to you and to me, let wei
enough alone, and we could not answer thai
short but powerful argument. Let wei
enough alone, they said. Do they use tina,
argument now? Do they say to you and me.
fifty cents a bushel less than it was four years
age; when labor seeks employment often
times without finding it, and, when found, il
Is at a reduced compensation (applause)
when all the enterprises of the country are
more or less impeded, hindered, delayed;
when individual prosperity is cut short; they
LIZ well enough Alone" Now 1t is the oppo
site argument. The people have to seek 'wel
/ SIouSh. IL Is nOU mere now. Iner6 aTe
hard times upon the country, and the ma
who has to address the people should do il
with the hope of suggesting some remedy
that will give better times in the future. TAP
plause) When times are not as good as they
ought to be, when they are very hard indeed
the argument is: Let there be a change, tina
think that argument ought to nave greai
weight at a time that a political party con
tinues in the collection of $s5, 900, 600 a yea
more than the Government does require. Zap
plause) Let SIS, 900, 900 remain in the chan
ne!s of trade, who can tell how much enter
prise and business would be stimulated an(
good compensation: (ApplauseJ
The question is, then. what remedy do thu
they do not s come before me the in.e liz GSer o
the American people without suggesting som,
remedy from this excess of taxation. At tn,
great convention held at Chicago a platform
was adopted, and candidates for Presldeu
and Vice-President were placed upon tina
platform, and accepting the position upoI
lean people to make that platform good. Zap
plauseD
Now, my fellow-citizens, the question pre-
sents itself to You for fair consideration, TO
just decision, what is the platform of the De
mocracy? Have they offered to us a remedy
And to that question I now call your auten
what the Democracy champions, but if you
judgment approves something else, then tn
candidates representing the platform of tn
plause.)
But, my fellow-citizens. if the platform doe
command the approval of your Judgment an
your conscience, then, indeed, may the car
didates appeal for your support.
First. that platform, on the subject of reve
uue reform, declares: w demand that Fec
eral taxation shall be exclusively for publ
purposes Who demands otherwise-tha
| you and I and all the people of the countr
shall be taxed for what! For public purposes
for such purposes as 1t is the business of tn
Government to carry on. 1 think you wi
not question that proposition.
Second, 1.-The taxes shall not exceed tn
needs of the Government economically at
ministered." (Applause) What say you t
that? There shall be no more taxes collecte
than the Government economically admins
cratic party is pledged to revise the tariff i
the spirit of fairness to all interests. That
the language of the platform-that the tart
wards all the interests of the country. An
change of the law must be in every step IT
gardlul of the labor and capital invested