The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-30

John WOcher, HrO1. raul banfy
Louis w. OFT, Geo. H. Sturm
RPhilip Reichwein, Charles Hart.
Mr. Stechhans in taking the chair, spoke briefly,
but effectively. as he introduced Mr. Philip Rap
paport, who stepped to the front amidst an APP
precatiye clapping of hands.
MR. RAPPAPoRTs SPEECH.
After few introductory remarks Mr. Rap
paport expressed his regret that the Democrats
had made this campaign personal one, and that
the Independents assisted them therein. think,
be said, that party principles are of vastly more
importance than the candidates and their quail
feations and the position of those who consider
candidates first and party principles second, or
not at all, is fallacious. Such is the position of
Carl Sehurz. He being man of superior intel
hgence, and having been looked at by the Ger
mans for many years as leader, his opinion
counts for more than the opinion of one man,
and, therefore, it is task worth my time to
show his fallacies. His whole stock in trade
is the Mulligan letters It pleases
him to draw from them the inference
that Mr.. Blaine is corrupt man. There has
been very much corruption construed into these
letters but very little has been construed out of
them. After all, the charge Of corruption is
merely an inference, depending upon the con-
struction Of the letters, and it must be admitted
that without difficulty these letters are suscept
ible of a construction quite different from the.
one which Nh. Sehurz gives Them THen in or
der to determine which construction is correct,
what better means have we than the actions of
Mr. Blaine, an examination of that which Mr..
Blaine did subsequently, to the writing of those
letters and before. Such examination is very
easy, because the public acts and deeds Of Mr..
Blaine are contained IN the public
records Rresuming that Mr.. Schurz
from the fact thatsMr. Sehurz never stated any
corrupt acts of Mr. Blaine which can fairly be
brought into connection with those letters, con-
sclude that he was not able to find any. But not
knowing of any facts which prove or tend to
prove that Mr. Blaine meant corruption when
he wrote those letters, feel constrained to be
ieve that he did not mean corruption Mr.
Sehurz devotes all his time to showing what the
Speaker of the House can do and might do, but
it strikes me that a manis not to be Judged ac-
enrding to what he might or could do but ac-
eording to what he did do; and here you find the
lack Of evidence, and heresit is where Mr. Schurzi
fails. Mr.. Schurz knows nothing laudatory of
mr. Blaine, but, remarkable as it is, he knows
nothing derogatory of Mr.. Cleveland. just as if
this man in his public career had never erred or
blundered.
1t is one remark of Mr. Schurz in particular
which want to criticise and which take from
his Brooklyn speech. Retranslated into English
it reads as follows, 1--WE fight for the in
need is government with good
laws and composed of honest men to enforce
these laws. You need men who are conscientious
and courageous enough to say mo- when Your
WISHES tbI6 dSdllk5b LILO law UcCduS0 SUCH HILL
will also be courageous enough to say mo- to
those who are mightier than you If they ask for
something which is unjust toward YOU
1t has become fashionable with parties and
politicians to always speak Of and to the labor
ing man. This is good enough where we find
the will coupled with the ability to help the la
borer, but where we find neither consider it
mere demagogy. Mr.. Schurz here surely refers
to Mr.. Cleveland's vetoes These words contain
all that Mr.. Schurz knows or seems to know,
a11< 9all <Io% h.1H
had, to say to the laborer. I think Mr.. Schurz
would have done much better had he left this
unsaid; because one fails to see that Mr. Cleve-
land is one Of those who have the courage to say
''nop to those who are mightier than the laborer;
but there is no lack of evidence to show that he
had the courage to say mo- to those who are
weaken / know Of no veto in which Mr.. CleYe-
land said mo- to any corporation, but happen
to know of some ''noes" addressed to laborers.
Oh what conscientious and courageous man
Cleveland is, and his friend, Carl Schurz, tool
Mr. Rappaport here criticised Mr. Cleveland's
yetoes sharply, and showed that Cleveland does
not notice the signs of the time; that he does not
know that 1t is well settled in theory and prac-
tice that the shortening Of the hours Of labor
must necessarily result in an increase of wages;
that he does not know that it is at least very ex-
tensively believed that charter is not a con-
tract but an act of creation and that society
should have full power to control its own Great
ure.
will not say, he continued, that Mr. CleEe-
land acted from bad or dishonest motives; but
surely may say that there was a want of inte1li
gence and understanding, and great amount of
conceit and Ignorance; and while / see
no courage see plainly an inch
nation. toward monopolistic tendencies.
s.All what the labofer needs, says Schurz, sfs
government composed of honest men, / be-
iieve that the means proposed here by Mr..
Schurz is the last which man working for the
amelioration Of the condition Of the laboring
class will think Of, because honesty is such an
a priori self-evident principle that it needs not
be spoken of. rather think what the laborer
needs is a government composed of men who
know something about the labor question, who
not only are willing to help the laboror, but also
know how to help him, both of which Mr.. Cleve-
land has shown by his vetoes not to be the case
with him.
The speaker then drew pathetic picture of a
sewing girl sitting in her lonely room and
stitching away; and when, at the end of
the week, she takes her work to the
merchant she will get SO, 81,
or S., as the case may be, for weeks labor, and
President will not that girl exclaim: Oh, if it
were not for those Mulligan letters; if we had
an honest President, would certainly have got
not less than $40
he pictured the iron worker as, on hot sum
mer day, he stands with bare breast before the
glowing furnace, the sweat pouring down his
body, working away ten hours day, and at the
end OF the week when he gets his wages, he
would say: Oh, if 1t wore not for those Multi
gan letters;if we had an honest President I
would get ct least twice as much; an honest
President Is all that need to better my condi-
sion. What hypocrisyi
Such views, however, are not the least as
lonishing for me, seeing them come from
man who. only short time ago said that
there exists no social question in Amer
ica No social question in country
where millions have to work ten
hours day for hardly more than a bare subsist.
ence, and where ihere are Goulds, Vanderbilts
and Astorsl No social question in country
with farmers and laborers, and with corporations
and railroad kings What perfection 10 So