The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-05
MR., MoDONALD,s KEYNOTE.

cfdUlc GultOTldl ASoOCldJlolIJ anu liltbJ
fairly be taken as his 'key-note' speech, al
though he may not so have intended it, was a
very narrow one, indeed, for so prominent a
presidential candidate before the Democratic
party It was wholly taken up with consid-
Grafton of the depressed condition of Americas
marine commerce, and while critical, it pre-
scribed no practical remedy beyond the general
recommendation that the laws regulat-
ing the same should be made
more liberal. The speaker divided the respon-
sibility for the unfavorable condition of strict
ly American shipping interests, saying that it
had been going into decay for fifty years past.
The one great secret of the decline was the
fact that American capital had persistently
sought investment in internal Improvements,
IN rail ways, lands, and such manufacturing
and mining enterprises as paid the best returns.
IN time. therefore, the evil will correct itself,
and American capital and American enter
prise will again bower the seas with
vessels sailing under Che American flag, Our
vast internal resources have beer too tempt
ing, and have offeped such wide field for
profitable Investment, that America has not
given the attentis5n to the business of ocean
commerce that other and less favored nations
no other direction in which to grow. Thus
practically relieving the Republican party of
the responsibility for the comparative decline
in the tonnage of American shipping, the
speaker went still further, and glow
ingly described the prosperity Of Indiana
at the present time. From population of
$4,000 when admitted to the Union, it has in
creased to over 100000 Thirty-fve years
ago the first railroad was finished to Indian
apolis. There are now 5000 miles of such
roads in Indiana. Continuing, the speaker
said:
''Fifty years ago the sparse population of
that day had but little to sell, and no accessi-
BILE market for that small surplus. But now
our annual surplus of the single article of
wheat is over 20, 100000 of bushels Our
wheat crop of 1882 was more valuable than all
the gold produced by the mines of the United
States that year, while the increased produc
ton of all other kinds of farm products has
been almost as great Our mineral resources,
too, have been developed, and our manufac
lures have increased so that it may be safely
said that our surplus products from the vari-
GUS industries of our State do not fall much
short of 800, DOC, 600 per year"
Such tribute, from such source, is fat
tering to the administration of the Republican
party Such a prosperous condition of inter
nal affairs, and which is as true of each of
the States as it is of Indiana. would not have
been possible under unwise legislation The
whole country is and has been marvelously
prosperous. The burden of taxation is light,
and a call is made to decrease it for the reason
that we are paying the public debt too fast-a
charge never entered against the Democratic
party at any time or place when it was in
power. To meet this demand, the Republican
party has already taken the only steps
that have been taken. and has begun
the work of reducing the tariff in a manner
that will best conserve the interests of all the
people. The Democratic party thus
far has done absolutely nothing in
this direction 1t includes the extremists
on this question, from those who cry
'fhands off" to those who would introduce
financial panic by sweeping away all protec
ton and adopting free trade. The business
men of the country are alarmed at the
present tinae on account of the I'M
certain policy of the Democratic
House of Congress. There is every reason to
believe that could the Democratic party put
its theories into practice, at the end of four
years Mr.. Mcdonald would not be able to
truthfully paint such glowing picture of In
diana's prosperity One of the homely adj
ages ascribed to Lincoln was, Don't swap
horses while crossing stream" The people
will hardly 'swap horses in the mid stream
of all this commercial prosperity,
especially since the Democratic "broncho"
threatens TO kick into pieces the appliances and
policy that have brought about such desir-
able state of things With prosperous con
dition of internal affairs, the shipping bust
ness will be brought into shape in due time,
through the natural order of business invest
ment. Meanwhile the Republican party pro-
poses to continue in its conservative course,
to gradually and wisely modify the