The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-09-24
Go,ernsr Porsr,s speech.

AoiiOWlug ,
National tops
Nv ohio...n to the Democratic party In re-
cent veors that It is party without convic
tons has had no settled belief upon any
public ioquestions. II has repeatedly approved
and. pledged itself not TO disturb, measures
aen6ved by the Republican party, againsi
which II had waged the fiercest party warfare
1t is always asking that its past may be for
gotten. Its enemy is memory. The first SEN
tence in its recent platform shows Its soreness,
about the past. 'The Democratic party Of the
Union, through Its representatives In National
Convention assembled, recognizes as nations
grow older, new issues are born OF time ana
the people anxlously OF the old issues having
persisted? Banquo persisted. but his ghost
took seat at the banquet table. and the gnost
was hundred times more % ParTSwns TSst Y what saa
ia the trouble. 1t is the memories connecked
with old issues that will not down." that
haunt and poster the party.
The Republican party has no ghosts f OF
1t in dread that the past will be referred to.
A vast territory-mother or many states
preserved from the presence and taint OF un-
the sword yet more benefited by war than IL
had ever been by peace, by being ridded OF
destructiye system of labor and of having
had opened 70 Il, az By doors eyius " vide q;
versihed Industries; q National credit,
through the exercise Of an undertaking good
faith, unexampled In the history OF nations;
, a currency, since the Issuing of which no
tion of a great National dispute, through
which. as redress for National wrongdoinR,
there was wrung from the most warlike ma
,tion of Europe fifteen million dollars of treas
ure; tariff system, which, at the beginning
of our great civil strife, by setting on foot
vast system Of manufacturing industries,
spanned the darkest clouds Of war with the
rainbow of promise. The past issues" have
left no ghosts TO terrlfy Republicans. We
never beg that they shall not be remembered.
OF all these past issues" but one Of them
survives and Is continuous. That's the tarin.
No one will deny that upon that issue the
Republican platform is explicit. 1t Is due to
the laboring classes of the country, TO those
who live by. manufacturing industry, that
a question that touches their bread. 1t is 0
question that Affects their hearth.stones. IL
is question in which the youngest child In
their families 10 concerned alike with them
selves
Now, has the Democratic party any oonvio-
tlons on the tariff question whatever2 General
Butler was present as member OF the last
National Democratic Convention and was
a member, also, Of the Committee on Resolu-
Jions. He has turned historian. He has graph
ically described the long struggle TO make tho
tariff resolution read equally well for rexo-
nue. only and for protection. He has happily
illustrated the struggle BY an anecdote:
'.Then ensued," says he. Sin the committee q
5truggle Of many hours so TO frame tariff
plank that should appear TO say what mine
said, and yet not say Il, like the Western hunt
or who tried TO shoot his rifle at something no
dimly saw stirring In the bush, so as to hit
It IL II was deer and miss II II IL was q
calf" They were able to get the resolu-
ton TO straddle al last, but the tariff for
revenue" leg had been so badly hurt In past
controversies that wooden one had TO be
substituted, and an equilibrium could not DO
maintained. Mr.. Cleveland viii not tell US
which leg of the tariff resolution he favors-
the wooden one or the other Paper was too
scarce in TIE Adrondacks. or course Mr.:
Hendricks hadn't room enough in his postal
card. Mr.. voorhees, has great trouble with
the question. lie voted for General Buffers
resolution. He must have felt very lonesome
when he did so. lie is plagued with the reso-
lutlons of the Democratic INVENTIONS. lie
eau not keep the run OF them. In letter to
Bayless Hanna, written October 20, 1881, he
said. referring TO the National Democratic
platform OF 1880: "The platform of 1850 was
violent departure on the subject of the
tariff, and has no precedent in the history OF
the Democratic platforms adopted In National
conventions. / have examined them all. The
de" aratlon for "A tariff for revenue only,
was never before made In National Demo
cratic Convention, and is n burlesgue on COM
mon sense" | regret TO have read these plat
forms n little more attentively than Mr.. Foor-
heos and to iind that his party has played In
this burleslue before. In 1876 only four
years previous, the Democratic National Con-
vention had said: I'VE demand that all
custom-house taxation shall DO only for rev.
MIR. voorhees, should be pardoned. when
n party has no views except to catch the
favor OF the passing hour IL is hard TO follow
II. Since the organization of the Republcan
party, the Democratic party has never. on
tive tariff question. sought 20 be consistent
upon any settled principle, but only like the
weather-wane on steeplc, by always chang
ing with the winds. And, as student OF tho
winds, though IL has been very diligent, l
must think it has also been very dull.
In its National Convention of 1856 II do
clared itself In favor OF progressive FREQ
trade" In 1864 II was wholly silent upon the
OF a "tarif for revonue;" In lS1s
IL declared that recognizing that
there are in our midst honest but irrec.
oncilable differences OF opinion with regard
we nit the discussion OF the subject 10 the
people In their Con yrcsslonal districts, aud to
the lie ,islon OF Congress thereon wholly free
OF executive interference or diotation." Here
is where Mr.. Cleveland, no doubt got his cue
of silence. In 1875 the party imagined for
little while that Il had an opinion and was
very cmphatic-"We demand that all custom:
house taxation shall be only for revenue"
In 1850 II declared "for tariff for revenue
only" In 1884 IL passed the two-faced resolu-
ton which General Butler has SO happily
characterzed. Mr.. voorhees, voted LOT Gen zen.
eral Buffers resolution, which was specifically
for protection, and Mr.. Hendricks did not.
SO we are left properly In doubt, suppose,
what MIR. Cleveland Is In favor of. Here Is
question, upon which labor is so vitality inter
ested.
II Mr.. Cleveland can not tell whete he
stands upon this great question, there is one
man whose trumpet has never given forth an
uncertain sound-its notes being ever clear
and resonant. You know very well whom
mean. James @, Blame answers 10 the de-
scrption. Beginning life In the humble oc-
cupntiOn of d schooimaster, he has, by the
force OF his talents, by the strength and yigor
of his character by his personal intrepldity
by his Irresistible social charms, by that oom
bination OF high and sympathetic qualities
which belong 10 rare and fine natures. made
himself one OF the best known and best be-
loved Of all tho public men In our history AZ AZ
his adopted State and OF Con
gress, distinguished always for the fairness
and unerring clearness OF his decisions
as debater on the floor OF each house
whenever he entered the lists his plume shin
ming in the front of the combat; as states
man. long known for the surprising breadth
and accuracy Of his political knowledge; az az :
long public life, In which he has borne mos
conspicous part, riohnnd persplcuous In style
coplous and accurate In Information, Just and
generous 10 every ono with whom he has evel
crossed agword; his,nome the abode OF domcs
tic bliss and hospitality-its hospitable door
versary In bis warm and Joyous presence for
getting his feud and disso,ving into kindness
n citizen OF the United states, broad-mindet
and lust toward the whole world. yet his Who'll,
being pervadcd and burning with tho Am
erican Instinct; so frank and open that he Il
as transparent 40 the air; this is the mar
mods at the head OF the column, and unde
whose leadership we expect to move on 70 vic
tOrv.