The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-27

dllCCbOfy ~ Al ava CiEiuCtIS, LII Z
plans and models. properly executed by the
contractor, did not secure a vessel Of the proper
speed. it VAS the fault of the government and
its agents. and not of the contractor: and yet,
upon such a decision. they forced Roach to stop
his works, to make an assignment, to throw out
of employment thousands of workmen, and
arrest for the time the construction not only of
government vessels, but of many commercial
vessels for private parties. and greatly add also
to the general depression OF business.
Another case of disregard of American inter
ests by this administrator was the practical
notification of the law of the last session of
Congress appTopriatlng $500, 900 to enable the
Postmaster general to contract, after legal
advertisement, with the lowest bidder among
American steamship companies for the trans
p%ortatiou of foreign mails. This act of Con
gress, intended to foster and bu;id up American
commerce, was by the Postmaster general dis
regarded. and contracts were let mainly to
English steamship companies. l have not, as a
rule, supported any system of subsidies, but
this proposition did receive the support of mem
bers OF both political parties, and was believed
to be very important for American interests IN
building up commerce, especially with the South
American States. The subject had been fully
and fairly debated in Congress. The law was
plain ard directory, and should have been
executed by the Postmaster-g general with a view
to carry out the will of Congress. l have care
fully read the papers In respect to this matter,
and it does seem to me that by refusing to make
the arrangements for carrying the foreign
mail in American steamships, he has violated
the spirit, if not the language, of the law,
and shown an utter disregard of the intent of
Congress, as we'll as the rights and interests of
American ships, and acted solely in the interests
of foreign steamship companies. No act of the
administration has tended in the slightest de-
gree to revive the business of the country. 1t
was the hope that a change would make times
easier that led many persons to vote the. Demo
cratic ticket. What has been the RESULT What
suggestion, even, has been made by any member
of the administration that will brighten in the
least the industry of the country? None what
ever.
QUESTIONS.
The Secretary of the Treasury changed the
form of the monthly debt statement, and made
obscure what was formerly clear. He excluded
from the moneys on hand the entire body of the
fractional silver coin, thus tending to lessen the
stated balance in the treasury below its real
amount, and at the same time tending to depre-
ciate the value OF this silver currency. One
good effect of this pretended reform is to show
how foolish Mr.. Hendricks was in the last cam
paign in stating that there was $500. 000, 600
belonging to the United States lying idle in the
treasury, kept there by the Republican party.
Where is this surplusi How many barrels of
flour will it buy for each citizen of the United
States9 How shallow was the hypocrisy and
demagogism by which the party came into
poweri
The cement by the Secretary with the
national banks in New York TO get. as a matter of
favor, some gold in exchange for silver coin
seems to me a violation of the sub-Treasury act,
which clearly forbids all exchange of money. 1t
only tended to emphasize the depreciation of
silver and to lower it more and more in public
confidence. The eXpedlent of his predecessors
of issuing silver certificates in exchange for gold
coin was a much more effective way to strength
en- the gold balances. 1t is sufficient to say that
no act of the administration affecting the
currency or finances, has tended to restore
confidence. to encourage industry. or to
furnish employment. The business of all the
departments seems to be confined to turning out
experienced employees. against whom no fault is
found except their tealty to the Republican
parry, and to putting in Democrats. mainly of
the rebel hue. Even the ordinary collection of
the revenue is obstructed by the demagogism
that preceded the election. Illicit distillerieS in
the South, moonshiners as they are called, were
led to believe that Democratic success meant
free whisky. no internal revenue collectors, no
United States marshalS. One hundred illicit
distilleries are new in opera ton in middle Ten
nessee and make it impossible for legitimate
dlstlllers to conduct their business. The first
fruits OF Democratic success are contempt for
the law, harder times, a wantof confidence in the
future, aud "A widening of the conflicts between
capital and labor.
Now, fellow citizens, | know it is easy enough
to find fault and ~criticise persons charged with
high public duties. | certainly have TO desire
to impugn the motives of the men in power, but
sincerely wish them success. But | feel sure,
from the composition OF the Democratic party;
from the intense sectionalism which con
trolls its majority. from the narrow
ideas they entertain in regard to the
powers Of the national government; from
the tendency to demagogism among its leaders:
from their want of principle, unity and purpose;
from their long habits of twenty four years in
opposition, during which they have constantly
Jagged in the rear Of our magnificent progress:
from their want Of sympathy with the active
business interests of the country, and with the
great mass of our fellow citizens who are en-
gagged in industrial pursuits, it is not possible
for the Democratic party to afirmatIvely ad-
minister a bold, and active, and progressive
government like ours.
ELECTION RAUDS n PENSIONS.
1t should also be remembered that the Demo
cratic party has been the chief agent in organ
izing the frauds in elections ever since the
Plaquemine frauds in Louisiana, and in this
way has done more to sap the foundation of
republican government than all the parties that
have existed; and more recently, in our own
State, if we can believe their own prints and
leaders, have set a dangerous example of the
corrupt use Of money in controlling the election
of a senator of the United States by open
bribery and purchase.
Surely those who have heretofore followed the
fortunes of the Republican party and have
shared in the honor of its illustrious history dur
ing the last thirty years, who must know that it
is composed of the great body of the Union sol
diers who saved the country, of the active, in
telligent and business men of the land, of the
great body of the farmers and iaborers whose
industry is the foundation of our wealth, a party
that has furnished most of the illustrious charac-
tiers of our time--surely we need not turn from
such an organization to seek anything that is
good from the Democratic party.
1t is but fair that i'll my criticisms of this ad-
miDistration l should say of the President that
l b. iieve he has endeavored to check, as far as
he could, the disregard of the civil-service law
and the tenure of Office act, but, in spite of it,
removals for purely partisan reasons are now
being made by the heads of departments, mainly
by the Postmaster-general. at the rate of two
hundred a day. Hundreds of Union soldiers
have been discharged without the slightest COM
plant. except to give place to Democratic par.