The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-30
THE WORKINGMAN'S FRIEND.
Governor Porter Shows that Such the
Republican Party Has Always Been.
He Clearly Proves by Its Record that 1t Has
Been the Champion of All Legislation
in Their Interest.

ence. Music was furnished by the When Band
and the Eureka Glee Club. 1t was presided over
by James E. Twiname, with long list of vice.
presidents, representatives of the industrial
class. Mr.. Twiname introduced Ex-Governor
Porter as the speaker of the evening He was
received with hearty applause, and his speech
was listened to throughout with the most earnest
attention.
Governor Porter said the campaign had nearly
been fought. The time for speaking had nearly
passed. and the time for efficient work is at hand.
He felt that those who had come to hear
speech would be more efficiently engaged if do
ing the legitimate work of the cam
paign. The Democratic party, he said,
is party of large promises and
very small performances. The Republican
party, the other hand is party that has
been light in promises and very large in its per-
formances The Republican party has a glo-
rious record military and civic. Its record is in
the treasure-house of history, and will be pre-
served as the most illustrious of any party that
ever existed The Democratic party has been
in power eighteen months. What has resulted
in the way of performance The buster against
Mexico, the pension vetoes, the appointment of
a large number of rebel brigadiers to high posi-
tions. Civil-service has only been regarded in
the States where the civiservice reformers hold
the balance of power. In Indiana and else
where, where such is not the case, it has been
wholly disregarded. One thing have always
liked about the Democratic party. 1t is this,
that in the end it confesses its errors.
Governor Porter then proceeded to show how,
one after another the Democratic party had
adopted Republican measures, which it had pre-
viously opposed and denounced. 1t had de-
nounced step 0y step the entire Republican
financial system, system which had replaced
the worst currency-that preceding 1S60the
world ever saw, with the best currency Even
now Mr.. Cleveland has as his Secretary and AS
slstant of the Treasury, two men taken from be-
hind the counters of national banks. John Sher
mans work of redemption has been indicated
by the Democratic party.
Remarking that his hearers were informed
upon the tariff, he said he would therefore take
little OF their time upon that subject. He be-
lieved that, like every other law, in the chang.
ing conditions of society, it ought, from time to
time. be modified And when it is to be modi.
fed he desired to direct the attention of every
man who has hearthstone and home, of every
man in every factory to the matter. and ask
by whom it is amended. No other class is so
able to determine me interest of a class as
that class is to determine for ITSELF The tariff
| must be amended by the States in which the
workmen live who are engaged in manufactur-
ing, and it must not be amended by strangers.
Applause. In the fourteen or fifteen Southern
States there are 1863 $50 workingmen, according
featuring. Now, in the States of
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois alone there are, by
that same census, 397. S44 workingmen engaged
in manufacturing-29O 900 more persons engaged
in manufactures than in all the South put to-
gather. Yet these Southern States have $50
| votes in the House of Representatives, and the
States of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio have only
sixty. The Southern States, with a mere hand
full of workingmen engaged in manufacturing,
can, with the assistance OF New York, Counecti-
cut and New Jersey. change this tariff law Id
spite of tho voice of the workingmen in all the
Northern States. In nearly all the Northern
| States whore men work in manufactures the
| Republican party is in the ascendant eff you
vote for it." he said, ''you will express your
views in the election of a Congressman You
| instruct him and have your policy and your
wishes carried out But If you allow the South
to say how this tariff shall be amended you will
have no voice And the South has always been
opposed to any tariff at all.
Our Democratic opponents make boast of
bill which passed through the houses of Congress
to prohibit officers of the government from con.
tracing for convict labor. The vote in the House
upon that bill, in its favor, was nearly unani-
nous There were but eight votes against it.
And they were Democrats. 1t is better to leave
things distant and come to things near The
record of the Democratic party on the PROPOSE
ton to correct the evils incident to our present
State system of convict labor will not be salts
| factory one to workingmen. Before 1888 both of
the two political parties In this State had com
| mtted themselves to correction of that evil.
As the practice now is the labor OF convicts is
| let to the lowest bidder and the price usually
paid for convict labor ranges from 80 to so cents
per day for each able-boded man. Perhaps the
average rate is about 40 cents. The product of
| labor purchased at SO low price, of course can
be sold in the market for sum greatly less than
| the product of free labor
s'While I WAS Goyernor cou varcad hath NTH
convict-labor contractors and with purchasers of
the product of their labor. learned from each
| that the product sold for much less than the
| product of free labor In the Legislature of
| 1883, Mr.. Johnson, of Tippecanoe county,
| German Democratic Senator. feeling that in
| justice was done by that system to the free la
| borers of the State introduced a measure in
tended to correct it. At least two measures were
| also introduced by Republicans for like pur-
| pose. Mr.. johnson pushed his measure with
| great zeal and confidently expected the support
| of his Democratic colleagues But the PROPOSE
ton to correct the evil complained of by aborin
men was OPPOSED by the leading Democratic
| members in the Senate and in the House. Sen.
| ator Jason B. Brown, the Democratic leader Of
the Senate, a man of great ability and force
| said:
All this talk about convict contracts having effect
upon the price of labor is ridiculous It doesn't op-
perate in the slightest degree in fixing the wages of
| boring men throughout the State. r This bill
is bill of denominations, and injustice to the peo-
| pie of this State.
'In the House Of Representatives, Mr.. Gibson,
| one of the leading Dem ocratic members of that
| BODY, made the remarkable statement that,
| while the persons who employ this labor made
more money on their products than other manu-
facturers, they did not place the product of their
| convict labor upon the market at reduced prices
| or at prices lower than other manufacturers {"
| The end OF the struggle in that Legislature was
| that Mr.. Johnsons measure was referred to a
7 committee Of Senators, to be reported on at the
next session of the Legislature, two years after
| ward.
when the next Legislature met, in 1885, Mr.
| johnson, being still Senator, reintroduced his
| measure. He took occasion to say, in urging it,
| This is a very important measure, and one
| Governor Porter recommended should be put i'm
mediately into operation" Speaking at another
| time, he said: 1.-The two parties have made a
| record on this question; also, Governor Porter,
| in his message to the Legislature, recommended
| speedy action in this very matter" But Mr.
Johnson's speeches and efforts were unavailing,
| though the Legislature sat in regular and extra
| session for nearly one hundred days. Ali accom-
| plished was this: 1t was referred TO another
| committee to report to the Legislature in 1887!
What does all this show? Manifestly, that either
| there was q want OF sincerity in the Democratic
| party in claiming to be in favor of such meas
| ure, or want of capacity in its members in the
| Legislature to frame proper bill. In either
| case, they should be met with the condemnation
of the workngmen who have this measure great
| ly ct heart"