The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-09

provided magnificent homes for disabled soldiers
at a cost of many millions more. By wise legis-
lation it revived PROSTATE industries, and has
multiplied them an hundred fold. 1t championed
labor, and has opened new aud innumerable ave-
nues for its employment, and by precept and ex-
ample, without ceasing, it has preached and
taught its gospel according to the true faith,
which believes the laborer is worth of his hire.
He compared with this the record made by the
Democratic party during the same period. w hen
1t went out of power In 1861 the majority or Its
mem bership living then as now in the Southern
States, conspired together to destroy the gov
eminent When the Nation was battling for it's
life the Democratic party North as an organiza-
ton stood aloof seemingly an indifferent specta-
tor of the strife, and giving as party little IL
any encouragement to the brave Democrats who
individually aligned themselves under the flag
and went to the front marching to the music OF
the Union. In the darkest hour of that strug-
gle it assembled in national Convention and
there publicly declared the war for the Union
failure, pronouncing in favor of peace
at any price, regardless of peo-
pies pride or the Nations honor.
Inc Democratic party was always and every
where the champion of human slavery, and, pro-
Tossing to believe it divine institution it was at
least consistent in its repeated attempts to force
1T upon all our Territories. During the war and
after it was the polygot prophet of disaster and
evil, and mourned as one comfortless the con-
slant failure of its prophecies 1t was the pollt
tChi NlgglDS, whose earthquake never Chue.
While the Republican party was stratning every
nerve and muscle to provide ways and means for
the successful prosecution of the war the Demo
cratic party, in Congress and out OF Congress,
exercised all its energies to obstruct embarrass
and annoy the Republican party in its patriotic
work. 1t denounced the suspension of specie
payments when it knew specie payment was alb
solutely impossible and with equal bitterness it
opposed the resumption of specie payments,
when specie payment was not only possible, but
n man cah W fn fho ~
public credit and the safety of our financial hon
or 1t opposed the issue of "greenbacks," when
the life of the Nation depended upon them, and
denounced the national banking system as "a
stupendous folly" 1t denounced the Emancipa
ton Proclamation, and with violent vigor op-
posed the thirteenth amendment to the Consti-
tuition. In the interest of slavery it opposed the
passage of the homestead laws, and growing des
perate at freedoms rapid march, in its own de-
spite, it gathered together its demoraiZed and
defeated forces in assault upon the fourteenth
constitutional amendment, which. politically and
civilly. in complement to the thirteenth amend
ment that had made all men free, made all men
equal In short, whatever of glory there Ia in
the history of the country during the last TWEEN
ty- five years belongs to the Republican party by
right, and with fee-simple title and whatever
there is to regret, or forget. or forgive belongs
exclusively to the Democratic party.
Mr. Harris following Major Holstein, spoke
only few minutes, discussing impressively the
tariff and other questions that will and should be
considered by Congress. The remarks of both
speakers received with earnest attention,
and aroused much enthusiasm.
GRIFFITHs AND SMITH AT BRIGHTwooD.
The citizens of Brightwood were addressed
last evening by John l., Griffiths. candidate for
Representative, and by Mr.. Horace Smith The
meeting was large and enthusiastic. Mr.. Grit
fths was the first speaker and took up in detail
the promises and pledges Of the Democratic
party in the campaign of 1884. and showed that
not single reform had been inaugurated under
Democratic leadership He further showed,
notwithstanding the socitude of the Democratic
party for the votes of the laboring men, that in
the last State Legislature that party refused to
prohibit child labor in factories and mines; that
it refused to reduce the number of hours of
labor Of those engaged on public works; that it
refused to prevent the watering of
their corporate. stock by incorporated
companies and that it refused to
furnish any relief against the ownership
of large tracts Of land by corporations for purely
speculative purposes. He called attention to the
fact that all that Mr.. Voorhees, claimed in his re-
cent speech at Indianapolis, as having been done
for the laboring man by the Democratic House
of Representatives could only have been accom-
plished through the concurrence of Republican
Senate He characterized the foreign policy of
the present administration as policy of vacilla-
ton, cowardice, bluster and braggadocio. under
the personal supervision and management of the
misft Secretary of State, Bayard Mr.. Grifith's
speech was logical and eloquent and left fine
impression on all who heard it.
Mr.. Smith discussed the last apportonment
BILL the condition of the benevolent institutions
| under Democratic control and the imperative
necessity of investigating the State treasury to
ascertain if the public funds were SAFE Mr.
Smith is an earnest and forcbe speaker His
remarks were timely and were we'll received.