Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-10-20

Edmunds poIygamy law was defect
i've, but the Democratic House refused
to pass amendments to make it
efficient. The Hennepin Canal improve.
ment was petitioned for by thousands OF
Knights of Labor, but the item was stricken
from the appropriation by the same Demo
cratic body. The Repuhlincan Senate pre-
pared and passed a statute forbidd1ng the
holding Of large tracts OF land by alien non
residents. This measure was killed IN the
Democratic House of Representatives.
The Republican party gave the people OF
this country the homestead law, and 7OO,-
600 laboring men now own their home
steads under that law, and we have 5,OOO,-
600 of human beings with comfortable
homes given as free gift, not only to the
people born in the United States, but as
well to those invited from all over the
world.
The Republican, party passed the bill de-
claring that eight hours should be good
days work, and our silent soldier President
now gone to the throne above, he whose star
shot up in the sky to shine fixed aud forever
Gen. Grant-made an order as President
that the reduction of hours should network
single penny g reduction in pay.
The Republican party put upon the
statute book a law which was intended to
protect American industry, and it did, not
understanding the war and all its drain.
And we went along year after year exceed
ing in growth every country that had ever
existed.
They talk about the surplus being 80
large that we must reduce the tariff. l
heard Mr.. Edmunds and John Sherman
say in a conversation not long ago that a
reduction Of the tariff would increase the
surplus. upon the same principle that the
reduction of passenger transportation
upon the railroads had increased the re-
ceipts. And they say il you reduce the
rates OF taxation, just that much more
stuff will come from abroad into the
United States, and the result will be no
diminution in the surplus, but the result
will be a Quitting OF our market and dis
couragement OF home Industries and the
breaking down of American labor. 1t can
not be anything else. It has been so with
every country upon which England has
forced free trade. In 1900, Ireland. with
mines, water power, every thing in the way OF
natural elements, was building up great
manufa cturiDg system, and when this Tree
trade was forced upon them by Great Brit
ain, and Ireland was put in a system OF
vassalage-compelled to buy everything OF
Great Britain-she became what she is to-
day, Great Britain's industrial slave, de-
pendent people with nothing left upon this
earth but their broad hearts and their love
of liberty, which, with Gladstone's help,
will come after awhile.
This protective tariff which had built Up
our industries; that has elevated the work
ingmen in this country; that has given
them better wages, means what to you? 1t
means the difference between the wage
worker in this country and the wage-wOrker
over the sea. That little margin which the
tariff has made between the condition OF the
workingman in these United States and his
condition under other governments means
q m
savings bank; it means your ability when
sickness comes to you, or when the
storm breaks over your home, to
have the greatest comfort and the
best medical advice; it means your
hope that this store OF protection light
ing up the pathway of your boy will enable
him, walking in it as Garfield did over the
towpath, as Jerry Rusk did from the stage
coach-enable them to go on and
on and upward in strength and vigor
and health and happiness and wealth
and power. Long applause.l The
public opinion of the United States, of all
classes of people, in the main, is with the
laboring man. Ten years ago the corpora
tiops would rot receive your committee; ten
years ago there was no such thing as arbitra.
ton, except an arbitration that was all on
one side. To-day Jay Gould don't dare to
refuse to receive Mr.. Powderly. Applause.
To-day such has been the growth of intelli-
gent agitation in the way of presenting in
calm, moderate and intelligent manner be-
fore the people the demands in given case
that if the master or employer refuses to
meet the men and hear their grievances re-
fuses to arbitrate with them, public opin-
ion, which is 40 much stronger than mon
opolies, is on the side of the laboring man
and you cannot help it. know the Re.
publican party will strike hands with you
until you accomplish the legislation the
workingman desires for his protection. You
need not look for it from the old slave
holding, monopoly, free-trade Democratic
party, If understand the situation.
If / am right, and / believe I am right,
there is nc good reason why men who have
been Republicans should bolt the Republic
an party now. There is no good reason
why laboring men or manufa cturers or any
class of our people should look to the free
trade Democratic party of this country to
bring this country prosperity in any sense.
The Republican party has been true in the
past, and the record of this Democratic
administration shows that it has been
true. You have a right to trust the Re-
publican party in the future, and I know
and believe it will not in the future, as it
certainly has not in the past, prove faith
less to any trust which the people of this
country repose in it.