The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-01-04
Ths Sentiments Of the Speakers st Grand
Banquet Given in Boston.
Belief that the Present War Taxes Should
be Materially Decreased.
President Cleveland PRAISED by All Present
For His Statstmlnship.
The Country Protected Entirely Too Much
Congressional Action Needed at
Once-The Speakers,

BOSTON, December 29.-The meeting and
banquet of the Massachusetts, Tariff Re-
form League at the Brunswick, tonight
were highly successful, the arrangements
being carried out upon most elaborate
scale. There was present large number
OF prominent politicians and Government
officials, both from Massachusetts, and else
where, among the number being Hon.
James Russell Lowell, General John NJ.
Corse. Hon. Patrick A. Collins, Congress
men w. G. P. Breckenridge, of Kentucky;
w. L. Wilson, OF West Virginia, and SEN
ator John 7. Morgan, of Alabama.
Shortly before o'clock the guests and
members began to arrive and at 5:45
business meeting of the league was held.
Resolutions indorsing the message OF Pres
ident Cleveland we're unanimously adopted,
Officers were then elected, after which the
party proceeded to the banquet hall.
Ii was o'clock when the gentlemen to
1u' er of 5I2 were seated In the ban
que hall, and Rev. James Freeman Clark,
d. D., invoked divine blessing. After the
baLGuet Hon. James Russell Lowell
rapled the meeting to order. Mr.. Lowell,
in tue course Of his remarks, said
zone Of the reasons that chiefly sug-
gested the opportuneness Of our coming
together here has been the Presidents mes
sage at the opening Of the present Con-
gress. Personally, l confess that 1 feel
myself strongly attracted to Mr.. Cleveland
as the best representative OF higher type of
Americahism that we have seen since Lin
coin was snatched from Us. But we are
not here 10 thank him as the head of a
party. We are here to felicitate each other
that the presidential chair has man 10
1t, and this means that every word he
says is weighted with what he is.
We are here TO fehcitate each other that
this man understands politics to mean
business, not chicanery PLAIN sneaking, not
paltering with US in double sense, that he
has had the courage TO tell the truth to the
country without regard to personal or
party consequences, and thus to remind Us
that country not worth telling the truth
to is not worth living in; nay, deserves to
have liesstold it, and to take the ineYit-
able consequence in calamity.
"Our policies call loudly for a broom.
Mr.. Cleveland, I think, has found the
broom and begun 10 play it. But, gentle
men, tine President has set Us the example,
not only of courage, bat of good senss and
moderation. He has Kept strictly to his
text ana purpose. He has shown Us that
| there is such thing as being protected too
much, and that We had protected our ship
| ping interests so eHectually that they had
ceased to need protection by ceasing to
exist. In thus limiting the field Of his
warning and his cOunsels he has done wise
| ", end We shall do wisely in following his
example. His facts and his figures will
work the more effectually. Bnt We must
| be patient with them and expect them to
| work slowly. Enormous interests are in
| VOWED, and must be treated tenderly."
In the. course Of his address Mr.. Lowell
was interrupted frequently by storms OF
applause. at his first reference to Presi-
| dent Cleveland, DR.. William Everett, Jr.,
| proposed three cheers for Cleveland, which
| were given with a will.
Upon concluding his speech, Mr.. Lowell
introduced Hon. John 7. Morgan, of Ala
boma. The Senator said: 81 believe we
| are now about to relieve the country of
some fatuous enterprises which injured her
| end crippled her wealth. To me il is g
| pleasant thing that the men of the North
and South are to-day comforting upon 8
| question which is OF interest to all OF Us.
We find now, and will find forever. that
| there is no sedate reason why the two sec
| tons should be embroiled. Sectional lines
of distinction no longer exist, and we are
at last one people. I object TO that system
which wrings money from the people to
bestow it upon political aspirants, be they
friends or Otherwise. The system of taxa
| ton for tariff has outer0Tn ITSELF. The
| question is, shall we cut down the revenue
10 our wants, or shall be keep this revenue
| year after year, or shall we dry up the
sources of this revenue and stop this wrong
to the country.
Congressman Breckinridge, Of Kentucky.
after speaking o. the grave importance of the
tariff question and the pressing need OF
congressional action, said Protection is
never healthy nor IN the long run pro6ta-
BILE, any more than feverish strength and
restlsssness produced by stimulants is evil
6ence of health The present rates OF tax
alton are unequal, onerous and hurttul to
the mas Of those employed in the indus
tries professedly sought to be protected,
and so far SIS taxation is unnecessary for
the necessities OF the government econom-
icslly administered il is uDjustly imposed
and illegally gathered from the people.
The reduction of taxation and the revision
of the tariff to which both the great polit-
iosl parties are pledged, must be made
gradually and cautiously, with a constant
remembrance that systems long establish
ed cannot be readily changed, and that
grave practical difficulties lie in the path
OF any reform. In the nature of the case
sll protective tariffs must have an element
Of instability and uncertainty. There are
few to whom this system is indeed DO.
nanzs; to all others it is an injury and a
wrong"
Congressman Wilson, of West Virginia,
Congressman Rogers, Of Arkansas, and 9th
ers followed in brief addresses. 1t was past
midnight when the gathering broke up.