The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-23
YESTERDAYS SECOND EDITION.
THE following items of news appeared in GU
Second Edition of Sunday.l
Reformer Watter.on ON tine TarifE.

score OF the guests discussed the issues of tariff
speakers were Hon. w c. P. Breckenridge,
of Kentucky; Hon. Melbourne Fl. Ford,
of Michigan; Hon. Henry Watterson, of
Kentucky; Hon. NJ. ID. Harter. of Ohio,
aud a number of local speakers President
Stokes was the first speaker. He said that new
er before had the people shown such a general
and intense interest in the discussion of econo-
mic questions. The great esidential election
OF this year turned upon tariff reform. The
large surplus in the Treasury had alarmed all
honest people The Presidents wise, prudent.
practical patriotic messaGeslhad sounded the
note OF warning. The coal miners in Pennsyl-
vania, the wool manufacturers of New England;
the The. far formers in ot the South and and
advantages of protection. The Tariff Reform
Club welcomed tariff reformers generally. in
Guiding those who would lessen the duty on a
single raw material and those who would lift
some tariff bnrdens from consumers, those who
would do away with protection and those tho
would abolish all custom houses.
Mr. j. P.Townsend, president of the Maritime
Exchange, offered the following:
We, The members of the Reform Club indorse the
message of President Cleveland to Congress concern
ing the reduction of the tariff taxation.
It was unanimously adopted.
Hon. W. c. P. Breckenridge then responded
to the toast, Tariff Reform Mr.. Breckin-
ridge. in opening. paid tribute to Henry Waiter
son, who sat at his right, and said Mr.. Waiter
son was a leader whose follower he was
Hon. Miibourpe IL. Ford. of Michigan,
sponded to ''The Farmer and the Tariff. . The
II rise with difidence and trepidation. Some
how the impression has been conveyed to me
that am expected to stir your enthusiasm by a
great array of statistical information aud 10
amuse you with facetious and lorid burst of fig
ures, not of speech, but of schedules and classif-
cation. In these lines of the rhetoric art, believe
matters of fact and tackle the truth. The plat
form is the message-the Presidents message
The outlook is most encouraging. Considering
how the painted harlot of protection is whistling
to keen her she stalks ha
graveyard of false vows and broken promises
she has made-manly to the work people
Il should call it assured. For more than
year my fear has been that we might
not be able, in advance Of our national conven-
ton, to close ranks and move in solid column
against the enemy distinct lines Of our own
deliberate choosing. and as believe that nothing
clears the political atmosphere like plain speak
ing right out in meeting. have given the ad-
has afforded IN the way of disagreeabie persist
ency and the sincerest candor. 1t was obvious
to my mind that unless we could agree in Con-
gress we should not agree in convention. The
tariff plank in the last national Democratic plat
form was not intended to be stradde. because
although the platform committee bad
been adroisy packed in the interest
were still strong enough to hold their
ground and to carry all their points Bat it
was made to seem straddle. Hence nothing
short of declaration which might not bear two
constructions would satisfy the demand of re-
form in the next national platform, and any one
could see that this could not be obtained without
aheht, and possibly a split
Just in the nick of time the President came
to the rescue. With the wisdom of an impetu
Gus courage and the craft of a common sense
deriving it's strength from it's integrity. this
brave and honest man. this puzzle to the politi-
clans and contradiction of all experience-with
a single stroke of his pen did what might for
years have baff1ed the efforts of the greatest
statesmen and philosophers. By that
act he has reversed tho situa
ton from one of cowardly INDIGESTION
forced the enemy back behind his earthworks.
and warned stragglers to come into camp. Upon
the lines of that message would rather be
beaten than win upon those of lying subs.i-
tute But we shall not be beaten. The Presi- |
dents words are presages of victory. They re-
move all obstruction from our march of progress
and reform They lead us out of the bushes
and into the highway. An honest Democrat i
may now hol6 up his head, look the world in the S
face, and call his soul his own without furtiye
side glance at the Republicans
II believe in clearly-defned political differ |
ences, stubbornly and honestly maintained upon |
the open field of party combat. and loving no |
me touching public policies, detest him most |
who lets i dare not wait upon L would and |
possesses neither the candor nor the courage of |
his convictions. But thousand purposes are |
Ascribed by the protsctionists to the party of |
revenue reform which never cross the mind of |
any responsible revenue reforme-. These may |
now disavow The policy of evasion and repres
sion Is to be succeeded by a policy of fair and
free discussion. 1t is this the Repub-
leans have courted, and which they affect
% DC nightly lightly pleased with. Let us in the
Let us go to the people of the East, as we have
gone to the people of the West and the South,
with the Truth; The period of agitation has
'ar of the Nation. The period of afirmation
Ind construction is upon us, and its vocal organs
ire not those of exclamation, but of practical
business When seek to arrest the |
attention tssn, of .,.I a. friend lem across the
We have him face to face, we proceed in lower
one to tell him why we stopped him and what
We want. So is it with the movement for reve- |
Tue reform. Its friends have for years sought
" agitation to direct the attention of thinking
men to the evils of a tax system full of Unequal
ty and false pretension. They have succeeded;
md now they prepared to apply definite
measures and methods of reform to the disor-
Ier But these are nowlse preclpitate ex
RENE. They contemplate no revolution. They
ropose at one and the same time to reduce both
axation and revenue, and to effect this the
lnes laid down SO admirably by the President in
liz message.
'And how are we met in this patriotic pur-
ose by the protectionistsl With every manner
misrepresenta tion and jeer. All along the
republican line word has gone forth that we are |
band of incendiaries bent upon blowing up the
ustom houses and burning down the factories,
nd generally DESTROYING the business of the
ountry. This is as if, having awakened your
eighbor to tell him his house is afre. he should
enonpce you for burglar and call the police.
very day we assured that the President
oes not know his own mind; that the message
,eans nothing at ALL that it was thrown out |
iereiy as feeer.' and that there
something back of it which will
resenty appear and surprise everybody In
hort. all the devices of ingenious perverson are
ut forth to confuse our counsels and mislead
oters, and wish could say that these devices
70 employed only by professional enc
lies. Unfortunately there are those
no. masqueraded as Democrats, make it
ie business of their lives to play
ito the hands of the enemy. They
20 protectionists first. Democrats afterward
/ the end, when the process of the redistribu-
on and readjustment of party forces, now going
rward, is completed, they will find a final and
ting abode. where they properly belong, in the
lstes OF those robber barons whose meu-at-
ms are at this moment out in every direc-
on collecting. through the tariff, tribute of the
'ople. Then. indeed. shall we know who is who
I'd what is what, and the star-eyed goddess of
form shall carry in the circlet of truth which
aces her fair young brow no false jewels to
m its lustre. -
.Meanwhile nv friends. we have nothing TO |