The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-09-01

press. 1t is not necessary for me before
proceed TO that subject to speak of the
President of tho United States and his ad-
ministration moro than a very few words
defy any man who has any regard for the
truth to say that Grover Cleveland has not
made a good President of the United
States. [Cheers. A brave, intelligent,
level-headed, noble man, he has had
clean, an upright and successful
Administration. loud cheers.l Four
years ago he was elected. In the canvass
that preceded his election his opponents
predicted all manner of evils in case he
should succeed. He did succeed, and pray
what has become of their predictions?
daughter and applause.l Where is the ruin
that was to follow the election of Grover
Cleveland? Where is the disgrace that
was to follow his elcctionl On the con-
trary, the country has been more quiet,
more peaceable, more prosperous than it
has been for many years that have gone by.
Now, know the man, know him well, and
l tell you, my fellow-citizcns, that more
upright and wise man 1 do not believe
dwells within the limits of the United
NStates-[loud cheers and he has noble
band of councillors around him, and not
the least among them is the distinguished
citizen of your own State, Mr.. Dickinson.
Applause. Cleveland knows not only
how to govern himself in the limits of the
constitution, but he knows full well how to
choose good constitutional advisors.
[Cheers.] Having said this much about the
Administration, let me proceed to that
question to which I alluded in opening,
which is commonly called the tariff ques-
tion.
Ipresume there is net person within
the sound of my voice who does not know
yI,oti 1Nvytl tl,f NIL
aid US to-day if give q clear and precise
definition of what tariff is. A tariff, my
friends, is nothing in the world but a tax
a tax levied by the general Government
upon every article of commerce that comes
into the United States and that is intended
for sale within our borders, which instant
iy raises the price of tho articles, and
therefore becomes tax or burden upon
the people for every article of domestic
manufacture of the like nature with those
which pay the tariff tax. Now, we have
at this moment, according to the last ad-
vices have seen, about $115, 000, 900 in the
EationalTreasury,c called surplus revenue
that is, taxes collected from the people be-
yond the necessities of the Government.
Those S115, ,000, 900 are lying partly idle in
i the vaults Of the Treasury Of the United
States, Of no service to any human being,
drawing no interest, earning no profit, but
taken from the pockets of the people,
whore thoy properly belong, and where, if
they were now found, thousands and ten
Of thousands and hundreds of thousands Of
the people of tho United States would
put them to good use and improve their
condition and prosperity. [Applause] Tho
Democratic party says that this is a
wrong condition Of affairs-that that money
ought not to be, like the talent OF the men We
are told Of in the Scripture, buried in the
ground; that that is very poor use to
make of the money of the people; and,
therefore, the Democratic party say that
this surplus revenue, which is produced in
tho main by this tariff tax, ought to be re-
duced; that the tax should be reduced so
that the surplus will not continue to accu-
mulate. Our opponents, on the other
hand, say it is better to lot the surplus ac-
cumulate; it is better to take tho money
from the pockets of our people; 1t is better
to pile it up in the vaults Of the
Treasury Department, although it does
no good whatever, but rather does
great harm; it is better to do
that than to touch the tariff laws Of the
country. We say, Oh tho contrary, that the
way to relieve tho ovcrtaxed people is to
roducc the tax; that the way to treat a
people honestly, fairly and wisely is to
til.ic no ItlCrc buACS OuC VI tuclI puChCtS
than the Government actually needs for
expenditure [Cries of "Good," 'That's
right" and applause.l The issue, then,
Is clearly made up between us. 1t Is be-
tween high taxation on the one hand and
reasonable taxation on the other 1t Is be-
tween taking the money Of the people Of
their own control, out Of their own pock-
OTIS and buryng it In the cellars OF tho
Treasury Department, or leaving 1t where
1t helongs--in the pockets Of the people, to
be used as their wants, thoir require
ments, their intelligence and interest di-
rect. Now, my friends, in the long politi-
cal lifo have led have heard great
many false pretonses preached to the peo-
ple, great many statements made that
were intended to deceive and delude them,
but in all my life l have never witnessed
as much audacity as ! noticed this year on
tho part Of the advocates Of u high protect
ivc tariff They seem to have been sud
denly afflicted with singular disregard
of the truth. do not intend to call peo-
plc hard names. have all my life kept
,ivil tongue in my head, and ] mean TO
keep it as long as live; but do say that
some people sometimes seem to lose their
sonses or thcy can not see the truth, and
often unfortunately can not speak it.
Laughter and applause.
ABsURDITY OF HIGH TARIFF,
Just think OF 1t for one moment We arc
told that high tariff makes country
richer, us II 1t were possible to make u
country rich by oppressively taxing It's
people. Amt that new way TO make Q