The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-22


the sap into The wide and open sea OF prosper
fty, end i to be suggested that the party That
has accomplished these magnificent achieve
ments cannot sail and manage the GOOD ship IN
the frequented road ways of ordinary commerceI
What is there now before us that presents itself
for soiuuonl
unfinished work remains to be donel 1t seems
10 me that the work that is unfinished is to MAKE
Shat constitutional grant of citizenship tne
franchise the colored of the South. q
practical and living reality. IGrest applause
The condition of things Is such IN TINS country
q government by constitutional majority
whoever the people become convinced thas 20
administration or a law dues not represent the
will of the majority of cur qualined electors,
then that administration ceases to cnahenge tue
respect OF our people aud that law ceases 20
command their willing obedience Inis Is re-
publican government. government Dy major
ity, the mAjorIties to be ascertalnea py TAR
count and each elector expressing MS viii al tue
baIlot-box | know of no reason why any IA"
should bind nv conscience that does not nave
this sanction behind it. know or no reason
why 1 should yield respect Co any executive
officer whose title is not based upon majority
vote of the qualified electors or this country.
IApplausel What is the condition of things in
the Southern States today
The Republican vote is aDSoluteiy suppressed.
Elections in many of those States have become
q farce. In the last congressional election in
the State of Alabama there We're several con-
rreeslonaI districts where the entire vote for
mpmbers of Congress did not reach 2000
whereas in most of the districts of the North
the vote cast at our congressional elections goes
from &c. 900 TO so. 600. had occasion 10 say a
day or two ago that in a single congressional
district In the State of Nebraska there were
more votes cast to elect one Congressman than
were cast in the State OF Alabama at the same
election TO elect their whole delegation. Out of
what does this comet The suppression of the
Republican vote; the understanding among our
Democratic friends that it IS not necessary that
they should vote because their opponents are
not allowed to vote. But some one will suggest:
sis there a remedy for this| do not know
my fellow-citizens, how far there is legal
remedy under our Constitution, but 1T does not
to to be an adequate answer. 1t does
NOT seem to me to be conclusive against
the agitation OF this question even II
to the arrogant question that rs
asked us: What you going to do
q bout itlr even if we should be compelled to an
9 wer: I'VE can do nothing but protest. LIZ IL
not worth while here. and in relation to this
American question, that we should at least lit
mp our protest; that we should at least denounce
the wrong; that should at least deprive the
perpetrators of it of what we used to call the
usufructs of the crime2 If you cannot prevent
q burglar from breaking into your house. You
will do good deal toward dlscourag1ng burg
larry If you prevent him from carrying off any
thing laughter and aDplauseI and so IL seems
70 me that If we can, upon this question, arouse
the indignant protest of the North. and unite
our efforts in a determination that those who
perpetrate those wrongs against popular suffrage
shall not by means of these wrongs seat Presl-
dent at Washington to secure the federal
OS~oOS S--~N@-
TO bring this wrong to an end. But at least
while we are protesting by representa-
tives from State Department at
Washington aRaiust wrongs perpetrated
An Russia against the jew. and in our popular
assemblies hers against the wrongs which En-
gland has inflicted upon Ireland, shall we not,
in reference TO this gigantic and Intoler-
able wrong in our own country. as party, lift
up a stalwart and determined protest against It'll
IApplausel
But some of these independents journalists
about which orr friend Macmillan talked. call
this the .'bloody shirt" They say are try
Ing TO revive the strife of the war, to rake over
the extinct embers, to kindle the fire again.
want it understood that for one have no quar-
rel with the South for what took place between
1861 and 1865. am willing to forget that they
were rebels, at least as they willing
TO forget it themselves laughter, and that time
does not seem to have come yet to them
Applause. But our complaint is against what
during the war. Our complaint is against what
will be done this year, not what done be-
tween 1861 and 1865. No bloody shirt-though
that cry never had any terrors for APP
plause. ! believe we greatly underestimate the
Importance of bringing the issue to the
front, and with that oft-time Republican cour-
it tie land over. If We cannot do anything else
we can either make these people ashamed of
this outrage against the ballot or make the
world ashamed Of them. Applause
There IS another question to which the Repub-
lican party has com united ITSELF and on the line
OF which it has accomplished, as believe, much
for the prosperity of this country. believe
the Republican party is pledged and ought to be
pledged to the doctrine of the protection of
American industries and American labor. APP
plause ! believe that in so far our native
genius, which seems to have no limit,
our productive forces can supply the American
market, we ought to keen it for ourselves. And
yet this new captain on the bridge seems to con-
graduate himself on the fact that the voyage is
still pros porous, Notwithstanding the change of
commanders; who seems to forget that the rea-
son that the voyage is still prosperous is because
- 49, hnf,
went the bridge and the rudder tied down.
Laughter and applause. He has attempted to
take n new direction since he has been in COM
mAnd llaughterl, with a view OF changing the
sailing course of the old craft but it has seemed
to me that he has made the mistake of
mistsking the fAshlight of some British
lighthouse for the light of day. Laughter
do not intend here tonight 10 this presence to
discuss this tariff question in any detail. only
want to say that in ths passage of what il now
so hippantIy called the war tariff, to raise reve-
nue. TO carry on the war out of the protective
duties which were then levied. there has come
to this country prosperity and development
which would have been impossible without it.
and that reversal Of this policy now. at the
suggestion of Mr. Cleveland according to the
line of the blind statesman from Texas Millsl.
would be to stag and interrupt this march of
on which we have entered. Zap
plauSe. / am one of those unin-
structsd political economists that have
an impression that some things may be
too cheap; that l cannot find myself
in full sympathy with this demand for cheaper
coats. which seems to me necessarily TO involve
8 cheaper man and woman under the coat. APP
plausel believe IL is trne to day that we have
many things in this country that are too cheap.
because whenever il is proved that the man or
woman who produces any article cannot get
decent living out of it. then it is too cheap
But have not intended to discuss in detail
any of these questions with which we have
grappled, upon which we have proclaimed
a policy. or which we must meet in the near
future. | am only here tonight briefly to
sketch to You the magnificent career of this
party to which we give alleglance-a union of
the States, restored. cemeuted, regenerated
Constitution cleansed of its compromises with
slavery and brought into harmony with the i'm
mortal Declaration; race emancipated. given
and the ballot; national credit pre-
served and elevated until it stands unequaled
among the nations of the world; currency
more priced than the coin for which it may be
exchanged; . story of prosperity more marvel
Gus than was ever Written by the historian be-
fore. This is in brief outline the magnificent
way in which the Republican party has wrought
1t stands to-day for pure. equal, honest ballot