The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-10-25
FOR PROTECTION.
OIL. s. W. RUssEL's sPEEoI

COL. y. w. hUbSEL'6 bfEEOhs
A Lifelong Democrat Speaks At Salem
N. ". for the First time on RcpublicAi
Platform
For about twenty years Col, Russell
has been president OF the village OF "a
lem. For eight years he was Chairman
OF the Washington County Democrats
Committee. He WAS secretary OF tn
committee for eight years also. He wa
a delegate to the Democratic Nationa
Convention in 1876, and has been dele
gate to State Conventions frequently
In 1888 he was the Democratic candi
date for county Judge for Washington
county and ran 1900 ahead of his ticket
He is a director'of the Peoples Nations
Bank at Salem. Col. Russell's repudis
ton of Cleveland and Free Trade break
the backbone OF the Washington county
Democracy. His change OF front viii
carry with 1t the vote OF many Demo
Gratis,
COL. RUSsELLs ADDRESS.
IICol, Russell spoke as follows
Every vote OF my life at poltlca
election his been cast here at the polling
place in our village. For nearly quar-
ter OF century have passed in anC
out before you, fellow citizens OF tn
town Of Salem, acting openly and frank
" in all matters upon which have oeei
expected 10 cast vote, so that no mar
has ever had any reason TO doubt my
position upon any question OF puollc IN
terest or Importance. And notwIth-
standing, fellow citizens, that during
the whole course OF that life haze act
ed IN political matters and upon pun'lC
questions in opposition to vast MAJOR,
lily of nv fellow tOwnsmen, have hau
occasion, though never holding civil
Office out side OF this village, to feel that
you have accorded to me- zig hit oil IN
dependent political action and that J our
confidence has followed me during the
whole of my busin"ss and public career.
1t is the consciousness OF that fact, and
only because remember it, that l stand
before you tonight to MAKE to you. let
low citizens OF Salem, the first public
announcement that have made that,
after careful examination OF the ques
tions involved in this campaign, which
commenced in December last, have
decided that no man who believes in the
future greatness and prosperity OF this
country can vote to sustain the present
national administration in power Tor an
other term. -
Now, fellow citizens, might well
pauee here, for l agree with you that u
any man within the limits OF this proud
country OF ours has earned the right TO
vote according to the dictates OF HE
own conscience and according TO the
light of his own judgment, it is the man
who received an honorable discharge
from the Union army that successfully
fought the recent war for the preserya
ton OF the nation, say might well
pause here, as | do not feel that any per-
son in this audience or anywhere else
has any right to question me further
than that am exercising right that
no man can deny me-NcIing according
to tho convictions Of my own Judg-
ment, =.
But there are two instances in the his
tory OF tho country-one NJ whlch &C.
CURED before men OF my age took part
in political matters and one of vary re-
cent date-lhat / think should be
brought to the attention Of every citizen
before he casts his ballot in November
next to decide the great and vital ques
tions that are to be settled at the polls,
The first occasion to which allude
was the election TO the office OF Presl
OF the United States OF man who by
the platform on which he was nominal
ed, by pledges under which he accepted
the nomination, was committed, by the
attitude OF the party and his pledges, to
a protective system Of tnritf-the tariff
of 1874 man who wos elected, who
was inaugurated and who atteward
surrendered himself in violation OF hls
pledges to the policy OF men from the
South who believed in Free Trade. Be
fore the expiration OF the term OF that
President measure of tariff was adopt
ed, not the measure OF 1S42, which he
had pledged himself TO maintain and
which was high protective tariff, but
the low tariff measure Of 1916, which
was a protective tariff in no sense nf the
word. That man was James K. Polk,
man elected TO the Presidency upon
platform of high protective tariff and
who yielded to the mallgn influences Of
the South and acquiesced in tho passage
of the act that brought the tariff Of 1S45
which in 1857 brought upon this coun-
try business calamity and distress.
There is another instance In the his
Tory OF this country, known to every
person present here to night. in which \
man elected to tho Presidency violated
his pledges and refused to perform the
duties which he was bound to perform
by the most solemn and honorable obi
cations. Now mark the parallel
Forty wears after Mr.. Folks trim ma
tional convention was held at Chicago
A candidate was nominated at the con-
vention. He was nominated upon q
platform OF prOtection-a platform
which meant protection il it meant any
thing. He was elected, He was inau-
gurated. He entered upon the discharge
OF the duties Of that high office, and
that President-lIke the President OF
1S44-thiTty-seven months after his elSc-
ton sent message to Congress. That
message il q wanton and reckless attack
upon the System Of Projections sys-
tenn under which American industries
and American labor have prOspersd,
That was the act Of the present Presi-
dent OF tho United States, who promul
gated that message to the world on the
9th day OF December last.
1t remains, fellow-citizens, with the
voters of this country on the 9th day Of
November next, TO decide whether the
parallel shall be continued. The voters
are to decide whether the tariff which
has given us protection and prosperity
shall prevail or give way to the Mills
bill, passed by the House Of Represen-
tatives and now before the Senate. a
measure introduced by member Of the
important " commercial State of Texas!
Fellow citizens, it rests with you to de-
eide the question, with such OF you as
cast ballot in November.
The tariff q no new question. There
is no man of intelligence today who
does not know that system Of protec
ton was one of the first measures adopt
ed by the Congress of the United States,
Congress early recognized the impossi
bility OF a real political separation from
Great Britain that did not carry with it
commercial separation. That was the
doctrine intended by our forefathers,
and which every Democrat in the early
history of the party sustained from JEFF
ferson down. So it was in l776, when
the immortal declaration Of iudepend-
ence was promulgated to the world and
severed our political relations with
Great Britain. 1t was not till 1889 that
the act was passed which was destined
to sever our commercial relations with
Great Britain and make US something
beside a republic in name. That act
provided that there should be levied
upon goods, wares and merchandise i'm
ported from foreign countries into this
4 r. al =