The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-11
A De,notratlc Might.

The streets were crowded Win democracy
the air was filled with democracy, the sky
was smoky from the burning oil of demo
cratic torches, and the breeze waited dem
ocratic doctrine and democratic melody
throughout the city and Its suburbs A
CAM aign never opened In Ottawa with
such auspicious surroundings, for the ele-
ments seemed to recognize they had a duty
TO perform, and performed 1t.
The Palmer club, Of the west side
formed In front of its hall, and, headed by
Fitzgerald's band, marched up to the city
hall where l. was joined by the north end
club and the club from East Ottawa, when
these organizations, headed by the martial
band, followed into line, marched with
banners waving and bands blowing, from
Clinton to Main, to Court to Madison, 10
La Sale, north to Superior, east to Colum
bus, and south on Columbus to the south
east gate of the park, and entering ranged
themselves about the speakers stand. The
streets all along the lire of march were
lined with crowds of people, who cheered
Justify as the five hundred torch bearers,
composed of business men, attorneys, edit
ors, clerks and other workingmen passed
by In quadruple file. There were quite
five hundred men In line, and the process.
sion, four abreast, was nearly four blocks
In length
Arrived at the park, the band played =
democratic overture and the democratic
ouartette rendered the "Mugwump" In
good style. This qusrtette Is composed of
young men, but one Of whom is voter.
and we're only recently organized, but II Is
doubtful If better material exists In the
city::than several OF Its voices
When the quartette had ceased, the
space about the stand, to the right. left and
center, for hundreds Of feet, was packed
with ladies' and gentlemen, and presented
waving, surging ocean of hats and bon
nets, II not altogether, at least, very near
three thousand In number. 1t is conceded
to have been the largest audience, CON-
posed entirely Of Ottawa people, that has
turned out to hear a political speaker In
years, and was wonderfully attentive to
and sppreciative of the remarks of the
orator Of the evening.
Before the echoes of the applause, which
which greeted the effort of the quartette.
had died away, there was wild, spontane,
GUS cheer for Hon. Jas. w. Duncan, the
orator Of the evening, who after gracefully
acknowledging this evidence Of esteem,
launched into his address with all his char.
acteristic energy.
Unfortunately for his articulation, Mr..
Duncan was suffering from severe hoarse-
ness, which impeded his delivery to con.
siderable extent; but that eloquence and
superb flow Of language, of which he is
master, seemed even more brilliant than
ever. Mr.. Duncan's opening was a fine
effort, and having quieted his audience
and established bond Of sympathy be-
tween 1t and himself, he gave clear and
lucid argument upon the questions Of the
day. The great amount of none neces-
sary to be raised to carry on the govern.
ment must, ne said, be raised by a tax
upon the people, as long as the United
states remained government, and the
more Just way of raising this tax was to
place 1t upon the luxuries of the rich
and make 1t AZ light as possible upon the
necessities of the poor man. The people
understand we'll what the tax Is that they
pay to the tax collector every year. This
Is direct taxation, and the people feel IT
because they place their hands In their
pockets and pay 1t In lump to the col
leCtOr. The amount OF money necessary
to run the city OF Ottawa is large, but the
amount OF money necessary to keep the
machinery Of the government running Is
enormous, amounting to several hundred
millions. This Is raised by collecting a
tax at the custom house on every dollars
worth of nearly everything which we wear
and consume. This Is Indirect taxation.
and forever makes free trade In this
country an impossibility SO when repuo-
republicans say the democrats are for free
trade you know they misrepresent the facts
or don't know what they are talking about
Four years ago the republican party &C
cused the democratic party of being In
favor OF paying the rebel debt, abolishing
the pension list placing The negroes back
into slavery and repudiating the national
debt. Thank God, the intelligence of the
American people was above the influence
Of such trickery, and the democratic party
came into power. 1t has proven to the
people, by given them an honest govern
ment and upright public officials, an eco
nomical administration, the restoration Of
thousands of acres Of public lands,
given away by the republican party to
railway corporations, and the application
Of the maxim that public office Is a
public trust, that the claims Of the repub.
licans were untrue and falsely made. With
these bugaboos taken from them the re.
publican party has had nothing to stand
upon and no argument until 1t met in
Chicago and declared In favor Of free
whisky In preference to reducing the
national revenues, which during the
economical administration Of Grover
Cleveland had been far too great for needs
of the government, and were creating a
vast surplus at the rate Of $1O0,OOO,OOO per
Thto 10 vaotoo t, ho lral u