Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-08-13

| teTposed every possible obstacle to obstruct
| the Government during the var; that af.
/ ter the war, every amendment 10 the Con-
| stitGiion of the United States to secure the
fruits Of the effort to preserve the Union
had been fought by thu Democratic party;
thar the amendments to the Constitution
were necessary to forever settle and fix the
rights of American citizens; that they
were necessary to make men of the United
States equal before the law. [AppIause.l
Captain MatlOck then took up the tariff
question and gave clear and succinct his.
tory OF the tariff legislation Of the United
States from the organization of the Govern
ment under President Washington, in 1883,
to the present date, and claimed that the
! record shows that the Fathers favored q
tariff on imported merchandise for the ex-
press purpose of fostering and encouraging
domestic industries. That the country had
always been prosperous under reasonable
protection that the converse of this was
equally true; that depression in business
and hard times had been coincident with
low duties; that low duties on imported
manufactures had the direct effect of re-
ducing the wages of the American laborer
engaged in like manufactures that the
Democratic party had always, as party,
been opposed TO protection as a principle !;
that tariff Tor revenue only, as claimed by
the Democrats, was equivalent to q declara-
ton of free trade, because it ignored the
principle of protection.
The speaker then adveTted to President
Cleveland's late message, and said that the
surplus III the treasury was the result of a
violation OF plain statute on the part of
the MISUNDERSTANDING to the Act of
March 3, 1881 That by that Act the Sec
rotary of the Treasury was empowered to
purchase bonds OF the United States with
any money in the treasury not 9th ar &ise
appropriated. This Act had been disobeyed
tor the very purpose OF creating a surplus
IN the treasury, to bring about an apparent
necessity fur Democratic onslaught upon
the protective policy of the Republican
party. Appropriations for the improve
ment of rivers and haTbOrs, as well as the
payment ofpensions for Union soldiers, had
been vett e in order to augment the surplus.
He claimed that the Republican party was
in favor of reduction of tariff rates, but
it should be so done as not to in anywise
irjure the laborinG classes of the United
States. Applause The plan OF reduc-
ton proposed by President Cleveland, he
held, was unjust end unfair IS against
American citizens engaged in many Of the
leading industries of the country England
and English workingmen would be bene-
fitted by Mr.. Cie7elands policy and not the
people OF our own codntry, and this point
he dwelt upon with illustrations. The
speaker illustrated the consequences Of
putting wool on the free list, claiming that
such policy would destroy the wool
industry without any compensation
10 the consumers of wool. He
argued that the tariff question was one
practically OF conditions, aud tbo; while
conditions of civilization are SO widely di-
vergent in Europe and America that the
idea of free trade cannot be here tolerated
that if the American laborer is ready and
willing 10 be relegated to the condition of
the lab0rers of Europe and Asia, then The
most direct and speedy road to that c1ndi-
ton vas through the medium of the Demo-
cratic party.
Captain Matlock concluded with a ref
erenCe to General Harrison's military ca
reer, and the enthusiasm with which his
men always followed him. He never said
go" but come, I'll show you the way"
He touched upon the stories concerning
General Harrison's action in 1877, and
challenged any one for $500 coin to bring a
single scinnlla of proof that Harrison was
the enemy of the laboring man, or had ever
been otherwise than the wage earner's earn
est friend At the conclusion of this ad-
dress Chairman Hart called for three cheers
for Harrison and Morton and the veteran
Captain Matlock, and they were given with
a will and tiger"