Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-10-25
THE OLD ROMAN.

THE OLD ROMAN.
Great Democratic Gathering at shelby
Vile, Ind.-Judse Thurman's Talk ON the
Tarin:
SHELBYvILLE, Ind, Oct. ia barbecue
was given yesterday by the Democrats at
this place, which was largely attended, it
being announced that Judge Thurman,
Senator Voorhees,, General Black, Gov
ernor Gray and other prominent politicians
would be present. The visiting and local
clubs formed in procession and were re-
viewed by Judge Thurman from the resi-
dence OF John Beggs. In the afternoon
Judge Thurman was driven to the fair
grounds, where he addressed an audience
running into the thousands. The opening
of his speech was a hearty Endorsement of
President Cleveland. The following were
his remarks on the tariff question and the
treasury surplus:
My friends if had time to do it I would like
to say few words upon subject that is inter-
esting SO much. and which is talked of SO much
this year-the question OF the tarirf, but must
confine what have to say on that interesting
subject to very few remarks and leave 1T to
those who are to follow to elaborate it
much as they and you desire. What is tariff?
1t is nothing in the wide world but a tax. It Is
a tax levied upon you people, and when it is
levied for no other purpose than of furnishing
means to carry on the Government no man, of
any party, makes objection to 1t, but when it is
not used for the purpose of raising in that way
the necessary revenue for the Government, but
for raising millions and tens OF millions nay
hundreds of millions OF dollars or more. OF
revenue for which the Government has
legitimate use. then, my friends, the Govern
ment puts its hands into your pockets and robs
you OF your daily earnings. [Applause.l say
it is a tax. and it is a tax paid in a
most unequal degree by the poor
Of the land. How is this tax paid?
Does the tax gatherer OF the United
States come around and demand it Of you on
your farm and in your workshop. No: that is
not the way. 1t is this way: Upon every ar
ticle of foreign manufacture that is brought into
your country for sale this tax is levied. It Is
collected in the custom houses OF the United
States. 1t is first paid by the man who brings
the goods here, the importer, and then, of
course, he puts that tax upon the price which
he paid for the goods and sells it for that in
creased price when he disposes OF 1t to the mer
chants. Then when the merchants sell it to
you here in this goodly city Of Shelbyville he
keeps on that tax in the price that he charges
you for it, otherwise he could not carry on his
business twenty-four hours. He would neces-
sarlly break up in less than twenty-fOur hours ii
he did not keep on that tax which he had paid
in the price he gave for goods when he sells the
goods to you. So that is true, literally true
with some very few exceptions that are too
tr1f1lng to note, upon all that you wear, from
Lno crown OF your neau TO the SOleS OF your 1eeL.
The burden OF this tax is laid upon you in the
price you pay for goods and there is this other
thing about this tariff, that not only is the price
raised upon all goods that are brought from
abroad, but it is raised on all goods manufact-
ured in this country that come into competition
with these goods that are imported and so it is
that about four or five times much money
is collected from the people in these prices
paid for goods goes to a privileged class in the
United States and don't go into the treasury at
nj
this has been to create a great surplus
in the treasury OF the United States
on August 81 last of about 100000, 900. Owing
to payments made from the treasury since
then it has been somewhat reduced, but then
it was that immense amount and it is supposed
the amount now is nearly 800, 600, OCO-your
money taken out OF your pockets and now ly
ing idle in the vaults of the treasury of the
United States, for which the Government has
no need whatever. That is just SO much money
taken out of the circulation OF the country, that
is Just much money which the people might
use in their many business transactions and in
supplying their daily wants, and would so use
it were it not locked up idle in the vaults the
treasury.
Mr.. Thurman was interrupted by another fit
of coughing, voice: Save yourself, will
vote for you anyway, you are Democrat"
[Applause.l But it is time for me to stop. My
friends our opponents say that this tariff is for
the benefit OF the laboring man. as II 1t could
possibly be for the benefit of the laboring man
&c tax MIN on all ne wears on all his vile and
children wear, on all OF his tools and imple
ments of his trade, and when he dies carry him
in taxed coffin to his grave. No, that
simply absurdity. Nothing more, nothing
less, than an absurdity. The idea that nations
can be made rich by heavily taxing the people
far beyond what the necessities OF government
require; the idea that q man can be bettered
by taxing him on all the necessaries of life is
nothing short of absurdity. [Appause.]
But Republicans state that the Democrats pro-
pose to break down all the manufactures in the
country. My friends, they will do no such thing.
They mean to give the manufacturers fair
chance for an honest living, and when they do
that they do all that an honest man can ask,
that is all. They talk about our depressing or
being an enemy of the laboring man Why in
the name OF all that is true, OF what manner of
men is the Democratic party composed. have
belonged to it ever since I was knee-high to a
duck. as we boys used to say. Applause and
laughter.] I have watched it. thought of it,
worked with it, and seen it under many and
many. an administration, and always have seen
that ninety-nine hundredths OF the men who
belonged to the Democratic party are laboring
men. Applause. Cries Of That's right" A
voice, mot for 81 day, either"]
DENIED BY mills.