The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-24
GEN. HARRISON AT DETROIT
An Eloquent and Strong Response to
Washington as a Republican"
The Principle of Majority Rule and an Equal
and Fair Ballot the Fundamental and
Dominating Question of the Day.


| to be responded to is Washington, the Repub-
| lican The guarantee of the Constitution that
| the State shall have republican form of gov
| eminent is only executed when the majority in
| the States are allowed to vote and have their
| ballots counted" / know of no better man to
| respond to this than the gallant soldier, whose
merits need not dilate upon. and that wise
| legislator, Gen. Benz amin Harrison. of Indiana.
| LGreat applause.
| Gen. Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, who
| made his initial bow before Michigan assem-
blage. was warmly received, and his first
! tence captured the audience. He alluded to the
fact that he had not come by the way of Wash
| ington that he was "a dead statesman" 1t
| was shot in the right direction, and followed
| by the declaration that he was living Repub-
| lican, was greeted with outburst of applause.
| Senator Harrison made the first reference of
| the evening TO the name of Chandler" 1t was
| talismanic. Instantly great wave Of applause
| swept over the hall The name of the grand
| old stalwart awoke the enthusiasm of the as
sembled Republicans, and thenceforth the
speaker carried his hearers with him.
The Indiana statesman has q clear. melodous
| voice His tones are iIcisive and his points
clearly put and aptly illustrated. He paid
handsome compliment to Michigan as strong
hold of Republicanisns, and evoked a tempest OF
cheers by an allusion to John Sherman. Later
on Senator Harrison referred to John A Logan
and provoked another storm of applause
General Harrison's theme was Washington,
the Republican, and, after briefly abiding to
his text he settled down to discussion of the
questions which are of paramount Importance
to every Republican. The Senator spoke as
follows:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the Michigan
Club feel that / at some disadvantage
here tonight by reason of the fact that / did
not approach Detroit from the direction of
Washington City | am dead statesman
['No, mol: but am living and rejuvenated
Republican. have the pleasure tonight for
the first time i'll my life of addressing an audi
| ence of Michigan Republicans Your invita-
lions in the past have been frequent and urgent,
| but have always felt that you knew how to do
| your own work. that we could trust the stalwart
Republicans of this magnificent State TO hold
| this key of the lakes against all Corners. am
not here to-night in the expectation that shall
| be able to help you by any suggestion or even
to kindle into greater earnestness that zeal and
interest in Republican PRINCIPLES which your
presence here tonight well attests | am
here rather to be helped myself, to battle my
soul in this high atmosphere of patriotism and
pure Republica nism lapplausel by spending
little season in the presence of those who loved
and honored. and followed the Cromwell of the
Republican party, Zachariah Chandler. Ire
mendous applause
The sentiment which has been assigned me
tonight, Washington, the Republican, free
and equal ballot the only guarantee OF the
Nation security and perpetuity," is one that
was supported with holiness of utterance,
with a defiance that was uneXcelled by any
lsader, by Zachariah Chandler always aud every
where. Applause. As Republicans We are
fortunate as has been suggested, in the fact
that there is nothing the history of our party.
nothing in the principles that we advocate TO
make it impossible for us to gather and to cele-
brate the birthday of any American who honored
or defended his country. lCheers.l We could
even unite with our Democratic friends in cele-
brating the birthday of st. Jackson. because we
enter into fellowship with him when We read his
story of how. by proclamation, he put down
notification in South Carolina. Applause We
could meet with them to celebrate the birthday
of Thomas jefferson. because there is no notein
the immortal Declarati on or in.the Constitution
of our country that is out of harmony With he
pubcanism. Cheers But curl Democratic
friends under limitation. They have a short
calendar of saints, and they must omit from the
history OF those whose names are on the calen-
dar the best achievements of their lives. do
not know what she party is preserved for. Its
history reminds me of the bowlder in the stream
of progress, impeding and resisting its on
ward flow and moving only by the force that it
reSists
want to read very brief extract from q
most notable paper, that to-day in tho
Senate at Washington read from the desk by its
presiding officer. farewell address of W ash
ington and while it is true that l cannot quote
find the writings of Washington
anything specifically referring to ballot-box
fraud. to tissue ballots. to intimidation. to
forged tallysheets Icheersl, for the reason that
these things had not come in in his day TO dis
turb the administration of the government.
yet in the comprehensiveness of the words he
uttered, like the comprehensive declarations of
the Holy Book, may find admonition and
guidance, even with reference to a condition of
things that his pure mind could have never con-
templated. Washington said, Liberty is indeed
little less than name, where the government
is too feeble to withstand the enterprises of fac
tions. TO confne each member of society within
the limits prescribed by the law. and to main
tain all in the secure and tranquil en- Joyment of
the rights of persons and property If had
read that to Democratic meeting they would
have suspected that it was an extract from some
Republican speech. Lauehter.J My country
mon, this government-that which l love to
think of as my country, for not acres, rail
roads. or farm products. or bulk meats, or Wall
street, all combined. are the country that
love. 1t is the institution, the form OF govern
ment the frame of civil society, for W hich that
flag stands, and which we love. IAp-
plause.l It is what Mr.. Lincoln so tersely,
governments of the people, by the people and for
the people; government of the people. because
they instituted 1.-THE Constitution reads we.
the people, have ordained by the people, be-
cause it Ia in all its departments controlled by
them; for the people, because it states its OBJ
ject of supreme attainment the happiness, Sc
curty aud peace of the people that dwell under
it. Applause
The bottom NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. it is called
the corner stone, sometimes the foundation of
our structure of eovernment-is the principle of
control by the majority. 1t is more than the
corner stone foundation. This structure is
monolith, one from foundation TO apex, and that
monolitn stands for and is this principle of gov
eminent by majorities, legally ascertaned by
constitutional methods. Every thing else about
our government is appendaye, is ornamen tation.
This 10 the monolithic column that was reared by
Washington and his associates For this the
war of tho revolution fought for this and
its more perfect security the Constitution
formed; for this the war OF the rebellion was
fought and when this principle perishes the
structure which Washington and his compatrots
reared lies dishonored in the dust The equality
of the ballot demands that our apportionments
in the States for legislative and congressional
purposes shall be SO adjusted that there shall be
equality in the influence and the power of every
elector, that it shall not be true anywhere
that counts two one and half and
some other man counts only one half
But some one says sthat is fundamental. ALI
men accept this truth. Not quite Nv coun-
trymen. we are confronted by this condition Of
things in America to-day government by the
majority expressed by equal and a free bal
lot is not only threatened, but it has been over
- 1axy tl,ofu hove osalo