The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-06
LONESOME FREE TRADERS
A State League Begins with a Series
of Alleged Reform Resolutions.
The COrporal's Squad Of Disconsolate Demo.
Gratis Hire a Hall in Which They and
Orator barrow, OfChicago. Are Lost.

Inc state 1arlU REFORM League QelQ q
session yesterday morning at which the re-
port of the committee on constitution was
considered, and the name of the Indiana
Tariff Reform League suggested by the
committee, was accepted, the League to
consist of the various tariff reform clubs
throughout the State. There was consider
able discussion over the report of the
committee on a permanent constitution
as to the objects of the association, and the
following, offered by Mr.. Foster, of Fort
Wayne, was finally adopted in lieu of the
committee views on that subject; I'm,
taxation. The Constitution warrants no
tax but a revenue tax. which we believe
ought to be levied with the view of ex-
empting from taxation all necessaries of
life"
At the afternoon session the following
officers were elected:
President, Stanley P. Porter, Indianapolis.
Vice-presidents, j. g. Shanklin, Evansville;. Cy-
rus +. Davis, Bloomfield; Eli Menaugh, Salem;
Richard Gregg, Aurora; w. j. Buchanan, Frank
lin, Austin Reedy,. Connersville; Henry Roy;
uel L. Raiston, Lebanon; Sidney X. Moon, Ro-
chester; A. F. Wright, Marion; c. E. Worden,
Fl: Wayne; {. H. Reeve, Plymouth. Treasurer,
John p. Frenzel, Indianapolis.
On motion the president was given thirty
days in which to appoint an executive com
mittee, and when appointed the committee
is authorized to employ a permanent secre-
tary. The following resolutions were
UNANIMOUSLY adopted:
We, as representatives chosen from among
the people of Indiana, who believe in tar
iff reform" now in convention assembled,
do declare:
1. That the system of federal taxation
now in operation, framed in the first place
to meet the eXigencieS of war, and after
ward modified only to meet the demands of
avarice and satisfy the exactiOns of organ
lied greed. is unequal in the distribution
Of ife hurAana viai0nS in nrincinla ipinui-
tOus in its practical application, and, If
maintained, will ultimately subvert, as it
now undermines, the foundations of our
liberties.
2. We know that this system could not
be maintained for a day but for the fact
that its practical workings are disguised by
indirect methods, and that the masses,
oyerburdened to support it, have not been
the reins with which they are driven are
held in the hands of monopoly, and the
heavy load they patiently draw is for the
lap of luxury.
to devote our energies, our time and Our
talents to the building up of an organize
ton in Indiana through which the people
may be supplied with such literature and
other means of education as will bring
home to them a full realization of the
burdens entailed upon them by this sys-
TEN, n if possible arouse such a spirit of
resistance to the methods of the mOnOpOlist
anu Ills allies dS Will TtuutT III lupOSSlDlt
for them to further deceive the voters by
false logic, to mislead them by side or dead
issues, or to corrupt them by the methods
of the bOodler. To this end we invoke the
aid and cooperation of every citizen of
our State, without regard to party, who
believes that our government should bead
ministered in the spirit in which it was
founded, and that our equality before the
law should be maintained in fact as it is
guaranteed IN form.
SAM E. MORss,
/. N. PIERCE,
w. A. PICKENs,
GEO. w. COOPER,
EDGAR A. BROWN,
Committee.
The thanks of the body were endered to
various persons to whom it was indebted
for ~favOrs, and a motion being made and
carried to that effect, each person present
contributed 81 for the use of the league.
After that the convention adjourned.
There was rather a slender meeting at
Tomlinson Hall, last night, to hear the
speeches advertised by the league, al
though an earnest effort was made to have
| the labor organizations of the city present,
and the speakers announced were such as
were likely to attract the members of such
associations. The main floor was about
One-third full, and with nobody in the gal
leries, and a scanty array of vice-presidents
on the stand, the big hall had a lonesome
and deserted look. Rev. Hugh o. PentecOst
and other speakers noted. on the pro-
| gramme were conspicuous by their abb
sence, but G. r. barrow, of Chicago, was
present, and after Robert Geddes, of Terre
Haute, had been selected as president of
the meeting, and had stated its objects, Mr..
barrow was introduced as the orator of
the evening. He is a smOOth-faced, strident-
voiced young man who did yeoman's serv-
ice, so to speak, for Mr.. Cleveland during
the recent campaign, and his address. which
lasted some two hours, was largely
a repetition of the Grafton which
had a tendency to fire the Democratic
| heart during that memorable struggle.
That it was still potent in that direction
was evidenced by the loud, long and con-
tinued applause which greeted his froe-
trade argument. He said he had come to
take part in an inauguratiOn-nOt the in
auguratiOn of a man, but of a measure
and characterized the tariff system of this
government as a species of slavery, more
CALLING and offensive than that which
formerly held the blacks in bondage.
He had come to advocate free
trade pure and simple, and suggested that
If a tariff policy was to be continued it
would be cheaper to follow the plan of the
Chinese and build walls between ourselves
and Canada on the north, and Mexico on
| the south, with forts at every harbOr to
keep out foreign fleets.
The remainder of Mr.. Darrow's remarks
were a rehash of ~well-knOwn free-trade ar
| guments, and his conclusion was an appeal
to wOrkingmen to stand by their organiza-
tiOns. and insist upon the reforms demanded
by the Labor party. After this speech the
lonesome audience dispersed.