Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-17
KELLY,S SPEECH,

The burden of the speech of John
I. Kelly, Esq, in this city on Wednes-
day evening, was a defense of the
Bennett law, which he said Was the
real issue in the present campaign;
and this notwithstanding the fact that
Senator Spooner in his speech in Mil
waukee short time ago declared that
the school law was not the issue. The
first part of his speech was devoted 10
a statement of the position of the re-
publican party upon the tariff question.
The republican policy, he said, was to
levy duties upon imports for the pur-
pose of protecting home industries,
and that the raising of revenue by
this means for governmental purposes
was the secondary object. He at
tempted TO ridicule democrats for
claiming that "the tariff is tax"
But this portion of his speech had ev-
identity been prepared for the cam
paign of 1888, and not since the pass
age of the Mckinley bill, which, on
account of the increased rates of duty,
has caused general marking up of
nearly all classes of goods; which in
creased price, whether they call it a
tariff or tax. consumers will have to
pay. 1t was evident that there was,
on the part of the speaker and a
large portion of his audience, fore
bodings of the judgment which is to
be passed upon the republican party
for heaping new burdens upon an al
ready overtaxed people. In his dec
laretion that I" the tariff is not the is
sue," he plainly showed that his party
breads the verdict of the people upon
its acts, and desires to flee from the
wrath to come by making the fight
upon other issues.
His treatment of the school question
was fair, from his standpoint. He
did not make the foolish assertion that
democrats were opposed to the public
schools, but denounced extremists on
both sides of the question. His
mission was to pour oil upon the
troubled waters, and counterfeit the
incendiary speeches of certain repub-
lican leaders. He claimed that the
Bennett law was the main issue, and
read, and commented upon the law,
section by section. He could see no
injustice or oppression in its enforce
ment. He frankly admitted that the
democrats were not attacking the
public schools, and denied that the
Bennett law was an attack upon the
parOchial schools. He entered into
the spirit of his subject, and at times
his eloquence attained sublime heights.
His eloquence and his honest face,
however, failed him when it came
time for him to speak upon the other
great issue of the campaign, namely:
the question of compelling state treas
urers to pay to the state interest on
public funds loaned by them. 1t is
true that the republican platform
declares in favor of state treasurers
doing SO; but Geilfuss, will not give
his pledge that if elected he will turn
over to to the state the interest on
state funds. The issue was too much
for speaker Kelly, and he wisely con-
cluded not to tackle it. Such issues
could be better attended to by Hold.
Taylor and other republican editors
and politicians who sanction and de-
fend the pratiee in this regard which
has hitherto prevailed with state
treasurers in Wisconsin.
The fact that $350,000, interest on
state funds, has been appropriated to
their own use by State Treasurer Har-
shaw and his professors, was not even
alluded to by Mr.. Kelly. Upon all
such vexatious questions ne was mum
as mouse. He wisely devoted his time
and eloquence to attempts to prove
that the democrats are in the wrong
because they differ with republicans
upon other issues.