The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1890-11-22
Qhe Thibodanx Sentinel,
SATURDAY, NOV. %, $780,

On November, Is 1890, q great
banquet was given at Columbus, Ohio,
in honor of Hon. Allen G.. IT,. ),
the greatest old Roman of them d :.
who attained his 18th birthday on.
that day.
1t was a grand and glorious meeting
of Democrats, who gave an ovation
to the grand old Democratic leader
that few men eve receive.
Ex-President Cleveland was a guest
and one of the speakers. In course
of his able discourse he said:
l have spoken of frugality and
economy as important factors i'll
American life. | find no fault with the
accumulation of wealth, and am glad
to see energy and enterprise receive
their fair reward. But believe that
our government in it's natural integrity
is exactly suited to a frugal and col
omical people; and | believe it is
safest in the hands of those who have
been made strong and self-reliant in
their citizenship. by %self-denial and by
the Surroundings of an enforced
economy. Thrift and careful watch
f~ulness of expenditure among the
people tend to secure a thrifty govern
ment; and cheap and careful living
on the part of individuals ought to
enforce economy in the public expen-
ditures.
When, therefore, men in high places
of trust, charged with the responsible
lity OF making and executing Il laws,
not only condemn but t%ippantly deride
chcapness and economy within the
homes of IL people, and when the
expenditures of the government are
reckless and wasteful, we may be sure
that something is wrong with us, and
that a condition exists which calls for
a vigorous and resentful defense of
Amerieanism by every man worthy to
be called an American citizen.
Upon the question of cheapness and
economy, whether it relates to indivi
duals or to the operations of the govern
ment, the Democratic party, true to
it's creed and its traditions, will unal-
terably remain attached to our plain
and frugal people. They are especial
ly entitled to the watchful care and
protection of their government; and
when they are borno down with bur-
dens greater tllan they can bear, and
are made the objects of scorn
BY HARD TAsKMAsTERs,
we will not leave their side. As the
great German reformer, insisting upon
his religious convictions, in the pre-
sence of his accusers, exclaimed, ~
can do nought else. Here | stand.
God help me- Sc, however much
others may mock and deride cheap
ness and the poor and frugal men and
defense OF their simple Americanism
detiantly proclaiming, 1--WE can do
nought else. Here we stand"
Thus when the question is raised
whether our people shall have the
n~ecessaries of life at a cheaper rate, we
are not ashamed to confess ourselves
ain full sympathy with the demand
for cheaper coats - and we are not
disturbed by the hint that this seems
Unnecessarily to involve a cheaper man
or woman under the coats"
When the promoter of a party meas
ure which iuvades every home in the
land with higher prices. declares that
''cheap and nasty go together and this
whole system of cheap things is a
badge of poverty for cheap merchan-
disc means cheap men and cheap men
mean cheap country" we Indignantly
repud ate such an Interpretation Of
American sentiment.
And when another one, high in
party councils, who has become noto-
rious as the advocate of a continuance
to perpetuate partisan supremacy by
outrageous interference with the
suffrage, announces hat "the cry for
cheapness is nn-American :" we scorn-
fully reply that his speech does not
indicate the slightest conception of
true A~mericanism.
| will net refer to other utterances
of like import from similar sources. I
content myself with recalling the most
prominent and significant.
What was the occasion of these
condemnations of cheapness and what
had honest American men and women
done, or what wele they likely to DO,
that they should be threatened with
the epitlets Cheap" "nasty" and Sun
Americana
1t is hard to speak patiently as we
answer these questions. Step by step
vast number of our people had been
led on, following blindly in the path OF
party. They had been filled with
hate and sectional prejudice they had
been cajcled with misrepresentation
and false promises; they had been
corrupted with money and appeals to