Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-10-31
W. II. calkins' Speech.

stump orator, w. II. Calkins, from Ia
conn.,; addressed the people OF Olympia
Tuesday night, at Columbia Hall, and
did his best to ill them full of sophisti-
cal and illogical ideas. Judge Calkins
lis good speaker, and were it not for
his display Of eloquence. the meeting
would have been unenthusiastic, but as it
was, the degree OF enthusiasm was limit
ed. Many of the speakers arguments
were extremely illogical and remote.
This fact was realized and even frankly
admitted by some of his audience of his
own political faith. lie assailed the
democratic party on false charges. He
arrigned the Democracy for opposition
10 pension legislation, contrary to the
facts which history sustains, and con-
trary to the real opinions Of the speaker,
if he is posted on the history of our coun-
try since 1861 and in this history of
pension legislation in congress.
There we're as many Democratic north
ern soldiers at the front as Republican,
and it is well known fact that there
were more pensions granted during
Cleveland's administration than during
any two previous administrations. 1t is
true that he vetoed several pension bills,
but for sufficient cause, we'll substantial
ed by convincing evidence, and based
upon the theory that although citizen,
fulfilled his duty as such, by responding to
the call OF his country in times of danger
and defending it upon the field of bat
tie, still it did not secure him the per-
petual right of tapping the national
treasury, unless he bears the earmarks
Of distindtibA seduired by the statutes in
force and found recorded upon the pages
Of the national ledger.
The speaker arraigned the Democratic
party as advocating tariff for revenue
only, and falsely stated that this meant
q tariff or import duty upon all articles
notsnanufactured or raised in our coun-
try such as India rubber, coffee, etc., and
no tariff ON those manufactured here.
We venture to say that if the speaker
had studied the principles advocated by
the Democratic party to-day lie would
not eject such . false statement into the
faces Of an audience so intelligent as the
one he was addressing, and in the alter
native, if he did know the reality of
the situation, We arraign him for making
a willful misstatement.
The Democratic party does advocate
the principle of tariff for revenue only."
but that tariff should be placed highest
upon the Injuries of life, whether manu-
fac.ured in this country or not, and low
est upon the necessaries of life. and
removed entirely as soon as possible
from such necessaries; that this tariff
should not exceed, in the amounts COL
lected, the annual expenditures of the
government; that it is mistake to ex-
tort from the common people of our
land large amounts annually and hoard
them up in the Golfers OF the nation. to
be squandered by an INSCRIPTIONS con-
gress and president. The Democratic
party denies that a people can become
rich by heavy, constant and uniform sys.
tenn OF taxation, as the old system of
war tariff has been, and. which is now
still higher.
The speaker further contended that
owing to our system of high tariff. We
have become rich and great, and that
any country having such a tariff becomes
prosperous country as far as the wages
OF its laboring people is concerned.
We answer that the principal reason of
the higher wages and better condition of
our people is due and owing to our vast
agricultural area and bountiful resources
IN every section, but the time is dawning
when these peculiar preferments will he
OF reduced magnitude for the betterment
OF our people, rapidly increasing in
numbers.
II high protective tariff Increases
wages. and generally betters the condi.
ZION OF the people, we ask how il is with
RUSSIA which is the highest protected
country in the world, exceeding even Tho
omted States? In no country are the
.-oonns people poorer paid, poorer
cefed ior, and in a worse condition zen.
e's''y' than in Russia. 1t is positive