Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-10-21
Issues Stated by Governor Hill.

We published last week the speech made
by Elk. President Cleveland at the meeting
in Cooper Institute. We now publish ex-
tracts from the speech of Governor Hill on
the same occasion, in which he clearly
states the issues between the two great
National parties, as follows
s'The political conventions have been
held, and the issues of the present cam
paign are now ascertalned. They do not
differ materially from those of recent
years.. The same contest is presented, in
dealing with the questions of the hour,
between political honesty on the one hand
and political hypocrisy on the other.
The same struggle exists between those
who favor taxation for public purposes and
those who justify it for private purposes;
between legislation for the people and
legislation for individuals; between a tariff
for revenue and tariff for plumber. The
same conflict is apparent between the
friends of a constitutional bimetallic cur
rency and the friends Of monometallsm
and demonstration. The same contention
is exhibited between State autonomy and
Federal tralization-between State con-
troll of domestic affairs and Federal inter.
ference as exemplifed in force bill. The
same controversy is at hand between home
rule for municipalities and legislative inter-
ference; between manhood suffrage and a
restricted suffrage; between liberal excise
law and high license; between personal
liberty and unreasonable sumptuary legis-
lation; between equal taxation and favored
interests; between the faithful performance
of constitutional guarantees and their re-
pudiation; between economy and eXtrava-
gance; between Democracy and popular
rights on the one side and Republcanism
and plutocracy Oh the other.
He analysed the effect of the new tariff
on the poor man thus ::
The poor mans pipe is taxed. His UNI
brella is taxed 55 per cent. His gloves and
mittens are taxed. His oatmeal is taxed
one cent pound. Corn-meal is taxed 20
cents bushel. His brooms and brushes
are taxed 40 per cent. ad valorem. The
coke which he may burn is taxed 20 per
cent His carpets are taxed so per cent
His wool hat is taxed 80 per cent and over.
His blankets are heavily taxed, His
stockings, drawers and shirts are taxed
His vinegar is taxed seven and half cents
gallon. His starch is taxed at two cents
pound. His potatoes are taxed IS cents
bushel. His garden seeds are taxed 20
per cent. His eggs are taxed five cents a
dozen. His rice is taxed two cents a
pound. His salt is taxed. His pocket
knife is heavily taxed. His soaps are like.
wise taxed. His horses are taxed at $50 a
piece.
On the money question the Governor
said /:
Our platform renews the party's pledges
of fidelity to sound principles o: finance
1t reafirms the National Democratic plat
form of 1884, which explicitly declares ::
"We believe in honest money, the gold and
silver coinage of the Constitution and Cir
culatipg medium convertible into such
money without loss" That is a declara-
ton in favor of double stanGard-in favor
of bimetallism-in favor Of gold as well as
of silver, aud of silver as we'll as gold. 1t
recognizes 10 legislative disparagement of
one metal to the enhancement of the other.
1t makes them both sovereign, both legal
tender for the payment Of debts. Thus we
have taken impregnabe ground in favor of
honest money. Those who would have
switched us off the bimetallic track have
had their hanos tied. Those who would
have run us into collision with our fellow
Democrats of other States, and thereby
wrecked Democratic chances for success In
1892, have had their plans frustrated. Oar
platform unites all Democrats upon tie
con- mon ground of honest, bimetalllc
coinage.