The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-10-27
LINCOLN AT QUINCY.

The Minister Discusses Democracy's Doings
and the Benefit of Protection.
Special to The indianapolis Journal
QUINCY, ILL.,, Oct. 26.-Robert T. Lincoln,
Minister to England, addressed 5000 Re-
publicans In this city to-day. He spoke
from manuscript. his utterances being fire.
quensly interrupted By cheers. Following
is his speech in part:
Ladies' and Gentlemen-I thank you heartily
for this greeting here TO me to-day, d practical
stranger Ia voice-"oh, We knew your daddy
CheersI. Though born In Springfield, this state,
have never before visited Quincy / am glad
to be associated on this platform with the Hon.
hicnaro j. Osiesoy, man whoin nave never
known except being in the front rank taking the
brunt of the fight. CheersI. am glad, too, TO
be associated here to-day with the Hon. George
3. Willtts. the man you are going to elect one
OF your congressman at large by a large majori-
ty. Cheers. Most of all, am glad TO meet
many who knew my father. tCheersl. am
cities visited by my father in joint debate of
1855.
The year 1858 brings to mind the State banks
OF the days OF Democratic supremacy and mis-
rule before the war, the troublous times when
tile currency or this and other states was called
by the cheerful names of ''red dog and wild
cat" Cheers. And that date calls to my mind
the fact that the Democracy upheld slavery as
divine Institution. Those were the days when
the sorthern slave-holding Democrats spoke
contemptu0usly of Northern workmen as the
mud-sills of humanity. / do not see how self
respecting workingman can join the ranks OF the
Democracy when he remembers the epithets that
were given him by the men who now the
hope and strength OF the Democratic party. In
those days we were told that America did not
need any manufactures; that this was essentially
an agricultural country that 1t was cotton that
this country was best fitted 10 produce. They
said II slavery was abolished the country would
60 TO ruin and sink into dcsolation.
The Democratic party survives to this day as
the party OF obstruction, destruction and cnlaln-
ity, and nothing else. In 1854 1t declared the
fn lsaa fai rhA lnAA ~ hA
fell TO the Republican party to reorEanizc the
government and make sound laws for the de-
day to this the Democracy has never been in full
power tCheers. For thirty-tw0 years-for
the lifetime OF generationIthe country lived
and prospcred under Republican laws, despite
the efforts of the Democrats TO overthrow them.
When the Republican party came into power the
country was undcveloped. There were no rail-
unent In a covered wagon at the risk of their
scalps- In the East there was no continuous
were waiting for Republican laws
to develop and foster the enterprise of the coun-
try. There were no American manufactures
worth mentioning. Foreign manufacturers
planned to break down and drive out OF business
the American manufactures By combining and
cutting prices that they could not live. We
were then distinctly agricultural country. We
had no iron for our railroads, and the good
women at home could not buy an American
made Brussels carpet To-day. on the contrary.
steel rails sell for $50 ton that then cost $3.50
a ton, and You can buy American Brussels car
pets at less than 81 that then cost 81 so yard.
The same thing is true regards most other
articles. This was brought about by the Morrill,
tariff law and subsequent notifications OF that
law. American wages, on the other hand. have
been doubled ana trcbled during tho time OF
which speak
The Democrats wish to break down this Amer
lean policy. They say that the cost OF living has
been Increased. This deny. All articles
now be bought, on an average, One-third cheaper
than they could thirty-tve years ago; Our work
people and others demand more comforts OF life
than foreign. The American mode Of life is,
can assure you, unknown elsewhere on earth.
Nowhere else are the masses so happy and gem
orally prosperous as In America. They say that
coats are cheaper In England than In America.
The difference is, my friends, that here laborers
can buy coat They say that the prices or
manufactured goods would be cheaper IL we had
free trade. Well, think that would be true for
a time and erhaps, for ali time, but not for the
reason you are asked TO believe. With free
trade the home manufacturers would
not live and pay wages that would
enable American workmen to buy their goods.
The occupation or the workmen would be gone
and our countrymen could not buy coats at
cent each. They say that the masses are groan-
ing under the burdens of taxation and SO on.
This is absurd, as may be seen on either hand In
every town and city In the land. Your mer-
chants VIII tell you that they arc benefited by
protection.
AS said, we have not been under Democratic
rule for thlrty-fiye years, for Cleveland was
bound hand and foot. He was powerless. for
between his party and the safety OF the country
stood the Republican Senate. The Democratic
party was not In power. We did not 10 TO the
dogs. thanks to that Republican Senate. have
10 time to devote to the silver question. as
have already taken up more time than was al
loted me.
At tho close of Mr.. Lincoln's speech,
Messrs Oglesby and Willitts addressed the
enthusiastic crowd.