Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-10-03

ileged class, and their opportunities FOL
governmental aid lead TO public scandal
and decentralization.
Tariff reform does not mean free
trade. Our opponents misrepresent oui
position now as they have ever done
since the famous tariff message Of 1887.
In that historic message our candidate
expressly repudiated the suggestion that
he was entering upon any crusade OF
free trade. He did not demand that ouI
tariff laws should be wiped out Of ex
istence. Listen TO what he then said:
"The question of free trade Is abso
lutely irrelevant, and the persistent
claim made in certain quarters that all
efforts to relieve the people from unjust
and unnecessary taxation are schem,
Of so called free traders is mischieviou.
and far removed from any consideration
Of the public good"
PECK AND THE M'KINLEY BILL
The Mckinley bin has not ruined the
country, nor has II benefited 1t. 1t has
increased the burdens Of the taxpayers
and aided many Of the monopolies OF
the land. There is no satisfactory evi.
dence that it has increased our prosperi
ty in any degree or advanced the wages
of single workingman. Skillful stat
istieians capable Of juggling with fig.
ures may assume to have more informa
tion than we possess, and may figure ou'
different result, but can safely assert
that it is the general understanding of
the people that the Mckinley bill has
not increased wages either in New York
or elsewhere.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT CHANGING.
The people cannot longer be deceived
by the opposition. Public sentiment has
made rapid strides during the past few
years and greatly cleared the political
atmosphere, as well as brushed aside
many plausible but untenable cobwebs
which have heretofore obscured the di'
cussion. Five years ago the cry that
"the tariff is a tax" was received with
derision and laughter by our Republican
friends. but now they are trying to con
vince US how much they have relieved
us from taxation by the abolition Of the
sugar duty.
The plain truth il that this policy of
protection cannot much longer stand
against the tremendous pressure Of pub
lie sentiment for its abandonment. The
cause Of industrial emancipation is
marching on.
THE FORCE BILL ISSUE.
There is another issue In this cam
paign of equal if not greater importance
than the tariff, which affects the rights
and liberties Of every citizen. The Re-
publican party seems to be irrevocably
committed to the passage Of the federal
elections bill, generally known as the
"force bill" and although 1t must be
evident to the most patriotic and
thoughtful members of that organiza-
tion that it is piece Of political foolish
ness. only equaled by Its mondacity,
there has appeared for them no escape
from its advocacy. Tho bill has been
well described as "menace to liberty
the liberty Of the north a well ~ the
south; the liberty Of tho black a. well
Us the white; the liberty Of every citi-
zen. no matter to what party he may
happen to belong.
TIE PEOPLE KNOW pAvENPoRrIsM.
The people Of the several states will
hesitate long before they consent to the
adoption of Davenport election meth
ods in their respective localities. The
bill contemplates the appointment OF an
army Of federal supervisors. who are to
assume the charge Of our elections ut
every polling place. These officials, un-
der the terms of the bill, have the right
TO dictate what persons shall register.
They may require" the local election
afirr 70 20 trfl fla
off one already on the register. There
is but one perfected registry list at state
elections, and If voters name is stricken
off under the direction Of federal offi
cial he cannot vote for q state candidate
or any other candidate because Of the
omission OF his name.
The proposed bill usurps the rights
and prerogatives Of the state, breaks
down all the safeguards which have eI-
listed for century, and places all our
elections at the mercy Of federal Off
cials who hold their offices for life. The
certificates Of the federal election off,
GERS as TO the election Of . congressman
are To be conclusive upon the clerk Of
the house, notwithstanding they may
differ from tho certificate OF the local
inspectors. A house to house canvass is
to be made by these federal super
visors, and they may be accompanied by
deputy United States marshals, and
thus it is apparent that, as these Off
cials are all Republicans. the Repub-
lican campaign, national and state, Is to
be really conducted at the expense Of
the general government.
OUR PRINCIPLES WILL PREVAIL.
believe that large majority Of the
people of this country are convinced Of
the rightfulness Of Democratic princi.
pies and want them TO prevail. But the
election will not win itself and there
must be complete organization. i re-
peat the injunction | uttered before the
Democratic state convention at Albany
in February last, 1T is our duty to
organize, organize, organized"
With this motto inscribed upon onr
banner, Public Office is public trust"
supplemented by the other sentiments
which ] have endeavored to present to
TO you tonight, No public taxation TO-
private purposes" and mo force BILL"
let us close mp our ranks and buckle on
our armOr for the fight, with the de
termination to do all in our power for
the triumph Of our party and the cleo
ton of our honored standard bearers