The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-24
HON. IsIDOR RAYNER.
Maryiand's Able Representative IN ION
rress Made an Excellent speech.

MIR. Ellvson stated that he was always
nroud of Richmond, but he was never so
nrond Of the Capitol of the Old DOMINION
as whom he stood before the representa-
tivcs of its Democracy. lie was glaI W
nresent 10 the audience an old ana chcf-
ished friend Of his college days, whom lis
felow-students wished 10 honor anu
whom his fellow-ctizens in matureI
wears have honOred repeatedly by sendlnB
him in the council OF the hutIoh' 1eadoyo
land had no nObler son imam 'sauON
Ravper. member of Congress from Mary
land. 10 os
Mr. Ravner. Of Maryland. also was
greeted with rounds of applause, ana
spoke in substance as follows;
Mr.. BAYHER's ADDRESS.
Mr. Ravper opened his address by con-
frasting the two platforms OF the parIies.
He said that the Democratic Instrument
WAS a plain and fearless statement OF
principles: that the Republican platform
was cowardly and eyasye IN every cause
cxcent when if chanted the glorics OF the
Harrison administration, and the miracu-
Ions changes he had wrought III the pros
perity of the nation.
Mr.. Harrison's letter Of acceptance was
simply insufferable, said Mr.. Rayner: A
conceited effusion of this character has
never before issued from the brtn of any
President of the United States. Giving
him full credit for sincerity and honesty
of purpose no one would possibly charge
him with believing any OF these SHY as.
sertions that he claims upon behai1 OF
himself
Mohammed never claimed to have
worked greater miracles among his be-
nighted followers than Mr. HARRISON
claims to have performed for the people
of this land. Does he suppose the Amerl-
can people are an assemblage OF lmbeclles,
10 be beguiled and bewildered by any
performance Of this sort! performance
that surprised the leaders OF his own
party as much as it did any one else, they
never having realized what ylrtuous
and sublime being Mr.. Harrison really
was before he had announced this TACT
in his revelation to the country.
Well, now, my friends, i think that he
has done quite enough. Any man who
in so short time can produce such phe-
nomenal results all alone ought to gave
way TO some one else, so that he may
grow still greater by comparison.
He is too good to last. In TACT, In MS
own estimation he is the most elevated
patriot that has occupied the presidential
chair. and the Republican party u want
to be careful about this, that is, mean
the Republican party. simply through his
intercessiOn and appearance, IS 100 pure
TO remain upon this earth with all the
wickedness that surrounds it, more es-
pecially so since Mr.. Blaine has involun-
tarily retired from its presence
THE TARIFF A TAX.
Now. said Mr. Rayner, when we leave
the individuals who are before you as
candidates and glance at the principles
involved, what do we find! For the very
first time in the history Of the Republl-
g., Il ira, "a
in its platform that the tariff is tax
levied primarily for protection and incl
dentally for revenue.
We reply to this in our platform by say
ing that there is no constitutional warrant
for a tax of this character upon the pcO-
pie That fully explains that portion of
our platform that has given rise TO so
much comment and criticism upon the
part of Republican journals.
We do not pretend to make the foolish
assertion that custOm-hOuse duties are I'M
constitutional but what we want to know
is, when the Constitution says that Con-
gress can lay and collect taxes, duties,
excuses and impOsts, what that clause
means? Does it mean that Congress can
tax the people for the expenses of govern
ment honestly and economically admins
tered as it has been supposed for a hun
dred years 10 mean. or does it mean. as
NttidItN ny bHt IAtpHbilttH pltbloTill, tIl0l
il can tax them for the sole purpose of
gratifying the extortionate demands of
monopoly!
THE M'KINLKY BILL.
Mr. Rayner then took seriatim the
salient points of the Mckinley bill, and
wound up by saying: You ask me what
is the cause and the reason for all the
complaints that are ringing through this
country upon the part of an over
burdened people. ! tell you it is this sys-
TEN and nothing else that is draining the
vigOr and the life from the body of the
people, and supplanting them upon the
body of centralized wealth. 1t is this
system that is despoiling the homes Of the
middle classes and the poor, so that it
may build castles for its protected favor
ites, and accumulate wealth in the hands
of its benefciaries it is this system that
Is impoverishing the country, the farm,
the field, the workshop, and the tireside;
that is closing the gates of commerce
upon the products of the farm; that is
blocking us out from the highways of the
socean, and from trading intercourse with
1.-THE nations of the world, and it is this
isystem, / firmly believe, which, when it
is submitted again to the intelligent Suf-
'frages Of our cOuntrymen, will gradually
dissolve beneath the light of reason anC
experience. and will be made to crumble
beneath the well-directed blow Of the
American mechanic, who, under the
fraudulent pretense of protection to
American labor, has been duped and be-
guiled for over quarter Of a century by
those who have been collecting at his ex-
pense their iniquitouS toll at every port
of entry of this Republic
Now l want 10 inquire whether there
s1s labOr6r or. mechanic before me (and
tfhere are plenty of them hcre) who is
benefited by the tariff? | will go farther
than that is there any one here who
rs employed in any protected industry
or whose wages are in any manner af-
1ected by the tariff No answer comes.
il there be any one here in this list then
let me tell you that Won take the lowest
wages paid Ia skilled labor upon the
continent of Europe. and the highest
wages paid here and our present tariff
gives protection more than FIVE times
the difference between them, but as there
Is no one here who is receiving this diff
ference this very fact proves what n
fraudulent pretence this claim of prOtec-
ton to American labor is. / tell YOU
that nine-tenths of the laboring men in
this land are not employed in the pro-
tected industries at all Just think of
this beautiful and equitable ARRANGEMENT
that proposes TO protect the wages of
ten men iii order to keep down the
wages of the other ninety and 10 raise
the prices of almost every article of con
sumption and necessity in constant use
at every American home and tireside
THE FORCE BILL.
Now we come to the Force bill. Are
we Union Of States or are we the pro-
prletary colonies of the Republican