The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-27
HON. A. E. STEVENSON.

hON. "A.
forgotten. I do not feel that TO- night I
stand before strangers-we are all
American citizens, all living under one
flag, all protected by one Constitution.
by an act OF generosity which has
become historic, the Old Dominion con.
oeded to the general government their
grand area, sire tching westward to the
Mississippi, and others out of which
have been carved mighty States. From
one of these State, the greatest of them
all, the great State OF Illinois, come
back to tho Old Dominion, tho mother
OF US all. l stand before you tonight
not as stranger, but as a fellow clti-
zen, and as fellow Democrat of, this
great country. During the short time
shall address you 1 shall endeavor to
indicate to you some Of the reasons why,
In my judgment your interest and the
interest of all tho people Of this country
will be subserved by the election OF
Grover Cleveland to the Presidential
chair and the restoration OF the Demo
cratic party to power.
cit must not be forgotten that the ad-
ministration OF Grover Cleveland was
confessedly an honest administration
OF the general government Under that
ments to office took place; under that
administration the bonds Of the govern.
ment Of the United States were paid at
maturity; und or that administration we
had peace all over the country, and there
has been no period since the close of the
war, or at any time after our war, that
80 many Northern emigrants and so
much Northern capital found its way
into the Southern States as during the
administration of President Cleveland.
Why ? For the reason that all of the
Southern States had their governments
in their own hands and their was pro-
lection to property; protection to life
and therefore millions and millions of
Northern capital sought investment in
the Southern Slater, and you will re-
member, fellow-citizens that for the last
two years Of Mr.. Cleveland's administers.
ton question was asked and this was
what 1t was, What shall be done with
the surplus revenue Of the government?
This was an important inquiry for the
reason that the revenue of the Govern.
ment exceeded tho expenditures of the
Government more than one hundred
millions of dollars year. Under the
wise, the onest, the economical admin
istration OF President Cleveland, as I
have said, the revenues exceeded it's
millions OF dollars, so that the question
was, What shall be done with the sur
plus revenue? And when he retired
from Office, and the Government was
turned over to his Republican successor
on the 4th day of March, 1889. little
loss than one hundred millions of dollars
was in the Treasury.
I'VE have now had three and half
years of Republican administ alton and
the question is no longer, What shall
be done with the surplus revenue of the
Government?' but the question is where
shall the Government OBTAIN revenues,
with which to meet It's current expendi
lures? And it is fact that the Treasury
OF the United States to-day Is confronted
with bankruptcy. What has caused
this is question that should come home
to every honest voter. whatever may
have been his party before. In my
Judgment the bankruptcy which
threatens the Treasury to day is caused,
first, by the reckless, the unnecessary
and unwise appropriations made by the
Fifty-arst Congress-, q Republican Con-
gress, the first Congress which has
gone into history as billion dollar Con-
gress. M
sin the second place. because of the
Mckinley bill, the tariff law, by which
the Government OF the United States
has been defrauded of fifty millions Of
dollars of revenue. This is one of the
causes why, as have said, there is a
deficit. there will be deficit
in the statement OF the Secre.
tary of the Treasury estimating
the income OF the revenue of the Gov.
eminent for the present fiscal year. and
the probable expenditures for the same
year there will be deficit of fifty. two
millions of dollars. Mckinley tariff
law, asI have said to you, has deprived
the Government Of the United States of
this immense revenue. ;.
"How? First, by increasing the tariff
taxes, increasing the duty on imports 80
high as to exclude foreign goods from
our markets, and thereby depriving the
Government Treasury Of the revenues
necessary for the purpose of carrying on
the Government. Secondly. allowing
the homo manufacturer to increase the
price OF his goods to the consumer Just
in proportion as the tariff has been in.