The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-21
OHIO DEMOCRATS.
The Campaign Opened With Magnificent
Speech BY General Neal.


paign here today in the pres
ence of large delegations from
Columbus, Mansfield, Chillicothe,
Centeryille, Lancaster, GAINESVILLE, Mt.
Vernon and other points. All candi-
dates on the Democratic state ticket
were present. Mr.. Neal spoke upon
the tariff exclusively. Hon. W. A.
Taylor, candidate for lieutenant gov
ernor, will speak tonight en- pensions
and Republican state legislation.
After referring to the present finan-
cial depression he said the Sherman
silver and Mckinley tariff laws under
lie the want of confidence which is the
cause of the trouble, and gave as his
belief that prosperity could only be
obtainaole by adherence to the Dem.
ocratic faith in the matter of both cur
rency and tariff reform.
Taking up first the silver question
the speaker said the conflicting claims
of gold and silver as money must be
determined in favor of bimetallism, as
the relation between the debtor and
creditor classes cannot be equitably
adjusted on any other basis. AS to
the purchasing clause of the Sherman
silver law ne said he was in favor of
repeal and the Democratic party was
committed not only to its repeal but
to an unlimited use of gold and silver
as money.
Neal then expressed the opinion
that the re establishment of bimetal-
lism would not cure all the ills that
affiict the country and turned his at
tention to the law which bears the
name of his opponent. He said: "As
long as the federal system of protect
i've taxation is continued we can have
no general and permanent prosperity
in this country. To regain such pros
perity we must apply the knife at the
root of the evil with earnestness
and vigor and forever destroy
the Mckinley method of taxation.
The power of the government to
levy and collect taxes for its own sup
port cannot be controverted. But
when the sovereign power of taxation
has ceased to be used for governmental
purposes and becomes an interest of
private interests to promote private
gain it is no longer constitutionally
exercised and becomes in turn an in
strument of wrong and oppression.
"Public necessity must therefore
mark and prescribe the limit for the
exercise of such power. This principle
has been universally recognized as a
fundamental one by judicial tribunals
of last resort. But despite this prin =
ciple uncontrovertibly established, the
leaders of the Republican party still
assert that there Can be no limitation
of the uses for which the power of tax
alton can be exercised and boldly and
defiantlv maintain that the power to
tax is the power to absolutely destroy
one citizen for the bedefit of another.
Aye, destroy 10000 citizens for the
benefit of one"
Neal then quoted a bewildering
array of statistics to show the evil
effects of protection, using wooden
goods as an example. The speaker
scoffed at the idea that under the pro
tective system the foreigner pays the
tax and insisted that on the contrary
that burden falls on the American Ia
boring man. The whole burden Of
taxation under such system, he con
tinued, rests upon the consumption of
the people. The property and wealth
of the people play no part. This is
true even where tax is collected upon
a purely revenue basis. But that
which is in such case injustice becomes
a crime against the great masses of the
people when the laws impose
the highest duties and return
the lowest revenue to compel
the giving of gratuities and payment
of tribute to those whose riches and
power already endanger the perpet'
uity of our free institutions
Not forgetting the agricultural in
terests of the country Neal said the
farmer had been the principal victim
of the doctrine of protection. In 1860
he said, more than half the people o.
the United States were engaged in ag
ricultural pursuits and farmers owned
! almost half of all the wealth anc
property in the country, but today
while still contributing about half the
population, they own less than one
fourth of the property of the country
The farmers loss has, in the speakers
opinion, been the manufacturers gain
AS one grows poorer the other grows
richer.
1.-The defeat of the Republican part!
in this state next November" con
tinued Neal, "by common consent will
= be everywhere received as a full anC
3 final decision of the American people
7 upon the question of protective tax
, alton. The overthrow of McKinle.
t and McKinleyism in Ohio will affirm
= the judgment of the people of the en-.
e tire country centered in the presiden
e tial election last year in favor of TART
e for revenue alone, l beg you to re
o member that the Democratic party i
e the party of the people, that 1t ha
always been the party of the people
e that it at all times and in all places an,
d under all circumstances, in sunshin
a and in storm, in prosperity and ad
}, }, versity, in peace and in wal
d watched as a guardian ange
e over the rights, interests an
!, liberties of the people, and whether
: wins or loses the election in Ohio thi
year it will continue this fight fo
tariff revision, reduction and reform
until it shall break and destroy tn
stronghold of monopolists and protec
q tionists upon the threats of the peopl
q and give us a system of taxation whic
:. will be just and equal in its provisions
will hlOt ont oil Jicoriu, OH ono mn,