Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-11

voiced tue Will of the people as declared aC
 the ballot box. Again my countrymen, l
 beg of you not to be deceived. but to hold
 to a just accountabiitv the republican
 leaders, who are solely rs'ponsible for the
 terrible condition from .shich the country
 is now happily emerging.
 Bear in mind that rom March 4, 1861,
 until the inauguration of Cleveland on the
 h of March, 1893, there was no single
 moment that the democratic party con-
 troiled the presidency and both houses Of
 congress-; never moment that it could place a single law upon your statu books.
 For all of the Legislation during that period
 which has brought in it's train financial disaster, monopoly, combinations and
 'strusts, ' the republican party is alone
 responsible. Aud yet by republican ora-
 tors we are condemned in one breath that we have done too much. and in the next that we have not accomplished more. Is it not unreasonable to demand that dem
 ocratic congress in single year repeal all of the ill., advised enactn nts of a third of century of republican domination?
 1 come now to consider the question as to how far the democratic party has redeemed it's promises-how we'll 1t has kept faith with the people. It promised reduction of the expenditures of the government. This promise has been made good by re- duction of the expenditures $2S, GOO, GOO over those of the previous year, when tue exec utlye and the senate were republican,. In this connection 1t must be remem bered also
 
 democratic congress for pensions exceeded by S20, ,000, 600 h 1t appropriated for .he same
 parpos- oy tae republican "biliion dollar congress. '
 Have you forgotten that the entire extra session Of congress, convened soon after President Cleveland's inauguration, was consumed in repeating the sherman law, passed by republican congress and ap- proved by republican preS1dentf This il-advised enactment, which, in large deStrOVpd aIlVar a nq TT Of our circulating meolum, required the annual purchase of 54 ,000, coo ounces of sil-
 yer bullion, and this at an annual cost of
 little less that $50 900 ,000, and the bullion thus purchased was, HS you know, heaped
 up as so much mercnaadise in the vaults of the treasury. The great republican leader, Senator Sherman, the author of the bill, voted for the repeal of the purchasing clause indicated, candidiy coniessing that
 the law had not met the expectations of those who enacted 1t, and that its longer | continuanse u oon the statute books would prove disastrous to the country. Thus you will see that the democratic administration and congress at the outset were onfron ted with the necessity of repeating legislation | which, by the confession of republican leaders, had only brought financial disas- | ter.
 Wiat further has the democratic con- gress accomplished? By it's platform and the uttea ices of it's candidates the demo-
 cratic party stood pledged to the repeal of the odious federal election laws. These laws, placed upon out sta ute books when l the repu blican party was in the heyday of | power, provided for the interpretation of | armed deputy United Stafes ma .shals at l the polls. It would be difficult to conceive 1 of legis asion more hostile to the spirit of our free institutions or ors!destructive of 1 the rights of the elector. For years they had stood a consia 1t menace to the free | dom of the ballot box. By the act of the democratic congress, approved by demo- cratic president, these enactments, like | republican force bills and the old federal alien and sedition laws, have become | things of the past. It will excite the won der of those who come after us how laws so hateful and tyrannicat could ever have received the approval of the American con- gress. e-4A. 5-i et
 The democratic congress has increased the tax from 90 cents to $1. 10 per gallon on distilled spirits. This will increase gov ernment revenues annually $20, 900, 000. D. you, in the interest of the whisky
 trust, desire this law repealed? The dem-
 ocratic congress has placed a tax on play
 ing cards. which, as you know, were un- taxed under the Mckinley law. This
 will bring to the treasury S8, ,OO0, 1000 per
 hs D9 wsn s hs S a~ Of stored? If so, your pathway of duty Is clear. Vote to return to congress the re- | publican law makers who opposed the tariff upon playing cards and the increasad tax upon whisky.
 But again, what has this democratic con- gress accomplished? You will bear in mind that the billion dollar congress-, con-
 trolled by the republicans, created mora thau 12000 new federal offices at
 a total annual cost to the people of more than $2, ,000, 900. The present democratic congress, by series of wise and well-con sidered enactmeuts, greatly simplltied aud improved administrative methods in the several departments of the govern ment, by
 means of which more than 500 useless fede- raj offices have been abolished and govern mental expenses thereby lessened annu- ally to the extent of near $1 ,000, ,000. One section of the democratic tariff bill | just enacted provides for the payment of an Income tax. Individual incomes of less than $4000 are wholly exempt from the tax. Swings banks and building and loan associations are exempt from this tax. This wise exemption is in the interest of small investors and depositors. Upon other corporations, and upon individ uRI in comes exceeding that amount, a tax of per cent is to be collected. As this feature of the bill has encountered fierce hostility, both from republican legislators and press, it is well to give it consideration. Two questions at once arise: Is this just en- actment? Was it necessary? Its enactment condition in which the passage of the Mckinley law and the extray- agance of the republican congress had plunged the country. Its enact. m9nt was the lOglcal result or the VICIOUS republican legislation that had brought deficit instead of a surplus to the treasury. The duty of the democratic congress when it came into power, to provide the neces sary revenues with which to meet the current expenses of the government, was imperative. How could this be done? Either by continuing or possibly increase ing to the people the cost of the necessaries of life by tariff taxation, or by imposing a moderate tax upon the earnings of the wealth of the The damOcr tfQ party was solemnly pledged to the reduc- tion of taxation upon the necassaries of