The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-02
A WOULD-BE SENATOR
FRANKLIN MACvEAGH OPENS HIS
CAMPAIGN IN ILLINOIS.
He Is n Tariff Reformer and Bimetal-
list, and Thinks Well of Cleveland,
Who Gave His Brother Onice

Democratic candidate for United States
Senator. opened his campaign here tonight
before an audience which filled every part
of Central Music Hall. Delos p. Phelps,
chairman Of the State committee. opened
the meeting with a brief address in which
he introduced William T. Baker, of Chi
cago. who acted as presiding officer. Mr..
Baker, in a few happy remarks. brought
forward Mr.. MacYeagh, who was enthusi-
astically received personally, and whose
speech was frequently interrupted with
cheers and applause.
Mr.. MacVeagh reviewed at great length
the events OF the past twenty-five years.
charging the Republican party with the
responsibility for all the business panics
during that period. Coming down to the
issues involved in the present campaign,
he said: Il am a tariff reformer; and
know OF no way left under heaven. except
through the Democratic party, to make
fast what we now have of tariff reform
and to get more. 1 believe in the reform
method of the Democratic party in it's
radical, imperative and immovable demand
for free raw materials and its patient but
progressive treatment of manufactured
products. Republicans in Garfleld's time
believed IN protection which leads to free
trade The Democrats of Cleveland's time
believe in tariff reform which leads to free
trade"
As to the delay in passing the tariff bill
Mr.. MacVeagh said: The blame lies first
in our absurd custom OF electing a Con-
gress and refusing to let it sit, except in
special session, for a year and a month.
Then the panic came on directly after the
President went into office and the extra
session to allay the panic crowded out
final consideration of an extra session for
forif rof0rp Ruf no caOn aa Conpraso
regularly assembled in December the tariff
was taken up and it steadily absorbed Con-
gress until it passed. The time would not
have been complained of-for it was con-
siderably less than that Of the Mckinley
bill-but for the eagerness of the business
community. just emerging from the panic
10 have all economic legislation especially
hurried. The delay was not the fault of
Of the time as possible, and Knew their
mind PERFECTLY; 1t was due. first. to the
ways on the verge of fIibustering. 1t was
due, secondly, to the difficulties OF a great
and glorious Democratic achievement.
tariff reform bill, through the Senate
which had a protectionist majority.
A VICTORY FOR REFORM.
The President has earned his right to
withhold his signature TO that bill If he
thought that the best way to further re-
10TH dIu IU6TA lis 1lQlSldllOH lOWdIu IL
men who used the disguise Of Democrats
to moderate the triumph of Democracy.
But that does not change the great achieve
ment. History will call this bill the de-
cisive victory of reform-the Waterloo OF
protection. Why talk of the details We
failed to get, when what we got was the
overthrow OF protection and the downfall
of privilege? The bill is not in completes
ness what the tariff-reform minority OF the
----Tl 49, ~ t. r. 49,
pie or the House Of Representatives or
the President would have. had it, but it is
what the protectionist majority Of the Sem.
ate would have had it. 1t begins a new era
We failed to make ali raw materials free.
But we made many OF them free, and who
doubts that the absurdity of taxed raw
materials Is on its last legs?
We did not reduce the protection of the
Sugar Trust as far as we intended: We
get, for Ii was here that protection was
most strongly intrenched and iought most
structed because there is a hostile Demo,
cratic protectionist remnant intrenched in
reformers of the Democratic party could
carry reform at all over the head Of an
tr1guing protectionists. And as the minor,
ity In the Senate shows a crying need of
more tariff reform Senator's. L am going to
best-to send TO Washington another UNI
equivocal tariff-reform Senator from ILL.,
BELIEVES IN BIMETALLIsM.
Mr.. MacVeagh said he believes in blmet-
allism. I'VE absolutely need both gold and
silver-free coinage of both" he said. But
IN attempting the reform we must neither
damage the credit of the Nation nor STUN
bic. unintentionally, from gold monometal-
lsm, which is bad enough, into silver mon
ometallism, which is worse. Up to now
neither party has taken a frank position
an = .fr-~- 49, -; r. --.-S
with frankness and determination, such as
has characterized the taking up Of tariff
reform, and the speaker thought the Dem
ocratic party, being the party of the peo-
pie, is best fitted for the task. AS to the
silver question, he said that what has
seemed a local craze is really a worldwide
agitation.
Coming down to a discussion Of the in
come tax. Mr.. MacVeagh said: The rea-
sons urged against it will not grow in IA
y1r The reasons for it will surely gain
greater and greater acceptance"
Speaking Of the questions raised during
the recent great strike as to the in~terfer-
ence by the federal government, the speak
er said: Il believe in local self-government
states rights is not what L mean, that Is
de21. But local self-government Is a far
not feel certain that it may not be neces-
sary for the national government to take
control of certain strikes. owing, perhaps,
10 threatened continental extension of or
ganiZed strife. But, if so. then let us no.
blind ourselves to the fact that this viii
mean another great step toward the CEN
tralization OF our form Of government, an.
other change in our actual constitution and
a most serious weakening of. that Local
responsibility for the administrator
Of the law and the loca.
sense of self-rehance, to weaker
which is to weaken American democracy
And IL this is to be the effect OF the pres
ent condition OF wider and wider strikes
on the one hand and wider lockouts on the
other, then / say that the duty OF the
Nation becomes more imperative than ever
and the duty Of the Democratic party
more imperative than ever to de-
stroy the present barbarous way Of
settling disputes between organized labor
and organized capital. And / have a strone
hope that before Grover Cleveland has done
with the leadership Of the Democratic party
he will do for the industrial issue what HI
did for tariff reform.
Riots have only one public right-ths
right 20 be crushed. Strikes are either
wrong, and then should fail; or right, and
then should succeed. 1t is easy to point
out the abuses of the great rover con
TERED. by organization on ~workmen. anC
undoubtedly they should be restrained botf
BY public opinion and law. But what shall
We say for the abuses Of the power of or
ganiZed capital? Which organization cor
rupts city councils and legislatures. and les
under suspicion OF invading some precinct!
OF COnRrpSS frsalf and makes good uny