The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-26

glory Of the future, arising from the sure
and steady ascendency Of democratic
principles The victorious legions Of the
Indiana democracy, veterans of moro
glorious campaigns that the legions of
Caesar or Napoleon ever knew, are again
in line, firm as in days of old, and ready
to move forward on the enemies works
Of usurpation, spoliation and oppression.
The Responsibility of Parties.
And now, citizens of Indiana. let US
take a survey OF the political situation,
and by the solemn light Of recorded and
undisputed facts. fix the response
bility Of parties, and vindicate the truth.
What a vision rises to our view as we
look backward for the causes which have
led up to the present condition Of the
country, A solid mass of republican leg
islation from 1851 to 1898 confronts us.
In all that space of American history,
embracing the average period Of life
time, every enactment of whatever kind
or description, every law, whether by
bill or Joint resolution, Is OF unquestioned
republican origin, pedigree, and adoption.
From the first Inauguration OF Abraham
Lincoln, on the 4th Of March, 1861, to the
last Inauguration of Grover Cleveland,
on the 4th of March, 1893. the democratic
party has never. for single day or hour,
had the power to put law on the statute
books Of the nation. During all that long
period the democratic party never at
any one and the same time, had posses
sion OF both houses Of congress and the
presidency, and was. therefore, incapable
OF perfecting any proposed measure of
legislation If evil influences have been
abroad in the land arising from perni-
ity and the odium can alone
rest where the power to leg
islate has rested There is a brutal
and senseless spirit OF accusation in GER
tain quarters at this time against the
democratic party because 1t has not in
ths first eighteen months OF its legislative
aScendancy, been able to uprOot, tear
down and demollsh the entire system Of
vicious legislation whereby the republican
party for more than a generation, has
practically revo,utionizsd this govern
ment, made 1t a plutoc instead of a
government Of the plain people, estab-
llshed privilege and caste in all our pub
lie affairs; made the rich richer and the
poor poorer, aggrandized the power of
capital, and ground and oppressed every
organization Of labor, and every branch
OF Industry under. the American flag. /
defy the ingenuity Of man 10 show where,
and in what instance, the leaders Of the
republican party ever devised, framed or
enacted a financial measure of any kind
INTO a law which was not originated and
dictated by organized capital and against
lab0r whether organized or unOrganized.
Every concession ever made by statute
to the greed and lawless avarlce Of the
| money power, since the spring of 1861 Is
the work Of the party so long in control
of legislation. During the past twelve
months hard times and financial distress
amongst the people have been everywhere
felt. and the responsibility for such a
condition Of the country has been the
theme Of constant, and, at times. Of vlo~
lent and acrimonious discussion. 1 chal-
lenge history on this subject. The re-
publican party, by virtue Of its general
financial policy, and the great body of It's
one-Sided and unfair financial legislation
has been the author of every period of
hard times, scarcity of money IN clrcula>
ton, bankruptcy, business prostration,
| and unemployed labor since the first as
cendancy Of that party TO the control Of
the government. In the nature Of things,
and tried by the inevitable logic OF
events, this fact could not be otherwise
The first step taken for the creation of
our national debt in 1852 was the incsp-
ton and the establishment of the most
gigantic system of fraud and oppression
on tax-paying labor, on the one hand
and OF stupendous largesse, dishonest
speculation and Mountainous riches for
those who were already rich, on the
other hand, ever known since govern
ments were organized among men. Grim
inal injustice and chronic hard times for
the l3boTdng masses for whole genera
tons 10 come are to be found distinctly
written into the provisions of every law
debt of the United States. From the
year 1852 to 1868, inclusive, the repub-
ican party caused to be Issued govern
ment bonds for more than two thousand
millions of dollars, nearly all bearing
per cent. interest, and managed to put
them on the market at an average of
about fifty cents on the dollar. and in
sums 10 suit, and tempt the cowardly,
unpatriotic. boarded capital of the coun-
try. American labor and American re-
h~aw-
sul paying them at their full face value,
dollar for dollar, together with interest,
not merely on what the government re-
allied on them, but upon the whole sum
nominated. In order to accomplish this
vast, far-reaching scheme of sp0ilation
and robbery, the currency of the country,
the only kind Of money which stood the
test and carried the government in tri-
umph through the war, was dishonored,
dlScredited, dsgraced by being made nom
receivable for customs dues and interest
on bonds, while it was made recelvabls
in its deprecated condition in the pur-
chase Of bonds themselves. In this mode
OF financial juggling the leaders of the
OF their career, more than doubled the
public debt rightfully owed by the Amer
lean people; compelled the men, women
and children of the United
States to be taxed on all their
wants and necessities OF life
In order to raise revenue with which to
pay enormous sums of money, never re-
celved by the government In the hour of
its deadly peril. And yet the leaders of
this same party are now engaged in
charging upon others their own manifest
inlquities, the oppression of labor on farm
lands. and in workshops. the devastating
panic and the vicious inequalities in the
burdens and the blessings of the govern
ment, which have inevitably attended
such a fraudulent beginning and which.
from time to time, have broken out like
pestilence In the air and cursed the homes
of the aboring people throughout the
whole land. Estimated on an honest ba-
sis of money actually received for our
bonds, our national debt has been paid
by the people nearly three times over
and still payment continues.
l do not need 10 be reminded In this
connection that / am bringing up some
Of the Old AMI leading points OF former
political contests, nor need you be re-
minded that Ii Is absolutely necessary
TO do so. In order to display. In a brief
and campact form, the hideous financial
policy Of the republican party from the
opening of It's career to the present hour.
Boundless money. wealth untold, unlin-
tied possessions, beside whose dazzling
splendors the riches of Solomon become
Insignificant and beggarly. have been
poured by all the powers, tricks and
chicanery known 10 corrupt legislation
into the millionaire laps OF the privileged
few. while for the toiling, producing
classes a contracted currency, a stinted,
meager circulating medium. constant
scarcity of money, less per capita in
actual he raonIa and in he