The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-14
And Again in the Evening at the Lincoln
Day Banquet in Response to the
Toast ''0ur Country"
SOME FRUITS OF DEMOCRACY
Debts Of Both the Government
and the People Piling Up.
Diminished Trade, Idle Factories, Work.
less Artisans, All Due to the Indus
try-DestrOying Tariff Thinkers.

L
convention Of the Ohio League of Repub-
lican clubs was held in this city to-day.
Resolutions were adopted denouncing the
Wilson bill, and declaring renewed allegi-
ance to the protective tariff idea and it's
foremost champion, William Mckinley.
The reports of the officers showed a great
revival among the clubs during the past
year. Governor Mckinley addressed the
convention, thanking the league for it's
support in the late election. Gen. William
Gibson also spoke by invitation and an
nounced his intention OF nominating Gov
ernor Mckinley for President at the con-
vention in 1896. The following officers were
elected: President, d. d. Woodmanse. Gin
cinnati; vice presidents. James r. knight,
Vinton county; Frank p. Richter, Hamil-
ton; Samuel 3. Hill. Cincinnati; Edward j.
Hathaway, Marietta: secretary. Z. ]. Mil
Ter, Columbus; treasurer, Charles +. Leach,
Cleveland.
The Lincoln day banquet incident to the
meeting Of the league was held this even
ing, with an attendance of over five hun
dred. Gen. Russell A. Alger, of Michigan,
who was on the programme, sent tele-
gram of regrets. Gen. Horace Porter, of
New York, delivered an eloquent tribute
to the life and character of Abraham Lin
coin and Major ]. t. Hanson, of Georgia,
responded TO Protection in the South
The principal address of the evening
delivered by Governor William Mckinley
in response to the toast Our Country"
He spoke as follows:
''Mr. Toastmaster and Gentlemen OF the
Republican League of Ohio-The present
CONDITION or the country Is heiIher cheerlui lu
nor attractive. The pause III our pros
perty is apparent, and has given occasion,
as well opportunity, for reflection. The
past year has been one of compulsory edu-
cation The country has witnessed much
and learned much. While Congress is at
work revising the tariff the people are at
work revising their views. While the rep
resentativeS of the people are madly strug-
CLING to execute the election DEGREES of
1892, as they interpret them, the people are
madly repudiating their own action of
that year and condemning the interpreta-
tion which their representatives place upon
the votes which gave them power. The
elections of 1892 did not mean free trade
any more than they meant the free and
unlimited coinage of silver; and II it could
be accurately aScertaiued ii wo&ld be found
that the doctrine of free coinage Influenced
more States for Grover Cleveland and the
Democratic representatives in Congress
than the free-trade plank in the national
Democratic platform. IL the party in pow
er at Washington would reject the free
trade doctrine as they have already the
free-coinage doctrine, they might empha-
size their want of good faith to party
pledges and party professions, and add an
doing so they would increase the faith of
the people in their business sagacity, their
financial wisdom and their true American
spirit The repeal of the Sherman law so
called, did not bring the relief promised
by President Cleveland. How much of evil
it may have averted L do not stop 10 dis
cusS. 1t is certain that business distress
is felt even more oppressively now than
when the silver law was in force and be-
fore Congress was called in special session.
AN OBJECT LESSON
'"rhe peOple are inst now feeling tho effact
Of politics. They are having an object les
son-one which furnishes practical demon
stration. We are attending upon the school
of experience; and while the scholarship is
free, the expense is enormous. The school
of events as Lincoln called it, has many
graduates just now 1t IS a singular anom-
ally that the people, the source of all power
in this country, are powerless TO help them
selves. and have been since the election Of
1892 1t is a condition where the peoples S
representatives are legislating against the
interests and opinions of the people, and
the latter have no immediate power to re-
woke their commissions or discharge them
from their services. They must suffer for
their own acts and the acts of their agents
and must submit until the relation Of prin-
cipal and agent is terminated by law. They
cannot diSplace their public servants until
the legal period for which they were chosen
has expired. They can assert their power
at the next election and not before, and at
that time can retire the reLreS entativeS and
elect new ones who will carry out their will
1T is to be regretted taat the people
must so long wait, so long suffer, and suf-
fer from their own agents; but as this is
| a government of law, the people, who are
| the SovsreignS must submit to the law. The
| lesson, however, dear as it has been to the
country and its vast interests, may be use
| full. 1t will teach us all that elections are
serious public transactions, and that their
| effect does not end on the day of the cleo
| ton, but continues through the legal and
constitutional term for which President and
ola nj ha rIasl
sooner; and it teaches us, also that small
and eXtraneouS matters local dissenSions
and personal and sectional .prejudices.
| should not control In great public elections
| which involve great principles and ques-
| tons of grave public policy The theory
| of the government Is that the people are
| supreme and the officers their servants.
The situation Is one where the servant is
| supreme and the master is temporarily
helpless. The people can petition to Con-
| gress, but that has no influence That
makes no impression.
There is another anomaly in the stua-
ton to-day. While Congress is engaged in
| reducing the revenues Cleveland's admins
| tration-of the same political faith as Con
| calls temporary loans Congress is pro.
| feSsedly reducing taxation to relieve people
of burdens. and Cleveland is adding to the
burdens by fastening upon them bonded
| debt OF $50 900. IL does not seem to occur
! to the leaders of the Democratic party
| that the bonds of the government, bearing
per cent interest, are a burden as op-
| preSSiVe as any system of tariff or taxa
| ton, and that they VIII sometime have &c
| he paid. and that the only means of paying
| them is through taxation. They seem TO re-
| gard it quite as businesslike and states
| manlike 10 pay the current expenses of tine
| government by bonding the government a:
by raising the money by taxation. Bu
| what else could you expect? They are
| pledged 10 reduce the tariff. and must dc
| it, even If it interrupts the prosperity o.
! the country and involves an increase in
the public debt. That the receipts of th,
| government are falling short of the needs o
the government does not stop them in thei
| career of tariff reform. Indeed, this cOndi
ton is a freC-trGde sequence, and has al
| ways, in our history. followed the inaugu
| ration of free-trade or n tariff-for-revenue
| only policy.
| \ DOUBLE WRONG.
Again, while they are reducing the reve
nues OF the government they are reducing
the incomes of the people; the governmen
and people are getting poorer at the sam
time and from the same cause. Their pro
posed free-trade measure is not only dimin
ishing the occupations and wages OF tn
people, but it is diminishing the value of tn
peoples investments. Every variety o
property has shrunk in value since the par
" of tariff reform entered upon its posses
| sion of the government Every manufaC
| turing plant, every stock and bond. from
| government TO a municipal bond has re
! the depreciating influence Of the thres:ene