The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-14
WHAT MR.. BAYARD SAID.
The Text of His Remarks Shows that
He Was Not Misrepresented.

ambassador Bayard is said to have ex-
pressed the opinion that those who were
criticising his recent speech had read only
a synopsis, and not the speech itself. The
full text of the speech. which was received
yesterday by Hon. W. H. English, of this
city. by mail. and printed in the News,
shows that his denunciation Of protection
and its corrupting and demoralizing innu-
ence on American politics and public men
was much more sweeping. severe and i'll
tempered than the Geographic synopsis
made it. A portion OF his remarks is ap-
pended:
Justice enthroned on law is the only pro-
lection Of the humble and defenseless. How
snail justice be enthroned but BY a united
PUBIC opinion demanding it? And the de-
mana must originate in the articulate in
dividual conscience. which must be listened
to and respected. or we shall be ground
down by the despotism of numbers, or mill
.afy ausocracy. or aggregated wealth, en-
acting and compelling obedience to laws,
not to establish justice and insure domestic
tranquility, but TO secure unjust privileges
try l have witnessed the Unsuitable growth
or that form OF State socialism styled pro
lection" which l believe has done more TO
of fortune, to corrupt public life, to Danish
men of independent mind and character
from the public councils. to lower the tone
~ representation, Dlunt pubic COLL
science, create false standards in the popu-
lar mind to familiarize ii with reliance
upon state aid and guardianship in private
affairs, divorce ethics from politics, and
place politics upon the low level of a mer-
cause.
confusion of civil strife. it has succeeded
In obtaining control of. the sovereign power
OF taxation. never hesitating at any alli-
that promised to assist its purpose of
perverting. public taxation from its only
true justification and function. of creating
ment of the whole people into an engine
for the selfish and private profit of allied
trusts" Under its dictation Individual
oppressed, and the energy of discovery
1t has unhesitatingly allied itself with ev-
cry policy which tends to commercial isola-
tion. danserously depletes the treasury, and
corrupting favor and ~iargesse to special
classes, whose support is thereby attracted.
%isi haHs IL into aat the e1 polit tic % market .a where JOB JOB
bers and chafferers take the place of states
men. The words of Lowelrs warning we'll
apply:
Rough are the steps, slow-hewn in flint
lest rock.
States climb to power by; slippery those
Down which they stumble to eternal mock:
No chafferers hand shall long the scepter
hold,
Who bI si : a fate to shape would sell the
1t is incorrect to speak of "protec-
hon" as q national policy, for that 1t can
never be, because 1t can never be other than
the fostering Of special interests at the
expense Of the rest, and this overthrows
the great principle of equality before the
law. and that resultant sense of justice
and equity in the administration of SOW
ereign powers which is the true cause of
domestic tranquility and human content
ment. The value of protective taxation
to its benefciaries consists In Its inequality,
for without discrimination In favor of some
one there is no advantage to anyone, and IL
the tax is equally laid on all, all will be
kept upon the relative level from which
they started; and this simply means a high
scale of living to all, high cost of produc-
ton OF everything and consequent inability
To compete anywhere outside the orbit OF
such restrictive laws.
But the enlightenment of individual en-
ergies and the impairment OF manly sell
reliance are necessarily involved, and the
belief in mysterious powers OF the state
and a reliance upon them to take the place
of individual %exertion fosters the growth
of state socialism, and personal liberty ceas>
es to be the great end or government.
How can We fail to perceive that 1t is
fatal to hopes of advancement,or even or
retention of what has been gained by civlliZ-
~ation-when individual freedom and idiosyn,
crasies of personal character are impeded
or cramped In their free expansion oy the
which may be reasonably appiicaple 10 one
description of human exertion and yet who'll
ly unadapted for others; beneficial to one
man. hurtful to another; a beneft TO one
class. a curse TO another; REFRESHING activ-
ity, discouraging energy and enterprise. ana
tending only to establish a standard OF oull
and hopeless mediocrity? I can imagine no
more unhappy fate than for a man to be
chained to an occupation below the naturai
level of his capacities-cruelly cramped IN
his aspirations and forbidden to rise to his
full Intellectual and moral stature. And
vain and irreverent are all such attempts
to establish a dead level in human faculues
Of body or mind-a bed of Procrustes on
which the bodies and minds of men are
70 be stretched or manned. but never TO
rest in peace.