Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-10-10

vice. He voted the democratic ticket,
even in 1896, after it had been demon
strated to be wrong, simply because
he was democrat. But he was no
worse than any man who votes the
democratic ticket or the republican
ticket regardless. What l want is for
you to join the force that is moving
forward, the party that has brought
about good results every time it has
been in power, not the party which
has had erroneous policies.
The Dividing Line.
What divides the parties? Is it the
features Of the men, or the color of
their hair. No. There are two great
schools in politics. One is right, the
other is wrong. All along the line the
dividing line has been the tariff ques-
ton. 1t has ruled throughout the
years Sometimes some other issue
would be taken up for while, but all
down the annals of history there have
been two great parties, one for pro-
tectite tariff and the other for free
trade. The republicans say we will
protect home industries, the demo-
Gratis say We will open the markets of
the United States to every country in
the world. For years, the two parties
have fought along these lines.
The Senate Substitute.
In 1884, the house and president
were democratic, but there were no
hard times because the senate was re-
publican and held firm. Cleveland,
one of the truest, grandest, most sin
cere men the country ever knew, but
wrong, endorsed the Mills bill, which
passed the house, but the republican
senate held firm, and passed what was
called the Senate Substitute, saving
the country from much grave trouble.
But in 1892, the democratic party
stood before the people, and made
promises. 1t said, if you will give us
both houses Of congress and the pres
ident we will give you tariff for reve-
nue. only, and return of good old
democratic times. Well, they were
given what they asked for, and they
came pretty near fulfilling their prom
Uses They gave us just about as
near the good old democratic times
as we could have asked for. You re.
member that their cry was about the
man getting up in the morning out of
his bed that was taxed, putting on his
boots that were taxed, his trousers
taxed, going down stairs and pulling
up his chair that was taxed, sitting
down to breakfast on his table that
was taxed, eating off of cloth that
was taxed and out of dishes that were
taxed, putting on his hat that was
taxed and leaving his house that was
! taxed.
Harrison's Position.
They asked the people to let the
! tax be taken off, so that everything
would be cheap. Benjamin Harrison
, opposed this doctrine, and argued
that there might be such a thing as
: too low prices. The republican party
) said that American goods were want
ed by American people, and that, al
! though they might cost little more
: they should be bought in preference
: to foreign manufactures.
A Democratic Truth.
But the democrats won, and yor
know the result The Wilson-Gorm
bill was passed, and l think that ev
cry democrat present tonight viii
admit that they had bad luck. Coco
times didn't come. Horace Boies ha(
, said in speeches that year that corr
7 would go up, wheat would go up, ant
= in Illinois, one man in big demo
2 cratic parade carried Transparent,
; on which were the words, mo Nor,
, Sixty Cent Wheat" This has beer
= spoken of as the only truth uttered
= by the democrats in that entire cam
p paign, for the next crop was sold a
q forty cents One farmer said he hat
i been voting for fifteen years for FREE
;, wool, and that he had finally com,
= within five cents OF it.
e His severest Criticism.
9 am going to indulge in the sever
u est criticism of the democratic part
u that | make. Note and see if | an
:, not correct. 1t has appeared to m
Il that the democratic party leader
: have tried harder to find an issue III
on which an election could be wo
than to discover policy upon whic
the affairs of the country could b
conducted with success after the elet
. ton had been won. This is no crit
{. cism, but I ask if l am not right.
d The democrats won out in 1892, an
e disaster followed their victory. TIL
/ year 1896 came around, and the
It could have no use for an issue tart
re for revenue only. 1t was out of +,
s. pair. They had to have somethln
new. They could not win the electio
without an issue. Now, the populist
had nominated ]. B. Weaver for pre-
ident in 1892, and they had nominate
him upon a platform which declare
for the free and unlimited coinage
6 silver. This was original with then
= it was their policy.
:, Appropriating An Issue.
$ The democrats couldn't use the o.
so issue. They had to have a new on
The populists had for an issue IL
question of the free coinage of silve
u 1t had been gaining in the past TO,
a years. Money had been scarce. I'll
v. democrats looked at it and thougl
well of it. Needing an issue, beir
like the man without bread who,