Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-31

SCOTT 6 BOVINE, 409 Pearl Street. New York
The meeting was in charge of J. H.
r. Spilman, who introduced the speak
ers. E. ]. Moore. candidate for repres-
entative, and Adelbert Christie, made
brief addresses, In which the better
reason of the voters was appealed to.
Mr.. Moore dwelt briefly on the state
issues, and referred to his opponents
campaign. Superintendent A. S. Full
ton Of the Rldon schools, spoke in be-
half of the candidacy of Miss Esther
Nicholson for superintendent of
schools. The Ladies' Glee club gave
several excellent numbers, which
were literally applauded.
Deeds Bests Promises.
Mr.. Reece in opening his address,
referred to the deeds of the Republ-
can party as compared with the prom
Uses Of the Democracy
Political parties must be judged
by what they have done rather than
what they say they will do" said the
speaker "Their platforms contain
what they say they will do while their
legislative and executive acts contain
what they have done. 1t may be said
that the Democratic party has not had
an equal chance with the Republican
party to show what it could do, but
attention is called to the fact that the
Democratic party was intrusted with
power at time when there We're
more labor disturbances in the United
States then ever before, or since. If
they were really and truly the friends
of labor, why did they not put on the
statute books some legislation favor
able to labor at that time. Upon the
other hand, the Republican party,
which was born in the defense of la
Dor, is not always claiming to be the
defenders of labor any more than any
other legitimate business or industry
in the country, yet it is fact never
the less that the labor legislation that
has been placed upon the statute
books has been placed there by the
Republican party. The effect of legis-
lation upon The various industries Of
the country is the real criterion for
us to go by when selecting the party
to be intrusted with conducting the
affairs of the nation.
Shows Democratic Failure.
The Democratic party was intrusted
with power from 1898 to 1897 inclu-
sive and l now call attention to the
fact that since that time. you have
not heard any Democratic speaker
boasting of that administration. You
have not heard them speaking the
praises of Grover Cleveland who was
their president. You did however,
hear them in 1896 condemning him
and trying to make it appear that he
was a Republican, when in fact all he
did was to try the policies OF the DEM
ocratic party upon the country and
they proved to be such miserable
failure, that they found it easier to
repudate the man rather than the
principles for which he then stood,
and for which they now stand, namely
a tariff for revenue only.
"You will recall that in 1888 both
political parties were pledged to a
revision of the tariff. Benjamin Har-
rison was candidate for president on
the Republican ticket while Grover
Cleveland was candidate on the Dem
ocratic ticket. The Democrats were
then in favor of what they called tariff
reform. The Republicans were in IA
vor of that which they now
favor tariff revision. Many of the
schedules then, as they are now had
become obsolete and defective by rea-
son of changing conditions and it was
conceded that they should be revised.
| The Democratic party proposed to re-
wise them on the basis of a tariff for
revenue only, while the Republican
| 10 q
basis of protection to American indus
| try and labor. The Republican party
prevailed in that campaign. Benjamin
Harrison was elected president and
| the entire congress with him. There
were many industries involved and
| it was thought prudent to give all a
| fair hearing. Investigation was made,
long hearings before the committees
on ways and means that consumed
many months and indeed congress
made mistake in .deferring the mat
ter so long that the tariff when re-
vised. did not take effect until few
months before the next presidential
campaign of 1892. This gave our op-
ponents in that campaign the oppor-
tunity to make claims that the Nc
Kinley law had increased the price OF
everything that the workingman con.
sumed and everything the farmer had
to buy or wear.
This created dissatisfaction in
labor circles and the clamor for q
change was adhered to by them and
the Democratic party, promising te
the farmers the markets of the world
won them to their cause. Instead o.
getting the markets of the world as
they had reason to expect they would
from Democratic promises made, the.
lost their home market which wa.
then more valuable than the markets
of the world. Laborers that expected
to buy where they could buy cheapes
found themselves out of employment
and therefore without money to bu,
either at high or low prices.
Cites Hard Times of 1894.
Samuel Gompers, who is now tryin
to lead or mislead some of the labor
ers into the delusion that the Demo
cratic party will do more for Their