The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-30
.RALSTON OPENS UP
INDIANA CAMPAIGN
Democratic Candidate for
Governor Deals with Is
sues at Anderson.

NJ. Ralston, of Lebanon, Democratic |
nominee for Governor, opened his cam
paign here last night. delivering his
keynote speech to an enthusiastic and
appreciative audience, in which there |
was a large representation OF leaders
of the Republican and Bull Moose par
ties, who wanted to get line on his |
plans.
Mr. Ralston is the first of the Guber- |
Material nominees to make a formal
appeal for votes. Those who antici-
pated that he might dodge the local
option question, over which there is
division in all parties, were disappoint-
ed. He didn't sidestep any of the
planks of the national or state plat
forms
Regarding the liquor question, he
was very explicit. He called attention
to a statement he made two years ago,
prior to the repeal of the county local
option law by the Democratic legisla-
ture when he said that he believed
the act should be given a fair trial be-
fore it was cast aside
Fair Trial Is Urged.
LAS felt then with reference to the
law having the county as a unit I feel
now, with reference to the present
law he said. 'It should be given a
fair trial"
While he was followed carefully in
his discussion of the national issues
more attention was paid to what he
had to say regarding the state plat
form. He went beyond the latter when
he declared that Governor Marshall
will recommend the enactment of a
Public Utilities Commission law.
While the Democratic Committee on
Resolutions at the state convention re-
fused to incorporate a Public Utilities
Commission plank in the platform, Mr..
Ralston said that if the Legislature
enacted a Public Utilities Commission
law that conforms to the state consti
tuition, and properly safeguards the in
terests of capital and labor, he will
sign it.
This declaration was received with
deep interest in view of the fact that
representatives Of large corporations
were credited with controlling the res
olutionS committee to the extent that
| it recommended a platform that was
| regarded by many as being reaction
airy.
Speech Proves Conservative.
Mr.. Ralston's speech was pitched
along conservative lines. He declared
that such questions as the initiative
the referendum, the recall and wom-
| ans suffrage, for which the Bull Moose
party is standing in it's state campaign
cannot be legislated upon the state
in the absence of proper amendments
| to the constitution.
| Il do not propose to enter upon
wild crusade in this campaign for leg.
islation the people can not now posi-
bly, secure, nor to allow myself to be
diverted from a discussion of the grie-
vous wrongs long suffered by the peo-
! pie from which they can be granted re-
lief through the power now possessed
by the Government" he said, by way
Of preface to his statement that the
adoption of the initiative, the referen-
dunn and the recall are not possible at
this time.
He made it clear that he is going to
conduct his campaign along the lines
laid down by the national and state
platforms. Half of his speech was de-
voted to national issues.
| Tribute Paid to Durbin.
He stated in opening his address
that there was especial significance to
the fact that he was making his first
speech at the home of Colonel Win
field Taylor Durbin, the Republican
nominee for Governor He paid Durbin
q nice tribute.
Tariff To Be Main Issue.
He said that it is apparent that the
tariff will be the paramount issue of
the campaign.
What is the source of the peoples
grievance against the Republican par
ty." he asked. 1.-THE query is not diff
cult to answer. This is a government
of delegated powers and the Republi-
can party in the administration of the
government has perverted those pow
ers to the building of fortunes for ia
-~orite individuals and combinations to
the injury of society.
The abusive exercise of this power
appears most prominently in the work
ing of our tariff system. All agree that
this system, which is a system of indi,
rect taxation, affords the most convent
ent method for the Government to de-
rive the revenue necessary to defray
its expenses.
But the Democratic party insists
. that in operating this system no more
than enough money should be taken
; from the people than is necessary to
. defray the expenses of the Govern.
ment economically administered, while
the Republican party maintains that in
, levying a tariff wage for the laborer
, and a profit for the manufactures
should be included, in addition to its
revenue feature. In other words the
difference between the two parties is
the difference between a tariff for rev.
: enue and a tariff for protection.