Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1884 — Page 9

SUPPLEMENT.

HON. T. J.WOOD.

An Impromptu Reception to Our Candidate for Congress. THE LARGEST PROCESSION EVER SEEN IN VALPARAISO. His Address in Full. Prom The Valparaiso Messenger Sept. 10,1884. Thursday night was one not to be soon forgotten by our people —one that struck despair into the Republican camp of Porter county. About 1 o’clock on the afternoon of that day Hon. Thomas J. Wood, our candidate for Congress— and by admissions of a number of our leading Republicans, the best Congressman that ever represented this district —telephoned that he would be in this city that evening, arriving on the 7:40 train on the Grand Trunk load. This was a surprise to the Democracy of Valparaiso, for they had set apart another day for the opening of the campaign here by him —in fact, to give him a “rouser.” But Mr. Wood’s message put another, and, to the Democrats, a perplexing turn to the situation—one that they hardly knew how to overcome, considering the lew hours’ notice of his coming. To bestow upon the man who has so faithfully and conscientiously represented every element of his constituency in Congress for one term, that recognition which he so justly deserves, was the paramount desire of our people, and to this end the boys dorfed their coats and went to work. It should be .borne in mind that Valparaiso is the home of Republicanism, and to turn out a respectable Democratic procession it was considered out of the question by our Republican friends, for Democracy in Valparaiso, as claimed by them, “was dead and buiied.” But the darkness of the evening came, and with it what a sight! The grave had given up its dead—“the woods were full of Democrats.” At 7:30 o’clock the German Cornet Band made its appearance in front of the Central Se. This was the signal to “fall in,” he way the silver-haired and young Democrats —and some heretofore Republicans —responded to the invitation .astonished the oldest inhabitant. The five hundred and twenty-eight torches were last being manned by the members of the InshAmerican and American clnbs when the German club, with nearly two hundred members, marched from their hall and came upon the scene equipped for the . parade. The Irish-American Drum Corps was beard in the distance and in a few minutes the Normal club, with over one hundred torch-light bearers, wheeled into line amid cheer after cheer. The Grand Marshal, James F. O’Keeffe, gave the command tor the column to move. What a grand spectacle was then presented—the largest procession of torch-light bearers that ever passed through our streets. One of our Republican friends said to us that it was the grandest sight he ever witnessed, and looked like there were fifteen hundred torches, but of course we do not claim that number. Mr. Wood, the gentleman in whose honor this impromptu gathering was given, was met and conducted to the leading and most centrally located hostelry in the city—the Central House. The balcony of the hotel, from which Mr. Wood spoke, had been tastefully decorated with flags and bunting, two large paintings of the next President and Vice-President ot the United States, Cleveland and Hendricks, forming a conspicuous part of the decoration. Mr. Wood was introduced by Col. A. L. Jones, with a tew appropriate remarks, to the largest crowd of ladies and gentlemen that has assembled, or perhaps will, during the campaign. Upon the appearance oi the speaker he was greeted with an applause from the vast crowd that must have been gratifying to'him. He said: Fbiknds and Fellow Citizens: I am gratefril for your presence to-night and warmly thank you for the kind esteem shown me. Yon empowered me to repiesehtyou in the lower Honse of the Fortyeighth Congress. I have performed every duty of the high trust during the first session thereof to the best of my ability. Being one of the youngest members of Congress I had a great deal to learn in the way of legislation, but I was not idle an hour and I leave you to say how well and faithfully I have executed yonr trust during the first session of seven months. * If you confer upon me the office a second time I promise yon entire fidelity to your every interest and in the future as in the past will not engage in any system of mean and degraded politics to secure this or any other office. There are grades of character in the political world that every man will endorse or condemn. There is the high and noble kind, that every good citizen, consulting his conscience and reason, approves; and there is a low, mean kind, that belongs to bad men only, never offering any good totbe people. Low politics

is dangerous to this country, because controlled by men of no virtue or responsibility. Anything to win is considered legitimate with this class of men. Their favorite warfare is slang, abuse, defamation of character and corruption of the voter. These men soon wear out, but their pernicious example is followed to the injury of the country. This class ot men handle the corruption fund collected in large sums from a hundred thousand unwilling officebo'ders. In the last few years this corruption fund was sown broadcast and now they consider it a popular stroke of political policy. It was called “Dorsey soap” in 1880. Its recipients laughed aronnd the congenial circle about purchasing the vote of some humble citizen, whose rights in the government are dear as that of any man. These men declare that the system of buying votes is now well established and approved, and threaten to carry their ticket this year by the same unhallowed means. The better class of men abhor this evil and see the baleful influence of this character of politics. It is as lawless as brigandage. It destroys the liberty ot the voter, for it makes him vote against his will and judgment. It lowers his manhood and fits him tor crime. He sells American citizenship for party pelf and walks like a coward among men. There goes a man who sold his vote for a new two dollar bill. There goes another. They are despised of men and live like unpunished criminals. When will this corruption cease ? What party is responsible for this condition ot society today ? Wha* party brought it into the world to make criminals of a certain class of onr people ? What ought to be said of the men or party resorting to money to carry elections ? No upright citizen will approve the man or party in doing this thing. It is time for all to condemn this bad business. All its results are evil. You hear it said that this or that good citizen cannot be elected because he will not spend his money freely. Spend money for what ? To buy the minds of men ? Has it come to this, in this free country, that mankind is bought and sold at the ballot-box? You may safely say that any man or party dealing out large sums of money to override the will of honest men intends to get it all back in some way while in office. Any candidate, who pays outJialf or all of his salary for election purposes, intends to get it all back by fraud and peculation while in office. I would not trust such a man out of sight. He is unfit to represent the people or hold any office within their gift, and the same is true of the party raising and distributing large sums of money for election purposes. The party managers intend to steal it all back. I care not what party does it the people are the victims. The Bank Reporter shows more counterfeit two dollar bills in circulation than any other denomination of our paper currency. These were put ont in 1880 from Maine to California. And still righteous men leer aronnd and approve it, while an erring boy must go to the penitentiary perhaps for his first offense, though he points to the spending of counterfeit money in the elections as his education and example. It is known at Washington by secret party records what locality is purchasable by money. Do we want this name abroad ? I condemn all men and all parties guilty of this infamy. If my own party is guilty I would condemn it with ali my power. We want a Vigilance Committee in every voting precinct to enforce the law on this subject. Let it be the sole duty ot this committee to spot every scoundrel and “let no guilty man escapeand when the fact is traced to any candidate, file proceedings to dismiss him from his office. Our people and kinsmen cannot live long in prosperity if the corrupt use of money in the elections is long continued. I ask every citizen to value his home and family enough to cry out against this bad business. Every taxpayer must suffer from the demoralization of some of the people by the dishonest use of money in the elections. The recipiont of dishonest money is preparing himself to be a criminal in yonr community. He is prepared to condone crime and aid theft. He soon knows the midnight burglar, horse-thief and robber. I firmly believe the increase of crime since 1880 is as much due to corruption at the elections as anything else. Men of criminal instincts reason, that men high in office start this thing, put up the money, and have a regular system of theft in the management of the government. These men know it is “dishonest money” sent in from headquarters and * the men giving it intend 'to get it all back in some way. This is their idea of conducting the government drawn from this corrupt system —and to them it is a convincing argument, and what respect have they for their government ? Even good men of avaricious minds are moved to dishonest trickery in their dealings with others by this corrupting example. They conclude that' money-getting in any manner is legitimate. I attended a criminal trial once in Washington, where a brightlooking young man was being tried for embezzlement. His proof of good raising, manly conduct and excellent character, was uncontradicted. I wondered why he committed this crime. He was convicted and the court wanted tim to state why be should not he sentenced. His statement was clear and manly and raised sympathy for him. . He wanted to know why he must suffer the penalty for embezzling an insignificant amount, when the Star Route scoundrels stole millions of money and went wholly unpunished. He wanted to know if it was worse for him than for the hundreds of other men guilty of theft and embezzlement in all the departments of this government. He wanted to know if he was to be convicted when millionaires escape all punishment for the robbery of others? This was no defense, but his statement stirred the moral sense of the conft and every one present. A fanner’s boy, well raised, and by chance steals a blind horse and is sent to the penitentiary ; while a strapping big official of this government steals thousands of dollars and goes scett free. If be is caught, he goes to jail temporarily and seres sumptuously as a prince every day. The embezzlements, thefts and other crimes committed in the great departments of this government influence the young men to commit crime. They see that the great scoundrels escape

all punishment and conclude after all it is not so bad as taught them under the parental roof. Why are there so many small embezzlements in the pnblicservice? Salaries are not large and the clerk or officer cannot give, give and give under the party lash, without felling short of support. These men know that so much money is unnecessary for honest election purposes. They know that their superiors want these large sums of money to corrupt the people. They know all this is a ciime against the law and against good government. They finally conclude, why should we be so particularly honest when our superior officers wring hard-earned money from ns, wherewith to commit crimes against the election laws. They begin to steal back what they have paid, and the idea grows upon them as er their moral restraint is broken, and they steal as much as they can hide I say to the people that every dollar used in the elections of the people for corrupt purposes will be stolen back five-fold if we say the system is right by our votes. While in Washington I saw Belknap and all the old gang of hard ones in the Hotels and lobbies, seeking large appropriations to be used for this or that pnr pose in this or that city. They are shrewd and polite gentlemen. One of them said to me that I onght to support a certain appropriation ; “that there is lots of money in the treasury and the government don’t need it.” I asked him, “What will the people say about this? Will they approve us if we make this appropriation?” He answered me, “Oh, the people don’t care; all this has been done repeatedly and the people always sustained us. My young friend, it is all right. These old fellows don’t talk like you do, they are used to It. The people have approved all this in the past.” A'l this smooth palaver was a good lesson to me, and I say if the people will approve the corruption of the voter—approve the corruption of onr elections by the unlawful use of money, then it will be repeated ten-fold at each recurring election, and all the stealing hack will be doubled over and over again, because the scoundrels say the people have approved ns, and what they approve, must be right. Why, look at that great moral man of California, who telegraphed that if the convention at Pittsburgh would nominate him for President, he would give one million dollars to the campaign fund. He thought the people had approved that sort of thing, and therefore it must be a good thing to do, and the convention would rise up and nominate him. I was glad it did not nominate him. No man is much of a man who will prate aronnd abont the money he will spend to get office. Mark him down os a thief of gentlemanly character. Did yon read the news that the Chairman of the Republican National Committee gave one hundred thousand dollars to the campaign fund ont of his own pocket ? What does that man care for the success ot the Republican party, except that he wants to use the party to help him in reaping large tains from some monopoly in whieli he is jflHsrested. He is an iron monopolist of Pennsylvania. This man don’t expect to hold any office, as office-holding would not pay him back. Do you think he does not calculate to get that money back ? He has a great object in view and he wants the Republican party in power where he can use it to bring this princely sum baok to him many times over. I see by the papers that the Hon. William Walter Phelps, of New Jersey, has given another hundred thousand dollars. Do you believe this is a “free gift” without hope of large returns ? I do not. The hundred thousand officeholders have given over two hundred thousand dollars more, making four hundred thousand dollars, and the campaign only begun. This is poured into the doubtful States, and what a corruption fund! It makes every good citizen love his country less. It could not be raised for educating the yonng of onr land; it could not be raised for any Christian or moral purpose ; it could not be raised to relieve suffering humanity or for the elevation of mankind, but it can be raised to commit a crime against election laws and corrupt the people. What kind of a party is doing this ? It is frill of political lepers who care not what they do. Yonng man, think of this before you vote. Gentlemen, if you approve all this business with all its bad and nnßafe outlook for the future, then yon need not complain of the corruption of the public service. MONOPOLY. The Democratic party has met the powerful forces and subtle influence of monopolists at every election for twenty years past. In all this broad land it has no monopoly fighting its battles. In .all its ranks it inas no monopolist to speak for it. The greatest newspapers of America are to-day owned and operated in the special interest of monopoly. Jay Gonld owns the New York Tribune. Search the stock-books and you will find that majority of the stock of every great journal from New York to San Francisco is owned bv men largely interested in monopolies. This is why these great journals are kept in line. Count the millionaire monopolists of New York and not ope in the Democratic party —not one. See the iron monopolists of Pennsylvania ; see the Railroad monopolists ; see the land monopolists; see the Bessemer Steel monopolists; see the sugar monopolists; see the manufacturing monopolists of Massaebussetts, and all, every one of them, shouting for Blaine and the Republican party. It looks had for any party to have such undivided company. Monopolies fattened and fostered by laws of Congress, enacted in the last twenty years, govern and derange the general business of the country at pleasure. What is the object of these monopolies? First, to get special privileges through an unwise and unjust class legislation. Secondly, to absorb everything in sight beneficial to their interest. Then they are on high ground and able to dictate the price of labor; able to dictate the price of every product of the farm ; able to dictate the price of everything consnmed by the people. See the grasping work of monopoly in Pennsylvania The iron and coal monopolies went all oyer that great State, bought and leased all the valuable iron and coal land they could find. No man or company outside of these monopolies can

get a foothold to compete with them. Having all this valuable property under control they come to Congress and obtain a high tariff on iron ore; then a high tariff on pig iron ; then a high tariff on manufactured iron. The tariff on iron ore and coal is fifty cents per sou. How many tons of iron ore and coal are under an acre of land? This unnecessary and hard tariff makes these iron and coal lands worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This tariff made these monopolists instantaneous millionaires, every dollar of which has come and is to come out of the pockets ot the people ob a bonus. It all recoils upon the farmer and producer and consumer alike. Then they are favored by Railroad freights that yon and I can never get Competition with them is almost impossible. What is the result ? They dictate what the Great West shall pay for coal and iron. English ship-builders and owners hpve a monopoly of the sea-carrying trade from America. This monopoly was created by the American Congress when it enacted the protective tariff act American ships have nearly left the sea and the English have nearly a complete monopoly of our foreign shipping trade. American shipbuilders could uot build seaworthy vessels as cheaply as is done on the Clyde. Why ? The high tariff on all the materials that enter into ship-building makes American ships cost much more than those constructed on the Clyde. The result is a foreign monopoly of the sea-carrying trade created by the American Congress. The high tariff men wanted no commerce on the high sea, and a policy that would destroy Americau ship-building suited their purpose of lessening the foreign trade in the interest of home monopolies. Their purpose was to lessen importations to America as much as possible, so they could have a home monopoly of the markets, and in this destructive policy they were willing to sacrifice the agricultural classes and make them subservient to every demand ot shameful monopolies. How does this monopoly affect the American former ? A monopoly price is paid for shipping grain and meats to England and other countries —not only tor the going trip but for the return of the vessel also to our shore. Why ? The vessel must return empty in most cases, because our high tariff partially prohibits importations to our markets; so the former’s grain and meat must pay both ways as the evil effect of a bad law of the American Congress. Our farmers sell in foreign markets annually over six hundred millions of farm products. They only receive about halt of this sum. Through the work of monopoly they are compelled to give half ot the form products to convey the other half to open markets. They sold last year the products of their labor for over $600,000,000, and they received only $300,000,000. This shipping rate is extortion and could only be upheld by organized monopoly. The American farmers are more interested in the reform of this upjust tariff law thau any other class of our people. If they will not vote for their own interest, others will not do it for them. My duty is done when I tell them of the shameful manner their earnings are absorbed. The Republican par:y in Congress has built up these monopolies in the last twenty years. I do not say the voters of that party are chargeable with this great wrong to the people, for they represent all classes of our people and are as willing to do right as the adherents of any party. They would oppose wrongs in onr political system as promptly as any one in another party it they understood them. Why should monopoly privileges be extended to a class of the people to extort large profits from all other classes ? Then the idea that the government is drawn to the side of private monopoly by the party in power does not reassure the civilized world that the American government is thefoest on earth. Its grear powers have been grossly perverted to the mean purposes of individual gain.

The dominant party used the power ot this government to create poweriul railroad monopolies, namely, the Union Central and the Texas Pacific Railroad Companies. When all the grasping powers of monopoly are granted to private corporations by the government, what will honest people think ot (he party directing it? What chance has the bumble citizen when his government is aiding monopoly ? This government, by command of the Republican party at the head of it, outrageously subsidized these corporations and made them complete monopolies. It gave the Union Pacific Railroad Company one hundred and twenty .sections of land tor every mile of railroad it bnilt. Think of it! One hundred and twenty sections of choice pnblic land —76,800 acres—to every mile. Value the land at $2 per acre, and it is worth more, and see the reckless waste of the pnblic domain. The government did not stop there. It gave the company $32,000 per mile in 6 per cent, bonds. It authorized them to issue the same amonnt of first mortgage bonds to the mile. Was this colldssal gift of yonr land necessary to bnild this road ? The land alone would construct this road five times over. In this dishonest transaction Oakes Ames, T. C. Durant, Sidney Dillon and others became millionaires. They cleared nearly forty-four millions of dollars, besides 76,800 acres of land to every mile of the road. When the government bonds were issued to this company, the law required that the interest thereon should be paid annually. This was never done — the law being wholly disregarded, and not one government official said one word. Many years afterward, during Hayes’ administration, Senator Thurman introduced a bill compelling these corporations to set aside 25 per cent, of their net earnings to pav all back interest and provide a sinking fond to pay the principal of the bonds. After long and hitter opposition the bill finally passed the Senate. James G. Blaine and Stanley Matthews led the opposition to it in the Senate. Matthews was afterwards appointed Supreme Judge of the United States, and Blaine is the Republican nominee for President. With Matthews on the bench and Blaine for president, these monopolies would have a good chance to extend their robbery of the people. Ever since the passage of theTbnrman bill eight years ago, Jay Gonld, the manager of the road, has defied the government and refused to set aside 25 per cent, as a sinking fund, as re-

quired by the act, and no officer of the government dared to enforce the law. The law also required that no dividend should be declared by the Central Pacific Company before 25 per cent was set aside to pay the government the principal and Interest due upon its bonds. This was defied until last winter, when it was discovered that the managers and their associates had divided among themselves over nineteen million dollars in ntter defiance of this law, and which waa all the while known to the government officials. Jay Gonld, Russell Bage and other men of Wall street were directors of this monopoly last year and no government official said one word abont the dues of the government under the law. The snb-conimittee of the Senate had a report ready to submit exposing this rascality and neglect of dnty by the government officials, when the directors sent Charles Francis Adams to Washington to defeat the report. He begged the committee not to expose the company, as It would ruin the business reputation of the men and bring a panic to the country. This threat scared the committee, and the directors were released by the payment of $718,000, as a small part payment, and were then promised freedom from prison. So these great rascals finally go free, carrying off millions due the government, before the eyes of the American people by the consent of the high officials at Washington. These companies owe this government over fifty-two million dollars, and there ia no reason why it is not paid. Why will not the government officials enforce this law ? Jay Gould and his coadjutors gave tons of thousands of dollars to the campaign fund, and they tell the pnblic officials that “We pnt you where you are, and you dare to enforce this law and we Will see that you step down and out.” Our government is in such handß to-day and is controlled by such influences. They defy the people and sneer at their last complaints. These monopolists could noo become millionaires except by the fovor of the government. What party used the government for such a purpose? You may search the pages of the world’s history and you cannot find a parallel to oar rank growth of monopoly in twenty years. Why have we bo many millionaires in the short space of twenty years ? Every dollar of it came from the people through ’ the advantages of corporate monopoly. Twenty years ago millionaires were not numerous. Then the government was not made a party to aid monopolies. Soon as the government was used to aid corporate monopoly millionaires sprang up in a few years.

It is one of tbe purposes of this government that every citizen shall have an equal chance and that no one should be favored by class legislation. Certain enterprises jn the hands of the few get government tavor. The result is they are able to absorb millions from the people without returning to them any equivalent. See the princely fortunes made through class favoritism in twenty years. Their millions justly belong to the people to-day. Every dollar was taken from their pockets. By the powers of monopoly granted by your government, an unjust moiety of your earnings goes down the channel until it reaches the home of the monopolist. While the party in power has perverted the powers of this government to make monopolist millionaires. in which it may boast of success, I say it has made thousands of honorable men poor, and embarrassed thousands of others, who do mors for the general good of the country than all the monopolists combined. Why ? No man can engage in any business, and by the aid of the government make it a monopoly, and in a few years become a millionaire without getting an unnatural and dishonest share of the earnings of others. The laws of business are that men return an equivalent for money or property and receive an equivalent for their labor or skill in business. It cannot be truthfully said that a man acquiring millions of dollars in a short time in any business renders to the people anything like an equivalent for it. These unnatural accumulations of wealth can only come to men through the advantages of monopoly which were built up by a perversion of the just powers of this government, and they were never heard of before the Republican party came into power. That party can boast of the millionaires it has made; it can boast of the great monopolies it has made and go before the people calling them “our industries.” The bad effect of the poliev that makes millionaires rapidly is tbe periodical depression it brings upon the country, because millions cannot be taken from the many and put into the hands of the few without bringing distress to tbe many at short intervals. It is a policy that takes up the earnings of men and amasses them in the hands of the few without making any just return. This government has been and is used to-day to aid such a policy. The same policy of government made great landed estates in England and other countries ; the same policy made the wealth of the aristocracy of England and France. Those governments favored the few and aided them by their powers to draw wealth from the many until there was a dividing line between the aristocrat and peasantry. Tbe same policy this government has adopted as to land and money, and it is a policy at war with every Republican principle. I ask what party is responsible for this dangerous condition to-day f The depression to-day in all business is caused by the grasping Work of monopolies and by the overreaching ambition of men to become equal in wealth to the men who fattened through the advantages they did not possess. Without these advantages they were finally driven to the wall. What are form products worth to-day? Wheat sells for a price below the cost of E reduction and every kind of business is in gold. Why? The millions that were among all the people and used to keep business good and moving to the benefit of all have been gradually absorbed by the great American Octopus—monopoly. Where has the sarplus money of the people gone ? The people have no money and they have always worked hard. The crops have been good. The increase of animal growth is not checked. Why should not the people have as much money to-day as they had a few years ago? The cry is there is no money to pay good prices for the surplus products of labor, care and skill 1 Well,