Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1884 — Tom Wood’s Address to the People [ARTICLE]

Tom Wood’s Address to the People

Cbown Point, Ind., \ Dec. 3,1884. i To my friends of the Tenth District: I am deeply grateful for your earnest support and tender you my sincere thanks for your good and effective work.

Your cordial support will not bo forgotten and your confidence will not be betrayed.— Though beaten by a small majority many unbiased men wonder that the majority over me was not much greater than it is, when it is considered that this ('ongressional district has been largely Republican for more than a quarter of a c mtury, giving General James A. Garfield 2,400 majority in lßo>o over General Winfield S. Hancock. And, farther considering, that machine politics organized and perfected by and through a lpng period oi' onesided power and governed wholly by unscrupulous men. who received all its benefits, had full control in many counties; when corporate monopolists sent speakers into this district, from the home of monopolies in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, to dog my steps from place to place, to barrangue and vilify my best efforts for the people m Congress; when 1 was resisted by every corporate power becauso of my unfriendly votes; when the most unfair, unjust, not to say yenal, Republican press of all other Congress onal districts in the United States, with a few exceptions, were pouring forth vile falsehood, revolting abuse and wholesale slander-all too abominable to go into the homes of decent families; when low-bred men with no character to lose or reputation to gain spoke untruth and evil continually; when they traded, in ten precincts at least, the Republican State and National ticket tu get a low votes against me; when 156 men voted in four precincts against me, not citixens thereof and not there to day, in d ;fiance of law and right; and when the most shameful work was done by some of the government offic inis of the district—consider ing all. it is wonderful that 1 was beaten in a Presidential year by so small a majority. The laborious canvass I made went as much for the benefit of the National and State ticket as it did for my self, he Republican raajori ty of 2 400 for President in 1880 was reduo d to about 650 in 1884. lam proud of the result. 't shows my hard work did some good 11 shows that the powers of corporations and monopoly are partially broken It shows that corruption in office must cease. It shows that a low campaign system has no longer any force. It shows that the aousive and venomous newspaper has no influence with the people and that campaigns hereafter must be decent to command oopular respect. Our gain in this district on Representative in the Legislature, on the pop ular vote of over 1,700 in four years, and our success in the State and Nation will be a lasting benefiit, in. that it breaks up party superstition that there is only one party in the country abfe to manage the government; and it wiM prove forever false the shriek of the demagogue that rebel debt' will be paid, rebel sol diere pensioned, that our in dustries will be ruined, that the public credit will suffer and every other calamity fail upon the country if the Dem ocratio party should attain power. The tariff will be re formed but the industries will not be harmed. The govern ment taxes on imports will be reduced and the laboring man will be benefited.

During ih. f» w months re niahi'ng * \ ;.iy to m 1 shall have no hale to ciierish and no punishment to give anybody. My service is for the people el this district and [ will continue to faithfully represent them. I vtill continue my work to reduce govern ment taxation and to equalize the public burdens so as to make wealth bear more and labor less. 1 shall continue to be a friend of the Uuion

soldier and do all I promised him in the canvass I want them to write me as freely about their pensions as if they t ad worked for my reelection. I shall continue to give the same earnest attention to all my constituents and will not neglect their interest. Truly yours.

THONAT J. WOOD.