Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1885 — JOHN SHERMAN ANSWERED. [ARTICLE]

JOHN SHERMAN ANSWERED.

The Prince of Demagogy and Bourbon Republicanism Pulverized. What Is Being Accomplished by the New Administration at Washington. Before Gov. Hoadly made bis opening campaign speech, the Democratic State Central Committee of Ohio designated Hon. W. D. Hill, of the Sixth Congressional District, to answer John Sherman’s recent bloody-shirt harangue, which is regarded by the Republican organs as the key-note of the present campaign in Ohio, and the embodiment of whatever principles are left of the late Republican party. Right well did Mr. Hill perform the work assigned him. It is understood that he went to Washington several weeks ago and spent much time in the various departments, thoroughly equipping himself for the work. A few days ago he answered Sherman at Montpelier, Ohio. Referring to the change in the administration, he said: The days of the United States Marshals, arme 1 posses at polls, and internal-revenue spies have, I trust, ended in this country forever—ceriainly while we have a Democratic President. These reflections alone are sub ects of congratulation. It is not six months since the administration of the Federal Government changed. Whatever changes followed have been wholesome and in tiie interest of the people. The calamities which our liepubllcan friends predicted have not come. All the dire cal mi tics which a diseased imagination of (he goutv Republican office-holder, aided by his long-con inued gorge of power and debauchery, could invent were spread through the country as official truths. But the people were tired of bine deceived, a d they voted for a change. The change has begun—slowly but gradually, cautiously, prudently, safely, and fast enough. We direct particular attention now to the stunning points made by Mr. Hill in answering the question, “What has the Interior Department done ?” He said: It issued more pensions to Union soldiers, and adjusted n ore old pension, claims dur.ng the last (,u rter of the fiscal year, than were ever issued under Republican rule in any one quar.er. It i.as stopped the cutting of timber on the alternate sections of land belonging to the Government by the great land-grant corporations. It has stepped the system of mating the claims of applicants for pensions “special” where the party has influential friends (except in extieme and palpably meritorious cases), thus putting ■all applicants upon equal footing, and preventing favorel men lrorn being jumped ahead of ■equally deserving invalids. It has given all applicants for patents equal opportunities for attention, and it is no longer neces a:y to employ certain high-priced lawyers in order to secure promptness, it opens its doers without form, ceremony, or red tape to a 1 who have claims to urge, j etitions to present, or questions to ask, and the humblest laborer is as certain of a patient hearing as any Congressman, Senator, Governor, or foreign "grandee.” It regards the public domain as property held in trust by the department for the people, and not as a grazing ground to be fenced in by the •cattle kings or a lumbering bonanza to be invaded by the wealthy timber thieves or to be stolen by the great rai road corporations. It has resisted all pressure for the appointment to responsible positions of men believed to represent great land or railroad corporations. It has saved many hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Government in the matter of contracts for the coming year. It has saved more than ltn.ooo in the contract for Indian supp ies for the present fiscal year, as compared with the last year’s expenditures. It has adopted the policy of strict adherence and construction as regards Indian treaties, and proposes to hold the Indians to their contract. It has banished, or begun to banish, all interlopers from the Ind an reservations, and in the execution of this policy will make no distinction between the vagrant frontier brawler and the herders of hundreds of thousands of cattle. It has restored, and is restoring, millions of acres of public lands that are now covered by franduleut entries or distorted claims. It has saved over a hundred thousand dollars a year to the Gove nment in the cost of beef and r our alone for the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians by having a new census taken of those tribes. It has prevented a terrible Indian war on the Kansas borders by dealing fairly and firmly with the savages. It has disregarded the claims of thirty millions of capital that claimed the right of pasturage ui on the lands of these Indians, and ordered them to remove the herds at once, and the President has announced his firm determination to enforce the order, It has placed the Yellowstone Park and Hot Springs, Ark., reservation under such control as will protect them against the manipulation of r ngs and make them what Congress designed they should be—blessings to our people for all t.me. It nas proclaimed the public lands the heritage of the people, and ordered the removal of the fences that Inclosed millions of acres of Government domain in the interest of va t monopolies, cutting the settlers off from the •courses, ponds, and best p .sturage. This is but a beginning of the great work of the Interior Department alone, and this of itself, if no hing else, is enough to justify the people of the United States in the defeat of Blame and Logan and the election of Cleveland and Hendricks. Then Mr. Hill turned his attention to the Postoffice Department, and said: But, my fellow-citizens, tne good work does not end with the Interior Department. lostmaßter General Vdas has made a good beginning also. Let us see what he has been doing and is doing. First in the postal service the savings effected from April 1, Ihßs, to July 3, 1385, are: Decrease in star service Stea n boat service 72^316 Mail messenger service 23,523 Total and net decrease in above named service 180,702 And this, too, without the slightest detriment to the publio or the efficiency of the*service. Again: Tne number of ordinary postage stamps contracted for by the department for the year ending March 31, 18-4, under Bepubli an rule and serving as a basis of award, was 1,452.315,150; cost, *134,4*17.70. Newspaper and periodical stamps 2,463,270; cost, $220.30. Postage-due stamps, 12,040,270; cost, $1,100,03. Under the vigilance of General Vilas the same stamps were contracted for as follows : Ordinary postage stamps, 1,4 >2,315,120, for $101,516.88; newspaper and periodical stamps, 2.463.270, for $140.41; postage-due stamps, 12,910.270, for SI,OOO. 0, making a total of $103,161.68, against $134,834.18 expended the year before for the same items, or a saving of $ >2,041.5 For postal cards, 3 (3,620, mo; cost last year, $181,5 4.60. Two-cent cards, 68,775; $34.47. Tota'. $181,627.87. This year the same items and the number of cards cost $150,229.13, making a net e-ving of $22,430.77. Postoffloe envelopes from Nos. 1 to «, inclusive, total number, 32,836,200; cost last year S9B, io>,GJ; this year, $55,667.80; net reduction. $4'.43 .’.25. During Arthur’s administration the cost of ad ihe roregoing was $414,618.13; first year of Cleveland, $347,0 .6.56, a saving in one year of $9 v o ..fttf, or nearly $400,000 in fonr years. Beside this, the salaries of Postmasters have been cut down many thousan l* of dollars more, and th re is no lack .of applicants for these same postotflees at ■ reduced-, salar es. The firmness and ceaseless vigilance of Secretary Whitney, Bejaidv Jn discharging needless employes in the 1 pav 1-aeryfee, anti-in exacting compliance from John Roach in naval contracts, has already

saved the people millions more. The action of the Secretary of the Navy in the recent difficulties at Panama won for him the admiration of every true American; for while it was insignificant in itself, it scored notice to the world that und*r this administration no insnlt to onr flag would go unrebukec. He is a typical Democrat, and there is not a young man in this whole country who is not proud of him. In the Treasury Department 135 useless clerks have been discharged, and tbeir places have not been filled, and never will be under this administration, thus effecting an additional saving of $213,000 per annum, or in fonr years $8 59,‘>00. Senator Sherman has thus been answered, and answered in an overwhelming, masterly manner.