Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1888 — The Cause of Democratic Defeat. [ARTICLE]

The Cause of Democratic Defeat.

The ladianapolis Sentinel roporter eoently iat rviewed Senator Vooc liees and Congressman Matson on tho causes of the Democratic defeat in this Sfßte and in the nation. Senator Voorfaees in answer to the reporter’s question how ne felt over 3rover Cleveland s defeat said; “For more than a quarter of a oentuty I have oeen with the party in all its struggles for supremacy. As this is not the first defeat we have sus„ tuined, I have learned to remain cool at all times.”

“I presume you want me to tell you wh.y we got est Well, In my judgment, I think we did not have time enough to present the tariff issue be fore the entire country The werkingmen of the cities, who have better facilities than the farmers to eduoate themselve upon economic questions, understood the issue and 9tood by us In this sta’e the e’ection returns ehow that wejmade large gai sin Indianapolis. Fort Wayne, Elkhart, Pern, Richmond, Michigan City and held ur own in South Beau. In Terre Haute wo gained 224 votes over 1884 and lost n the county outside of the city, Wo would have gamed 200 more in the city had it not been for the iutimidation of the .railroads.— * In Evansville we elected our State Senators and one Representative Our candidate for Congress ran ahead in cv rv ward where the workingmen preponderate. In tho next Congress' every manufacturing center of Indiana will be represented by a tariff reform Democrat, Three of them were saved by the labor vote. As we sustained out losses ,in this and other States, iu the agricultural districts, it is apparent that our educating cam pr ign was not inaugurated m ‘ime to reach the class which would reoeire the most benefit from lower taxation —tne farming class. 1 spoke for six weeks continually, sometimes twice a day, and during the Jmaiy campaigns I have taken aetive part in, I never saw such big rallies, so much enthusiasm and deep, earnest attention to the discussion of the issues. Wherever 1 went I found old line Republicans who boldly came out fcF Cleveland on the tariff issue. But while we were making one intellicrent conveit, the Republicans W6te gaining two •'votes among the ignorant class. I think, too, that sectionalism entered into tais fight. The tariff question could not be presented by our speakers to unprejudiced minds. W* eould talk about free lumber and salt, which every consumer favors, but when some one tinged with seotionai feel.* ing wou d ask “how abou those rebel flags?” or, “wny did Cleveland veto Tom Jones’ lensien bill?” “While we gained votes by dhjeussin the tariff question in he cities, at the same time it around the monopolists and manufacturers of the country and they furnished the Republican managers with seveial millions of doll rs t > purchase votos in the doubtful States. lam confident that a million was spent in Indiana in Terre Haute the minimum price paid was sls. A case Is known where a man received S2OO lor his influence. Offices were promised to unsuspect-

ing voong men in the event of Republican success. Many who failed to receive office from Cleveland joined th® enemy to obt .in reward from Harrison.” “Senator, was everything doneti at could be done to save ihe State?” ‘Yes, the State'eommittee was able and efficient. The fact that we car - ried both branches of the Legislature and gained tour members of Congress, and kept down the Republican majority to 2,000, wh«n the Republican candidate for President came from this State, tngether with the boodle and methods employed i y the Harri son managers already alluded to, is sufficient evidence that th# campaign was well managed and that every Democrat did his duty.

'‘ln this hour ol defeat I have no complaints to make of Cleveland or hie administration. While I do not regard him a practical politician. I retard him as an honest, courag ous and able statesman whose administration will shine in history in spleudid contrast to the varioas Bepublican administrations which his. It is the first administration since Lincoln that hds not been tiinted with rings, corruption and scan dal. ,

“The Republicans will soon be in full control of the Govern men t. but they will not be able to give any re lief to the people; they are in the clutches of the monopolists who will not allow them to reform ike tariff and give the people cheaper clothing and lumber. To give you an illus tration of how tho monopolists own the Republican party, I have only to refer you to Blaine’s Paris cablegram, iin which he said tho tax on whisky

ought to remain. John Sherman also took the same oositio , vet when the party met in oonventio in Chicago the convention compelled It to repudiate Blaine’s and Sherman’s positions and declare in favor of abolishing ail the tares on whisuy uni tobacco rather than tnkeoff one ceniof taxes from the clothing, salt and building material of the peoplo I doubt very much whether they will pass any tariff LIU duMng the Firtyfirst Congress, for the reaso that the house wil! be so cl »s that neither party will have a working majority. Even if the Republi .ana had a good working majority they could not pass a m- asnre to give relief to the people and at the same time satisfy the mo nopollsts, They willirediicc the surplus by lavish appropriations nnd in carrying out Gen Harrison’s suggest tlon—buying^government bonds at $l3O, which originally cost the bond* holders SSO. “ Woether the Republicans puss a taiiff bill or no , the fight for tariff reform will go on. We will continue to S' uoatethe masses until the People revolt against tho present iniquitous system of tariff plunder as they revolted against slavery, and make the monopolist cry out fpr terms as did the slaveholder thirty years ago. Next winter I proposo to take the opportunity offered me by the Senate bill, to discuss this issue, nnd if I can not assist in educating the mass* os. at least I can educate mvself. “Tho party, though dotoatod, is stronger, the issue is stronger, nnd the people are stronger of faith In the issue of tariff reform than at any time befor tho eleotion.and theed» ucating campaign of 1892isnow open not to close until reform has been accompli ,hed.” * *

Congressman Matson, late oandU date for Governor, being asked to what causes he attributed the defeat of the Democratic p rty in tnis State said. “The main caus' in this State was the intense enthusiasm of the Rep b lioans for their ticket, which was, in a degree, never-qualed ia previoa campaigns They had-n opportunity which they never bad before to elect a President from this Stato They organized only for a boodle campaign, and had all the ‘hoaters’ located long cfore the ele tion.

“The tariff issue helped us in this State, aud r regard it as another pend ing irrepresslblo conflict. I have faith in the ultimate result. I can remember myself the time when few men would confess that they were abolitionists, and now very ff.w in the extreme South can be found to justify slavery upon any ground. I expect to liye to s-e the day when quite as few can be found to j stir - the use of the taxiDg power for private gain. “The Republicans will not be able to redeem their piomises, which have been too many and too great. They have excited the hopes of the soldiers. The eistern people will not stand extreme pension legislation. They can get heir hands into the treasury in various ways—in approprjading for coast defenses, rivers and harbors, gun boats, heavy ordinances, etc. Out here in the West we cau eret rniney out of the treasury only thro’ pensions You will see that the soldiers will not get the rights which tue Republicans lmve promised them, now that, th y nave full control of the government ”