Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1892 — Page 1 Advertisements Column 3 [ADVERTISEMENT]

SENATOR VOOR.iEES TaUS. ' In a recent interview Senator Voorhees dismissed the political situation and future Democratic policy, tliusiy: “I do not agree witn Governor Hill at all in his position at Albany, and so announced as soon as I read the Associated Press report on New Year’s day. The Republican party has forced issues on the American people, and more especially in regard to the vital question of taxation, which are wholly inconsistent with free government, and which oall for incessant, unremitting, unlimited day and night opposition on the part of every believer in the Jeffersonian maxim of ‘equal and exact justice to all and exclusive privileges to none.’ The present tariff system of the United States, whereby the wants of the laboring poor are taxed to sweeten the luxuries and soften the conches of the idle rieb, is such a hideous abomination in the sight of God and man that it seems to me every fair minded person would gladly and eagerly fight against it all day, and agam in his dreams at night, leaving results, consequences and responsibilities to that high and overruling power known as Provioenoe in hi tory. *ln all my speeches in the Senate during the tariff debate of 1890, and on the stump here in Indiana, I took the ground that the bsttle for tariff reform would never stop or falter until either the victory was wen or the laboring people consented to be the slaves of protected masters. I say the same now The onuse in which we are engaged would justify an appeal to arms if the ballot box was not open for a peaceful revolution. Our forefathers had no such enormous grievance against Great Britain as the toiling masses of the oountry have this hour against their protected and privileged task masters. and no one need fear that the fight for justice, equality, freedom and right will halt. There will be no step backward. Presidential aspirants, leaders as they are sometimes called, may for the time being try to sha l e political issues, and dictate what sba'l be submitted to the oeop'e in the approaching campaign, but the people themselves will settle the line of > etion at the proper time. “In Democra’ic conventions the voice of the people will be heard determining the principles of the ooming contest. The p eople will decide whether any of the issues of the Democratic party, or ’ey of its plans of battle, shall he abandone 1 or changed in order to accommodate >n man o ■ set of men who h ve their own nmhiton in view Principles are eternal men erish If everv roan now assn- ‘inn leadership in the Demoora i' px *y was to die tomorrow, the pa ty would liv aid it -- principles of justice and equality wo’d g on wthout a moment’s ’ ause sigof weakness. I worship at no man’s shrine, and I hall not abandon or renounce a single one of the great issues of the Democr tic party at the behest of modern doctrinaires and self-constituted dictators, who deem l hemstlves wise enongh to overrule Jesse son, M diso and Jackson, nor shall I limit mvself to neg- tive action in regard to issues on which w* should and with increased vigilanc* attack the enemy in front, flunk and rear, and on all occasions. We sbon'd do o r o n duty aq tivily. biavely and to the bitter end, withn t writing to consider whnt oou s«the enemy mar pursue when we have presented jnst and remedial legislation for their action “I have a very high opinion of the ability of Governor Hill and his recent great paity service, bnt he makes a mistake if tie thinks the spirit oi battle or the ardor of the Democratic masses in the rconfliot with tariff robbers, monopolists and the plutooracy generally now can be checked. The nominee of the Democratic national convention ought to live in the Mississippi valley; and I think he will. The farther hr lives from Wall street and thelpower of g nsolidatsd wealth and educated lascality the better it will be for the Democratic party and the country wh n he ia elected. “As to the best methods of tari ft i egis lation at this time opinions may differ, but on one point the e can eno difference of opinion in Democratic circles.— The enlargement of the freavlist is the great end in view, whether it is done by a general bill or by several bills. Free trade in sugar has made sugar cheap to the consumer and so will free trade ch apen woolens. iron and steel, tin and everything eli e as far as it is possible to go withont crippling the revenues of the Government. A nd when the Democratic party cheapens articles of dailv use by putting them on the free list it will be done a bounty tax on every other industry in the land for the benefit of the sngar camp an sap suckers of Vermont, or for the benefit of any other class of proteoted drones in the hive. It will alto be done withont the present hnmbug reciprocity attachment to the MoKinley law, but with a genuine reciprocal freedom of trade between onrselves and the people of other nations. “Th cry of ‘free trade’ no longer alarms »n- body. The aggressiveness of slavery resened the term -abolitionist’ from its o iinm, ana the arrogance and oppression of the protective tariff policy nas given to ‘free trade’ a safe and hopefn! meaning. The laboring masses will laugh in the face of one who stigmatizes them us free traders, when they know that free trade cheapens everything they are compelled to bay. I am ready to fight for a general bill of tariff feform if our friends in the House present the mat er in that shape, or I ,m well content to assist in urging the neces. sary legislation in separate and distinct me sures, butwe mnsthave action—bold, resolute, aggressive action. The e is i.o reason at ail for hard words or acrimonious feeling s in the Democratic party at this time. I have not a doubt that the House, under its present organization, will do its duty fully and satisfactor ly, and tin t we will elect the next President. The people a-e anxious for wholesome, reformaio y legi -latiou, and d wt o er it and the Republican party iefase to concur the result will not be doubtful. “Tliere are two sides to every economic question now prese ted to the American people by the Republican party. There is .people's side wber the interests of the farmer, the wage-worker and of e ery loliug man and woman are to be found, wh-le on the oth»r side the interests of o anized cat i al, monopoly, corporation '«y iCEt'-s.Jand usurious avario ,in all its forms, are intrenched, pro eot d. buttressed iud foriihed by the most skillful and the most wicked system of legislative fwhinerv known to history since the F enoh revolutio . A good crop now an ! then may bring temporary relief o the ayiicultural classes, but in the long rn i they have been falling behind for the la r. quarter of a century and will coi.tinn - heir unequal straggle as long as anoiaer clsss of their fellow-citizens are : protected and enriched at their expense. NT pla form forthe coming campaign an .!1 future political contests may be p ..inoeii up s follows: “I boa»equalityir|theburdensja d M.- ssings of g vernment founded on tariff aform whv h will place as nearly as po c . si ie. >ll the necessaries of life on the j free list, causing pro* erty and incomes, rather than the wants and necessities of working pe pie, to pay taxes and furnish Gov. rnment revenue.