Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 255, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 October 1914 — SENATOR SHIVELY’S RENSSELAER SPEECH [ARTICLE]

SENATOR SHIVELY’S RENSSELAER SPEECH

Gave Praise to President Wilson and Asked Endorsement By Support of All Candidates. Benjamin F. Shively, senior U. S. senator for Indiana, addressed about two hundred and fifty voters in the closing meeting of the democratic campaign in Jasper county Tuesday afternoon. His speech was a dignified report of the work of the special session of congress and defense of the administration of President Wilson. While the discussion of the issues was argumentative and without display of oratory it built up to the plea that the hands of President Wilson be held up by the Support of all democratic candidates, a plea that senators, representatives and all democratic speakers are making to cover up the shame of democratic extravagance and mismanagement in Indiana.

Senator Shively declared the new tariff to be just what the country needs, justified the reduction and removal of tariff on farm products by the claim that so much of the grain raised in this country goes for export and the claim that the producer would receive a reward by being able to buy at great advantage the things which he is in the purchasing market for. He told of spending his minority years on the farm and of the struggles and deprivations which were Suffered and endeavored to convince his hearers that the farmer had all of these long years been the victim of a conspiracy by which he had been systematically robbed of his just earnings .and that by admitting Argentine corn, Canadian oats and wheat, Chinese eggs and the cattle and hogs of the world, the farmer was going at last to come into his rights. While Senator Shively couched his irgument in scholarly language and used the terms pillage and exploit instead of rob he meant just what we have printed above and it is a condition Which President Taft through Canadian reciprocity sought to produce and which was the great factor in turning the gieat farmer vote against_ him. The farmer, democrat or republican, has long ago found out that protection is necessary in order that prices shall be kept dependably above the cost of production. Senator Shively may have correctly told of the struggles of the farm'when he as a boy lived on one prior to 1373, but he did not tell of such conditions under the tariff laws that gave the necessary protection during the years "from 1897 to 1913.

He praised the financial legislation, saying that sinister interests had prevented the republican majority from adopting a new plan of banking following the brief unrest of 1907, and claiming that the new law which-is to go into effect this month will solve all these troubles, prevent panics and prove a general aid to substantial industrial conditions. The country without regard to politics expects good to result from the financial legislation. All true. But the measure adopted was prinSpally framed during the last of the Taift administration and would have been passed substantially as it is by any congress that followed. Progress in trust legislation, praise for the income tax and defense of President Wilson’s (Mexican policy were expressed in terms of deep eulogy for the president and his co-workers. In fact, Senator Shively declared \ that more good, wholesome legislation had been passed at the long special session of congress than had- ever been passed before.

* At the close of his address he discussed his record in defense of insinuations which Albert J. Beveridge had made. Beveridge had said that Senator ■> Shively had missed 25 per cent of all -aye and nay roll calls, leaving the inference that Mr. Shively was loafing on the job or avoided being present when questions were voted upon. Senator Shively stated that during twelve years Beveridge was in the senate he had missed 38 per cent of the roll calls, or 13 per cent more had missed. He said that he had been given many arduous committee assignments where it was a matter of digging out the needed information and that what roll calls he had missed was during times when he was at committee work. He said that Senator Beveridge well knew .this and that his criticism was unworthy of a man in his position. He said that there was a great difference in the conception , some members of congress had oi their responsibilities and while some worked with every energy they possessed to produce beneficial results and used their power when on the floor of the congress to promote the passage of laws for the benefit of the nation, others used their position as a means of indulging in sentimentalism and in making stump speeches in order to make themselves popu-

lar. It was a very clever reply to the unfair criticism made by Beveridge. Senator Shively asked endorsement of Congressman Peterson, saying that in all matters he had stood with the president. There was some demonstration of applause at this, but Editor Babcock did not participate, sitting with the stoicism of an Indian chief. It has probably been noticed that Congressman Peterson has not been billed to speak here this fall. It is rumored that Editor Babcock defied the committee to bring him here, proposing to make a direct fight on him if he made a speech in Jasper county. Such is the hatred produced by a failure to get g postoffice. While the speech of Senator Shively may be disagreed with in i.rgument, it was one of the most dignified and instructive speeches ever made here, and in striking contrast to the speech of former Senator Beveridge. Senator Shively made only one speech in the tenth district, going from here to Knox, in the thirteenth, where he spoke that night.