Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1888 — AN IMPORTANT CHANGE. [ARTICLE]

AN IMPORTANT CHANGE.

A Well-Known Indiaria Democratic Editor Declares tor Harrison. ! ■ j Howard lleraoer»ti« Hcmlirr at , 11m Stale Hancvolont BuaitK * . I(r]iubUcan. Mr. Howard Briggs, of Green castle, Putnam county. Is well-known throughout (ltis county and state. For' years he ‘ has Urn one of the brightest editors j among the Democrats of this state, and . for several years hits been a Democratic j truster of the state blind nsyllim. But tigs position the Democratic i»arty upon the tariff, its treatment of our oenevplent institutions and its indisposition to niiike needed reforms in tlie managcmetll of those institutions.,have porqpeth’d.. him to renounce his party allegiance/ and td"* declare himself in favor of the election of Harrison and Morton. 4 That he finds it impossible "to follow his party this yepr is noliurpri.se lo those' who have had his ncqaintance and confidence. Asa trustee of the blind asylum Mr. Briggs Iras lieen a faithful and strenuous servant of the public,- and, together with Superintendent Jacobs, has stood as a breakwater against , tire tide of corruption that has overflowed others of our public institutions under rtjhc rule of the llari ison-Sullivau gang. accession to the Republican year is simply a \U« nhßoinjiromlsing integrity as a man an<\a partisan. On .iatunlay evening (Reps. 20) bis friends and neighbors in Green castle assembled in large numbers ,to hear his for cliatigingf ms j»olitica.i faith, and, asAygs ex jxScted, he made one of the ablest addresses delivered during the campaign. .. SCANDALS AND OUTRAGES. Speaking of his connection as a Democratic tuemWriof the board of trustees of the Indiana blind asylum, Mr Briggs said: “But it is of the scandals and outrages that are of almost daily development in the penal, reformatory ard charitable institutions of Indiana, in which the (.are of the unfortunate is prostituted to purely partisan ends, that ”1 desire to speak. I will not rmdertaker nor is it necessary, to prove the truth or falsity of this or that is enough forme to know- that the abuses are inseparable from the system, and that Uke causes produce like effects. An exuenenoe of several years as trustee of the Indiana institution for the blind’ has i served to confirm and strengthen my convieti'ns on this subject. I join with my Republican friends in their demand for the application of the provisions of the civil service act to all our penal, reformatury and benevolent institutions. Tlie Republicans of Indiana stand pledged to the enactment of such a law, and a local option law as*well. I believe that they .will give us both, and I would be false to my convictions of duty to the helpless and unfortunate if I did not vote to secure those reformatory measures. [Cheers.] b 7 ' '‘Their candidate for representative from Putnam county assures me of his earnest friendship for the proposed en- ; actments. All who know Joseph B. L Sellers know that liis word is as good as j his l>ond. I am pot unmindful of tlie peculiar relations of the chief executive ! of the state to its legislative department, no less than to the public institution? for J whose proper management he is presumed to care, even if be should not be, as he ought to and doubtless will be, invested with an official responsibility therefor. Gen. Hovey, as governor, of the state, would prove false to the pledges on which he was elected if he interposed the veto power to defeat tlieir fulfillment.” [Cheers.] FAILURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. Mr. Briggs was particularly happy in liis treatment of the tariff issue. Nearly every sentence was punctuated with applause and cheers and laughter, and lie sent liis friends away with the belief that he was not only an honest man but had the courage of his cbhvietions. -Amongi other 'thingsjihesaid; —— “Cowing to questions, or perhaps I should say the only question, of national concern—a wise and just revision of the tariff, and the proper disposition of the surplus under it, I find myself in sympathy with the Republican party and its standard-bearer, Gen. Harrison. [Cheers-,] “If there is a more commanding issue than that in this canvass, I do not know what it is. It’ is enough for me to know "that the Democratic party has failed — utterly and repeatedly failAl —in its duty to the peoply who trusted it. [Cheers.] The country seeks repose from this constant and fruitless agitation. [Cheers.] It is destructive of the interests of capital and labor alike. [Cheers.]. The policy of the Republican party is clearly and unmistakably defined —that of tlie Democratic party is involved in doubt and uncertainty. [Renewed cheering.] “The New York Sim, which supports President Cleveland, and which ought to accepted as high Democratic authority, Ims lately indulged in an open confession, which is said to be ‘good for tlje soul.’ It says, ‘the Democratic party is not a free trade party; it is not a protection party; it is simply the Democratic party.’ [Laughter,] The declaration is as true as the definition is ldcid. It reminds me of the Kentuckian who managed to maintain a jiosition of strict neutrality during the war by declaring that ‘lie wasn't a Union man, and he wasn’t a Confederate —he was just nothin’, and d—d little of that.’ [Tumultuous applause. [ Therein is the weakness of the Democratic position on this question. It is masquerading either as a protection or free trade party, or else, like the Ken'tuckian. ‘it is just nothing, and d —d little of that.’ [Renewed and long continued applause. ] > \ “But m the light of its record, it will not do to say that the Democratic party is for tariff reform. Henry Watterson, Frank Hurd and Henry George assure us that the party is ‘headed in the direction of free thide.’ It is like the toper who was seen supporting himself against a church and when asked if he belonged to it, replied that he "leaned that way.’ [Laughter.] . “I object to the Mills bill because it Is in the interest of the monopolies, is sectional in character, and discriminates against the agricultural class. The declaration of a venerable Democrat, who stands high in tlie councils of his party, atid for whose learning and geumen I have the highest respect, is so pertinent in this connection that I trust I violate no confidence in repeating it. I expressed to him my belief that the party had sold itself to tlie trusts and monopolies. Listen to his reply: ‘Having granted protection to New England, said hr. ‘wo must,row protect the south.’ Tho concessions to the rice and sugar

trust- snow tt»er peculiar nature or tne favoritism in tlqj. direction. Protection j fqr rice aiuji fylt free trade in ] wool! The trusts must wax strong even though tlie lambkins go bare. The very I specious ; len by which this discrimina- ; tion is justified is not unlike the sheep thief who wiis caught with the carcass on |ps Uipk. ‘What, (lid you kill that j sheep for ?’ demanded the owner. ‘I will kill |in\body's sheep that bites me as I pass along the road.' ’’ Laughter. *