Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1894 — A KEY NOTE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A KEY NOTE.

Ax-President Harrison Starts the Music for ’94. UpnbUew Ham Meeting n Tomlinson Hall, IndlanapolU. A Republican mas 9 meeting was held ai Tomlinson Hall, Indianapolis, Tuesday vening, as a finale to the Lincoln League’mniial convention. A good audience was iresent in spite of the extremely unfavortbie weather. Groat enthusiasm prevailed, and all present were imbued with ho spirit of the victory alleged to be waiting for the Republican party next all. Shortly after 8 o’clock President Sulzer appeared on the platform with exPresident Harrison, who was received with the greatest enthusia-m. After some brief preliminaries, President Sulzer introduced the ex-President In a fitting

speech. Upon coming forward General Harrison was given an ovation. Waiting until the storm of applause had passed, he spoke as follows: Mr. President u.id Fellow-Citizens— There are some people who hold that an ex-President should be a political deal mute. [Laughter.] Ido not accept that theory. A man who has been honored by his fellow-citizens with the highest civil place in the Government ought-net tc have less interest in those tilings that concern the prosperity and happiness oi the people or the glory of the country than he had before he took the ollice. [Applause.] Upon S’Mtablo occasions, when it is agreeable to the people and convenient to mo. I shall feel at liberty to address my fellow-citizens. The present condition of our country is not one of prosperity. Wo wero recently prosperous; and the recent prosperity was not due to any man, but to a great policy that had been put into law and long malnia ne 1. The present distress whicli we enjoy [laughter] is not due to any man, ut, as 1 think, to the imminent threat of a reversal of the old policy and the institution of a now one. [Applause.]

1 am not one of tho ancient landmarks but my memory easily runs back to a time when Thomas A. Hendricks and Joseph E. McDonald were representative Indiana Democrats. I have heard my csteemod and lamented friend, Mr. McDonald.-ex-pound the Democratic views of tho tariff 110 said that it was tho accepted principle of the Democratic party that the expenses of the gov< rnment should be raised by customs duties and that it was propel and right thafin laying these duties they should be imposed upon such articles and In sncli a way as to givo incidental i rotoction to the American manufacturer and laborer. That was tho old Democratic doctrine. If it wero applied now-*-if Hit Wilson bill had been constructed on tlios* lines—it would not have been so hurtful because tho present necessities of the government are such, the demand is for sc so large a sum to meet our annual expenditures, that if this sum were flow.to .be. cdile‘ctc;u fay customs duty. and those duties imposed by men who had no theoriei to exploit, and who wero sinceroly friendly to tho American manufacturer and laborer, wo might get along pretty well. (Abplauso.) Wo used,to hoar a great deal about the war tariff and tho war taxes. They wore onerous in tho extreme; thoy searched out every source of revonue, foreign and internal. The tax gatherer lajd his claim upon every man and upon all property. Hut so soon as tho government had recovered itself from the stress of the war Republican Congresses entered upon the woric of removing those war taxes. I well remember while I was in tho Senate the passage of a bill repealing tho law imposing stamp dut’es upon patent medicines, perfumery and such like articles. It left remaining »f the internal tax only the duties on whisky, heer and tobacco. And now. by thoso who have so often and sc vigorously denounced war taxes, we are invited to use some methods of taxation that have been generally thought by the whole people to be such as were t.i be used only in time of war. What is the explanation of this? Is it that duties cannot be so laid as to raiso the necessary revenue? Not at all. It is that there are thoso who are not willing that even the incidental protection that results from tho collection of tho revenue necessary to the support of the government shall goto the benefit oi the American manufacturer and laborer. [Applause.] Whether we are right in thinking that this threat of a severe reduction in the customs duties Is the cause of the present distri st or not is a question to which the attention of these Lincoln League clubs miirhfc profitably be given. Tt would be we'l if.-fn vour meetings, this nnrs’ion were look d into, and the root of all those inlluences that have brought about tho present condition of things were dug out, if nd examined. The Republican theorv has been all along that it Mas rieht.to so legislate as to give work, employment, comfort to tho American workman. We believe that tho National Government has a dnt.v in this respect as well as the city council and hoard of conntv commissioners [applause]; and that that duty fa hest discharged by so legislating that American mills can keep their fires going. [Applause.] Other speeches wero made by Hons. Titos. H. Nelson, S. N. Chambers, and Col. Frank Posey.

BENJAMAIN HARRISON.