Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1894 — THE CAMPAIGN. [ARTICLE]

THE CAMPAIGN.

Looks Like It Will be a JugHandle Affair. The Republican Tear. Indianapolis Journal. “I do not believe that the politicians fully appreciate the situation in this State,” said j a Republican "whose business takes him among the people in the manufacturing towns. “They cannot unless they go among the people, and particularly wagejearners in all lines. There has been a revolution in sentiment. I everywhere meet men who voted for Cleveland two years ago who are anxious for the day to come when they can vote for a Republican candidate for Congress. Every day I meet men who declare that they have cast their last Democratic vote —not one here and there, but many. If men openly make such declarations, what will hundreds of the silent men do in the privacy of the .voting booths? I have put the Republican plurality in Indiana at 30,bOO, and every day confirms me in the opinion that it will reach that figure. You know that I was not a hopeful Republican in 1892, and it was because I mingled with the same people who are now so decidedly heading toward the Republican party, and then they were in doubt. Then they were listening to theories; now they know. The man whose wages have been reduced from $1.50 to $1 a day is in no frame of mind to be treated with more theories. He has just two facts in his mind, which are that he had full wages under Republican rule, and that he has lost one-third of his wages and full employment under Democratic rule. He will stay Republican until he gets his wages back. No, I will Indiana less than 30,000. Nor would you if you could hear what I hear on my trips.” How Veterans Were Cheated. Indianapolis Journal. At the time of the National Encampment of-the Grand Army in Washington, in September, 1892, the Democratic outlook was disheartening. It was there ascertained that the bulk of the veterans in the North were in the Harrison column and, tliat thousands of. veterans who had been Democrats were likely to vote for Harrison. What could be done? That was a question which a few Democratic politicians, some of whom were veterans, wrestled with in a secret meeting during the Encampment. As the result, it was agreed that a secret personal effort was to be made to bring Democratic veterans back into the Cleveland line. A movement was made to organize a “Veterans’ Tariff Reforip League.” Circulars were sent out from a New York headquarters, in one of .which there was a headline, “The Right to Pensions in Regarded as a Con tract. ” In one of these circulars the following questions were put in bold type. “Can the Government, if it desires, repudiate the right to a pension? Can the payment of a pension be avoided? Are they not in the nature of a contract between the people and the pensioner, which continues during the life of the benefi-

Tl'iese questions were followed by opinions to the effect that a pension is a contract. Then, in black type, came the sentence: “No pensioner need have any fear that his pension will be taken away.” To make assurance doubly sure, the final declaration is made in, these words: “A pension is a contract, and because thereof, during life, a vested right. No, no. ' The country is safe—the pensioner too —with Mr. Cleveland." •With this circular in hand active Democrats in nearly every township in Indiana saw and convinced every wavering veteran of Democratic antecedents that Mr. Cleveland was, in fact, as staunch a friend of the pensioner and the veteran as was General Harrison. By this means several thousand votes were secured for Mr, Cleveland. Mr. Cleveland permitted these to be made, and then, when he came to select members of his cabinet he fell upon a sectional and natural foe of the Union soldier for the department in which is the Pension Bureau. One of the first acts of Secretary Hoke Smith was to repudiate the theory that a pension is a contract by assuming, in an executive order, that all of 300,000 pensions, under the act of June 27, 1800, were illegal ?.nd void, and to set a board selected or the object to review them for the purpose of suspension. Commissioner Lochren has informed the House that a pension is not a contract, and if the country had not rebuked the suspension of pensioners it would not have ceased when thirteen thousand had been dropped but would have gone on until the larger part of the 300,000 had been cut off. In this State, by far the larger part of those pensioned under the law of 1890 were Democrats, because Democratic Congressmen pushed their Claims, consequently two-thirds of those dropped are men who voted for Mr. Cleveland. Democratic Conmay restore them, but they cannot again fool Indiana veterans as in 1892. Clinnjfo In Hawaiian Policy* Cji’OffO luter-bcean. The news from Washington is cheering. President Cleveland has learned that there is an American sentiment that effort on the part of the administration for the

protection of the American interests in all parts of the world. -It is one of the yery many inconsistencies of President Cleveland that while he is so ignorant of the trade and commerce of the United States as to talk "about “our narrow home market,” which is the best and largest market of the world, and to advise neglect of it while undertaking the quest of markets with poverty-striekeu Asiatics, he has been the most neglectful of all Presidents in maintaining the only means by which the foreign markets which he covets can be gained. We had a favorable commercial treaty with Hawaii; under Mr. Cleveland’s administration it is ordained that this treaty shall be abrogated. We had favorable commercial agreements with Germany, France, Italy, Brazil,. Cuba; under Mr. Cleveland’s administration it is; ordained that they they shall be set aside. “Lose what you have, and try to get something of less value” seems to be the Domocratic policy, both as to home and to foreign trade. Foreign commerce is carried in ocean-going ships; the Democratic policy denies the United States -a merchant marine by which foreign goods may be imported to and domestic goods exported from this country. A merchant marine needs coaling places and harbors of refuge. The. Democratic policy has been .to neglect to acquire control of new harbors in foreign lands and relinquish those that have been acquired during Republican administration. This country had gained a coaling station and port of refuge at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. Mr. Cleveland, after doing all that he could to provoke a quarrel with the Hawaiian government, which had it come to pass, would have lost to us control of this valuable property, has been compelled- by stress of public opinion to change his policy. A large sum is to be spent at once upon works at Pearl Harbor, with a view of making it in fact as well as in name a port under protection of the United States. The President has been for twelve months past in possession of funds for the beginning of this important work. His delay in ordering its expenditure already has resulted in loss to trade, and may have led toward political complications that may cloud our title to the harbor. But as it is never too late to begin to do well we commend President Cleveland’s tardy resolution to complete the work so wisely beguu by President Harrison. Senator Morgan’s scheme for a tariff commission would undoubtedly settle the tariff question-on a protection-to-trusts basis. —Sentinel. We do not credit the report that President Cleveland is satisfied with the Senate tariff bill. President Cleveland is a tariff reformer. —Sentinel. - ' - - -