Cleveland And Reform

The biggest political meeting iu this city in the past twenty four years occurrecl last Wednesöay. It was the banner display of banner democratie couutj . JSever bef ore were our streets so crowded with farmers from all parts of the couoty enthusiastic for the success of the democratie ticket. Words fail to adequately describe the demonstration. It was a propitious day, auguring a propitious democratie year. Xhe business places and houses were decorated with the national colors, red, white aud blue and everybody went out to see the large procession. The streets through whieh it passed were literally lined with people. From early morning musical strains from the many brass bands filled the air. The speakers of the day arrived on the 10.40 train and were at once escorted to their places at the head of the procession with. the city band of Ann Arbor. Following them carne the Cleveland and Thurman Guards of this city, two hundred strong, marching with military precisión, carrying fine portraits of President Cleveland and our next governor, I3urt. Follovving them was an immense floral and fruit wagon decorated in the most artistic manner by Ernest Krueger. It was the most elegant wagon ever seen in our streets. Cleveland 's and and Thurman's initials were formed artistically of apples and the peifect harmony of color and design abuut the whole wagon was markedand attracted widespread comment. The wood work was done by Luick Bros. and the vegetables furnished by P. G. Sukey. Then came Pittsfield town with an object lesson, vvorth, as the Ilon. Wm. L. Putnam aptly remarked, more than a speech. First came farm wagons loadedvith all manner of farm produce labeled "unprotected," cattle, swine, poultry and eggs, '■unprotected." Then came the farm implements which the farmer has to buy, the mowers, reapers, cultivators,plows, shovels, torks, &c, all '"protected," then followed protected stoves, dishes, hardware, lumber and the many other articles afarmer has to buy. Pittsüeld'á object lesson indicated ciearly that the farmer gets no protection while hepays heavy prices for everything he buvs in order to protect mi'lionaire manufacturers. The wagon which carried sheep ,was marked unprotected, and at the end was strung a fleece of wool marked protected, the little sop thrown out in order to induce farmers to pay nearly doublé for all they have to buy. Following carne a hickory tree, with a small dead coon hanging in a crotch by the neck, labeled, "Grandpa, I am ost." Another banner told the truth wben it stated, '"No chestnuts from Pittsfield." Then' carne the farm laborers of Fittsüeld on horseback, labeled "unprotected." In the procession rode Messrs . Ilarriaon and Morton, ot that town, carryiñg a banner, 'Ilarrison and Morton will vote for Cleveland and Thurman." The second división was headed by the Ypsilanti band and delegation, large in number, in carriages with manj and appropriate banners. Then carne the Dexter band and a big delegation on horses and in wagons from Hcio, Lima and neighboring townships. There were about fifty horsemen from Lima carrying J. X. X. Gregory's portrait. The Chelsea band and delegation headed the third división. Lehman and Gorman were represented with large portraits. One banner read "Who defended Sophia Lyous? Joün LawrenceWho paid the costs? Washtenaw county." The Northüeld hickory guards, seventy-five strong followed emphasizing its determination to remain one of the banner democratie towns, determined not to cut any man on the ticket. Following carne a flnely drilled company of Lodi horsemen, going through their evolutions. They were in full uniform and called out repeated cheers. Freedom sent a Gray Horse Guard, over sixty strong. They rode fine gray horses, gaily decked and were a fine body of young men. Manchester sent a large cavalry cnmpany on black horses f olio wi Dg and formed a marked contrast with the Freedom gray guard. The Ann Arbor township delegation was a large and enthusiastic oue. Bridgewater turned out strong. York was also present in force and many other towns with showy carriages, wagons and banners. "Tax unes uot necessities.'" 'Dou't tax workingmen and admit labor free" were among the mottoes. '-Don't, don't don't be af raid, tanff reform is not free tmde." "Four, four, four years more," were ainong the rally ing eries. The procession was several miles long aud struck terror into the hearts of the republican partisans vho had been listening to the silly claims of their leaders. The procession was well managed reflectáis; great credit upon Chairman Schuh, who got up the Riand parade, upon the eommittee ot arrangements. who did their work thoroughly, upon Marshal Walsh aud his aides who made a fine appeavance upon horseback and kept the processien in such excellent liue, upon the different towhships who had done their work so faithfully aud upon the democracy of Washtenaw who turued out en masse. The speakers of the day were Uon. Wellington R. Buit, whom we expect to greet as goveruor of Michigan when nextwesee him and Hon. William L. Putnam, of Maine, President Angeli's asaocinte on the fisheries commission. Mr. Putnam was entertained at Dr. A.ngell'8 while Mr. Burt was at ttie hotel reeeiying thoae who clesired to cali upon him. In the af ternoon an immense throng assembled on the court house lawn to listen to the speakers. So great was it that most of theni could not get within sound of the speakers voices. The bands played our uational anthem and then the president of the day Hon. C. R. Whitman introduced Mr. Burt in the following well chosen words: Fellow Oitizens- "I have the honor to introduce to you to-day our next Governor, Hon. Wellington 11. Kurt, of East Sagina w. A thoroueh Democrat in principie, he believes in the stiictest econnmy in state and national affairs. He knows that the public treasury is supplied from the private pockets of the people and that whatever restricta the unnecessary outlav of public money lessens the taxation and the cost of living and increases the material prosperity of us all . Standing at the yery portal of our magniQcent university, he recognizes that it was founded in wisdom and has been preserved as the proudest monument of a state unrivaled in her natural wealth and in the patriotistn and intelligence of her citizens. He recognizes that, to the Legislature and Govemor of the state the maintenance and preservation of this institution, which has made world wide the fame of Michigan, is a sacred and holy trust. ïhere is no truer test of the quality and character of a man ttian tlie verdict of nis immediate neighbors. I j have been in the Saginaw valley, and trom every hand I hear but onè voice, that Wellington II. Burt, the honest, capable, successful business man, who ! bas always been just and generous to his employees, kind and courteous to his associates, the man with the big brain and bisteer heart, wili go out of the valley with the mightiest niajoritv ever known in tlie history of the state. I have assuied our next Governor that while old Washtenaw with her 1,400 naajority which she gave to Grover Cleveland, has come to a noble democratie stature, she has not yet attained her prime. A fuller growth has been reserved for this year which shall witness the overthrow and death of tlie party of spoils, of sectional luite, of shametess conuption, of high taxation, of cheap whiskey and of dear clotliing, of trusts, of combines of Blaineism. The Democracy of Washtenaw alive, keen, entliusiastic, intelligent, will give a round, svvelhng 2,000 majority to aid in turning Michigan i tito the column of Democratie states for Cleveland, for Buit and for reform." Hon. W. E. Buit, as he stepped forward was greeted with such cheerïng as doubtless even he, who had beeu on a 2,500 miles stumpiug tour had not tieard the likes before. Hespoke upon the tarifl question f rom a standpoint of a business man. He said that in 1860, under the VValker revenue tarlff, the people of this agricultural state of the west had a wealth of S509 per capita, while the manufacturing states of the east had about S527. The two sections were about equal in wealth per capita. Now af ter nearly thirty years of war tariff, the west possessed $619 per capita, not deductiug tne mortgages they )wed aud themanufacturing states had ï wealth of $1400 per capita not includng the mortgages they owed. Two;hirds oE the mortgages on the property 5t the west are owned in the eastraking these into consideration, we iiave here now a wealth of only $475 per capita, while thév have there a wealth 9f over $1600. ïhey have 2jrown rich while we have actually ?rown poorer They teil us to tax ourselves for their benefit. They say the way to prosper is to tax as if a man could tax himsel rich or starve himself ! fat. It is about time for the farmers of the west to vole for themselves and their own pockets. If the tariff is so niuch of a blessing to us how did they come to loan us 8200,000,000. Thej talk of infaut industries and apply that term to infants of a hundred years. We have a revenue much larger than the needs of the government. What does the party of great moral ideas propose to do. VYhy, it proposes to take the tax off of whiskey, tobáceo aud oleomargarine and leave it ou the necessities of life. There is no civilized country that doesn't tax whiskey and totobacco. Think of a great moral party wanting free whiskey and tobáceo. Mr. Buit theu turned his attention to state taxation. In no state has taxation increased at such a rapidrate as in Michigan, In 1880 our state taxes were 805,000. In 1887 they were 31,950,000. an increase of 142 per cent. But our republlcan friends say that I am not fair, that I ought to compare a legislatiou year with 1887. U'ell take the two years 1879 to 1880, a legislativo year and an olf year and the taxes for those two years were only $8,000 more than for the one year of 1887, an iucrease of 100 per cent in seven years. Why, the taxes for four years under Alger and Luce were 305,000 more than for the thirtv years ending in 1867 and includiug the war taxes and heavy expenses incident to those years. Four years of taxation greater than thirty years. And during those thirty years there was four times as much appropriated for founding new institution including our noble universlty, as was appropnated in the past four years for founding new institutinns. Mr. Buit continued for an hour and a half giving telling blows of this description instancing bis; expense accounts sueh as $60,000 in the auditor generáis office for doing business any private business house could do for $10,000 &c. His speech was logical and convincing. Ai its conclusión, the audience broke into three cheers for Clevelmd and Thunnau, three cheers for Buit, three more for Stearns, three more for the county ticket and wound up with three cheers for Charles II. Whitman. In the evening 'Ton. Wm. L. Futnam spoke in the riuk upon the flsheries question, shovviug that the Maiue fishhermen bv their votes approved of the treaty. The meeting was so sadly ioterrupted by the young repubhcan rowdies during the earlier part that we have been prevented from an inteliigent resume of the speech. Mr. Burt followed with an address on state niatters.