The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-01-30
THE ISSUES OF THE CAMPAIGN VS..
THE JOURNAL.

THE ISSUES OF THE CAMPAIGN VS..
THE JOURNAL.
tits a matter of wonderful significance
that the people of Indiana were never more
intensely aroused than at present. This
earnestness is serious and deep seated. 1t is
defiant and aggressive. Having its source in
every cottage, farm house, hamlet village,
town and city, it firds its way, like the trib-
utaries of the Mississippi, until in a mighty
stream of thought it rolls along, sweeping
away every obstacle by its resistless force.
Those who can not see the current are blind,
those who can not hear its voice
are deaf, and those who refuse TO
heed its warnings are fools. The
currents of trade have been blockaded,
the sources of wealth have been dried up.
Some doubly damned fiend has touched the
industries of the country, and they have
been hushed as if struck by thunderbolts,
and have disappeared as if swept away by
lava tide. Men of wealth and enterprise,
who sought to develop the grand resources
of the country by giving employment to
laboring men, have seen their fortunes and
their business slip from their grasp, while
they have been pushed along the highways,
by unseen forces, to a bankrupt court. to
join the wrecks that line the business strand
as monuments of the curse of contraction
and other vicious measures enacted in
the interest of the money power. From
scenes of labor and thrift, contentment and
abundance-when millions of busy hands
We'd with each other in making merry
music, when the plowmah's song blended
with the ring of the anvil, the click of the
shuttle and the roar of the forge made
grander music than was ever extracted from
the exalted composition OF the masters
there came a silence so profound that every
one recognized it as the tranquility of bust
ness death. There was food, but no employ
ment Starvation came, and its victims suf-
fered in full sight of boundless abundance.
Homes once full of light and joy became
desolate and abandoned and the demand for
work and bread deepened in its solemnity
until it rose to the cruel accents OF wall
and went circling over the land. While
such scenes were transporting among the
masses the Shylocks were demanding their
pound of flesh, and with the cruelty OF tigers
were slashiDg at the very heart of the people
and bleeding the country to death. Strange
to say the Shylocks entered the national
halls of legislation, and representatives and
senators bowed down like slaves in their
presence and did their bidding. Specie re-
sumption was demanded and enacted, and
then came the siracco curse of con-
traction. The bondholders demanded a
revocation of their contract with the
government and in obedience to the demand
new burdens were added to q suffering,
bowed and pleading people. Not conten t
with inaugurating these curses, the demone-
tization of the silver dollar, the coin of the
fathers, and the dollar of the contract, WAS
demanded, and the measure was swIndled
through congress. While these measures
were being perfected the agonies of the
people were increasing. Failures increased,
idlers multiplied, poverty occupied wider
domain, the currents of business flowed more
sluggishly, confidence fled the marts Of
trade. crime increased everywhere. and
prisons overlooked with felons. Notwith-
standing these curses, the Shylocks would
not recede from their advanced positions and
their strongholds, and the night of business
grew blacker. Now, then, WHAT One OF tie
grand issues of the campaign in Indiana is
the repeal of the resumption law, that con-
traction may cease and foothold be obtained
which will enable the people, in some meas
ure at least, to roll back the tide of adversely.
This the Shylock Journal opposes. 1t pleads
| for more business graves. As sexton OF the
bankrupt court it is ready to dig them for a
| fee. Another issue of the campaign is
the reconciliation of silver, the passage
of the Bland bill, free coinage and unlimit
ed legal tender. This measure, il is believed,
will aid business to rise from its prostration,
and Indiana demands ITS passage. The
Journal, true to its allegiance to the Shy
locks, opposes the measure, and demands
that the will of the people shall be reversed
by veto. 1t has massed its jackass power
and kicked at the people continuously for
weeks past. 1t has brayed in the interest OF
Shylocks, but il has not hushed the voice oil
the people. On the contrary, the more II
kicks and brays the more rapidly
do the people come focking to the
! democratic party. At last driven