The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-27
Address Of Mr.. Goodwin,


Address Of Mr.. Goodwin.
mrades-Forty-fou years ago when these
bald heads were covered with glossy hair, and
these white locks were raven or auburn we took
an active part in that great popular uprising
which hurled an incompetent and corrupt party
from power. Only those who were eyewitness
es of, and personal sufferers from the caamities
which Democratic policy and dishonesty had en-
tailed upon the Nation can understand why that
movement partook so much of the nature of
revolution. Irredeemable currency and uni
versal commercial disaster and official corrup-
ton had so aroused the Nation that they put the
seal Of popular condemnation upon their au-
thors with such an emphasis that the campaign
has passed into history as the most memorable
epoch in our national life except only that other
popular uprising, the campaign of four years
duration in the tented field. and for
the same purpose-to rescue this
Nation from the hands Of the
Democratic party Deceived by John Tyler
born Democrat, wearing for the occasion the
livery of Wing, we were betrayed, and for
twenty years more the Democratic party had
undisputed sway. Forty-four years ago, under
the leadership Of the Websters the Clays, the
Corwins and the Henry S. Lanes of that period
peaceful ballots were sufficient to overthrow the
corrupt party but twenty years more of rule
had enabled it to strike its roots so deep and to
spread its branches so wide that it took four
years of bloody conflict and the loss of million
lives and untold millions of wealth under the
leadership of the Grants and the Shermans, and
Inc ln0naSeS, OF q later period, TO again rescue
this Nation from the clutches of the identical
party that we had rebuked when, in the hey-day
Of our youth we voted for Tippecanoe and Tyler
too and sung the campaign songs of that
period. Into this later campaign, in middle
life we went ourselves or sent our sons
and were rewarded with seeing the Democratic
party once more routed horse, foot and dragon;
and we hoped that it had passed forever from
American politics; but we are called upon to-day
20 again confront it Young people who know
of this party only as they read or hear of it can
not possibly appreciate the calamity it would be
10 allow such party to again take the reins of
government; and it is not strange, therefore,
that some of them listen with complacency to
the appeals of Democratic politicians for
change, as though change meant merely the
turning out of one set of officers and the putting
IN Of another; and they may imagine that the
whole history Of the Republican party is one
continued chain of disastrous mistakes and cor
ruptions; but to us who remember what the
Democratic party of twenty-five and forty-ive
years ago was, and into what straits their
oolicy led the country, the bare possibility
of its return to power is a matter of the most
serious concern; for we see it advocating the
exact line Of policy which then proved our ruin
and led by the same Hendrickses, and Seymours,
and Toombses, and Reagans that headed it then
The younger Democrats, who have taken the
place Of those who have died, are filed with the
animus of their fathers so that the Demo
cratic party of to-day is identical in flesh and
Il spirit,t body and in mind, with the party
that we confronted first in 1910 at the polls, and
again in 166l-65 at the point Of the ,bayonet
To this party is now opposed the Republican
party, the antagonist of that political dogma
which converted everybody in the South into
Democrat in defense Of slavery, and the line of
policy incident to slave labor.
Assuming, however, that the special mission
Of the party with which we are proud to coop
crate is to please that portion of mankind which
chooses still to be known as the Democratic party,
and small remnant" who pose as goody-goody
people, little too good for earth and not quite
good enough yet for heaven, it has abundant oc-
casion to sing by day and by night:
THE mistakes Of my life have been many
And they come to me more and more"
For that matter, in their opinion, it was mis-
take in the divine economy that such party as
the Republican was ever permitted to exist at
all; and it is but justice to say that all Demo
Gratis did what they could to prevent its seeing
che light, and after Its birth they did their best
to strangle it in its helpless infancy What
could not be done by words and votes
at no time before the war was there such
thing known where shotguns, ropes and tar
could prevent it. Not even tho mails. under the
management of the Democratic party of twenty
five to thirty years ago, were allowed to carry
Republican papers into the sacred precincts Of a
solid Democratic South, much less were Repub-
lican speakers and voters allowed to live there:
and after resort to such violence, it was
stock argument against this STRIPPING that it
was sectional party, known only in the North.
The South was solidly Democratic then as now
and made and kept solid then, as now. by every
possible species Of terrorism 1.-THE shotgun and
social ostracisn. But having attained its ma
iority this young party signalized its first ad-
vent into public life by huge mis-
take. The world woke up one morn
ing and found Abraham Lincoln elected
President in spite of shotguns in the
South and every species Of defamation and
personal detraction in the North. To prove
that this was a mistake the Democratic party at
once determined to set up for itself The Demo-
Gratis Of the solid South organized Democratic
confederacy Of its own, while detailed Democrats
of the North laid wait to assassinate the usuper.
Lincoln, when on his way to Washington. and
Mr. Hendricks advised the Democrats of Indiana
to let New England 20 to- heaven while we
united our fortunes with the great Southwestern
Confederacy. But New England didn't go to
heaven or elsewhere. and Indiana stayed in the
Union, Notwithstanding that speech and the
subsequent organization of band of
Democrats, armed and ofiicered for the purpose
Of carrying out the suggestions Of Mr. Hendricks
And forthwith this Republican party began to
show its iucompetency by mistake When the
new Nation, composed wholly of Democrats, and
embracing the brains Of the party, began to as
sert its sovereignty by firing upon the flag, Mr..
Lincoln committed the biunder Of calling out
5000 volunteers to protect that flag Every
Democrat in the South and nearly every Demo
GRAFT in the North pronounced that mistake.
1t was, in their judgment, clearly unconstitu-
tional. few months later, when it became
necessary to borrow money TO feed and cloth
THESE 6OlulSfSf Cne hepuDiLc1n party proposed 20
appeal to the people for funds instead Of going
into the money markets of the world IN
which, less than six months before, the
bonds Of the government, in a time Of profound
peace, could not be negotiated at less than
~ per cent. That was mistake, accord
ing to every Democrat Ia arms and IN
Congress, for every one in Congress voted
against it. When, \ few months later the
Democrats in arms refused to scare at the pitt
FIJI array Of II, 600 volunteers, while the Demo
Gratis in the Indiana I,eRisiatflre were doclarinp
that there was no authority in the Constitution
for c0ercing sovereign States and that any Abo-
lition army that attempted to march onto the
sacred soil Of Kentucky with such an intent
should march over the dead bodies of Democrats,
fdr Lincoln began to call for more
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