The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-24
The shiel Convention.

10 the Editor Of the indianapolis Journals
do not wish to do any man wrong how
ever Insignificant he may be, nor would know.
ingly throw straw in the way of good cause;
but l would, on all occasions, defend the right,
and never more earnestly than when the right is
likely to suffer by the bad management of its
unwise friends. It is for the reason that the
cause of prohibition is likely to be seriously
damaged by the course of a few who are in po-
Esition to do it harm that the writer has insisted
that the convention called by Mr.. Shiel should
be for the discussion of the question
Of a separate political organization, and
not for arbitrarily putting ticket in the field.
Through courtesy to Mr.. Shiel, and his very few
manipulators. his claim of authority to call such
convention has been hitherto allowed to go
unchallanged, but it is only through courtesy
He has no such authority, and never had except
his own sweet will Allowing the call upon
which he assumes such authority to have been
signed as he alleges, by 80 900, or five times the
number it confers no such right or duty. The
following is the full text of that calls
Editor Monitor-Journal:
You are hereby authorized to append our names to
. call for convention to nominate State ticket on
the prohibition platform provided none OF the exist
ing parties adopt prohibition issue and nomi-
nate ticket in favor Of it.
This speaks for itself. A convention was to
be called to nominate, provided none Of the
existing parties adopt prohibition as an ISSUE
and nominate a ticket in favor of it" What
are the factsY Neither the Republican
nor the Democratic party complied with these
conditions, but the Greenback party did, to a
dot Both its platform and the personelle of
the ticket must be satisfactory to the most
radical prohibitionst; yet in the face Of this Mr.
Shiel issues his ukase converting the very men
who had prescribeda condition under which they
were not to be convened. Mr.. Shiel, and those
who back him. dare not say that the Greenback
party is not an existing party 1t has existed
For years and at times and in some places, has
been inconyeniently numerous. 1t has all the
autonomy of national party, with its organiza.
tion running through every department. Of the
political field, from an electoral ticket to town
ship organization. Why ignore It'll If the CON
vention which meets to-day under the
banner of Mr.. Shiel is composed Of the men
who signed that call, they can do nothing less
than to pass q vote of censure for the expense
they have been put to- and resolve that, accord
ing to the true intent and meaning OF the call
they will vote with the Green hackers this year.
This would make mess of strange bed fellows
but the blunder was in signing such a call
Whatever Mr.. Shiel may have meant by the
phrase existing parties, it is fair to assume
that che signers of the call could read and I'M
derstand the plain English of the document
they signed They never meant to put ticket
In the field on the prohibition issue if any lex
listing party would declare in favor of prohibit
lion. It is only macontents, bent on mischief
or those who have personal ambitions to graf
ify, or supposed wrongs to be avenged that are
In favor Of separate ticket