The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-04
THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.


Republican convention was ''tricked" in the
matter of the temperance plank IN the plat
form adopted; that the convention was "hood-
winked," and that substitute which was to
| be offered, was 'tsquelched." That such
charges should be made by the Democracy
and by third-party men occasions no sur
prise, but that they should find echo and
favor with men of presumed fairness Is
matter Of establishment. The city OF
INDIANAPOLIS never saw more intel
! ligent body of men than that sit
ting in Tomlinson Hall on Thursday.
They were all, from one end of the
State to the other, intently eager as to the
platform, and particularly so as to the plank
on the question Of liquor legislation. Every
observer agreed to this, both before and at the
time Of the meeting The platform was re-
ported from committee composed of men
of at least fair intelligence and character
men like Hon. r. W. Thompson, Hon. D.
P Baldwin, Hon. j. G.. Berkshire, Judge
Odds, Judge O. w. Voorhis, whom the Repub
lican party deemed worthy of a nomination
for Supreme Judge; Colonel Simeon Stansifer,
Judge Kane, ex-Congressman Cowgirl, Hon.
A. r. Twyman, Mr. NJ. G. CARRIER Hon. Eu-
gene Bundy and Hon. j. P. Creed. It is a
serious charge to bring against such
men that they delibe rately entered into
a conspiracy to "trick" and ''defraud" the con-
to say that they did not understand plank,
every phase of which had been under debate
in the committee for many hours. To say
that the convention was hoodwinked is like
wise an imputation on its intelligence The
mind Of each member was alert and eager
The frstsentence Of the plank-the declaration
against the Liquor League-evoked the full
est applause, which was continued unchecked
A second reading of the resolution was de-
manded, and we venture that no part of the
days proceedings had more careful or intelli-
gent consideration.
stitute report, signed by Mr.. Bundy, of the
Sixth district, and by Judge Kane, of the
Ninth, was "squelched, in tie offensive sense
| in which that word is used, is more Of an in
suit to them than to anyone else The com
nittee came into the hall with two reports
the majority report agreed to by eleven mem
ba1,d on1 hhn ,hafs4 Y,{a hxy% ho %xun t1a
men named. These two members knew the
terms of the majority report, as well as their
own, thoroughly. They had exhaustively
discussed the two planks When the reading
of the report was completed, the chairman of
the committee informed Senator Harrison
that a substitute was to be offered, and called
several times for Mr., Bundy, who was to pre-
sent it. He was not on the platform,
but-as afterward developed-had gone to
the Sixth district delegation when the ap-
plause upon the reception of the majority
report was so remarkable and unanimous, and
was instructed by his constituents not to pre-
sent his substitute. The Sixth district dele
gates had had the resolution submitted to
them in the morning, not later than half past
9 o'clock, and they knew its language pre-
cisely. When Mr. Bundy said the majority
plank was accepted by his people and he
would not present his substitute, the chair
man asked Judge Kane whether he wished to
present it, and that gentleman said no-that
his friends were satisfied with the ma
jority plank. They had witnessed the
satisfaction and enthusiasm with which
the convention received it, the applause being
led by Colonel Cumback, who knew what the
plank was, who had read it and studied it
before, and who had had hours to make up his
mind about it, This hearty enthusiasm, and
this only, was what ''squelched" the minor
ity substitute. The honorable gentlemen
who came into the hall with it were invited to
present it, and they voluntarily declined to do
borne out by every member of the committee,
and by many gentlemen of the convention
! VINO had been consulted as to the terms of
the resolution, and knew precisely it's Ian
guage and purpose. 1t is an infamous outrage
to honorable gentlemen to charge them with
''trickery," or ''hoodwinking," as it is an in
suit to the intelligence of the convention to
say that it was ''bamboozled."
It will be we'll to remember that last Thurs
days convention was Republican conven-
ton; not a local-option convention per Sc, nor
a high or low-license convention; not Prohi-
bition convention-indeed, no other kind of
convention than convention of the Repub-
| lican party 1t was a convention of men that