The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-03

| lition of applause.
| SENATOR HARRIoN's SPEECH.
When Mr.. Huston presented Senator Harri-
son as permanent chairman, the convention
| greeted him with prolonged applause. He ad-
| dressed the enthusiastic audience as follows:
| Gentlemen of the Republican State Convention
| or Indiana, and Felow-citizens-I sincerely
thank you for this last expression of your conf
dence and good will. have many times before
| received expressions of your confidence and
Kindness. cannot make you any return day,
except that which have always endeavored to
| give back to you-rny own respect and confidence
and my hearty fealty to the party yoa represent
other political allegiance than that to
| the Republican party. Applause. l was
| born into my political manhood with its birth.
have followed its triumphs with enthusiasm |
| have given to its success all the powers with
which have been endowed l trust you will
| bear me witness that have not asked to be put
| on parade by my party. If there has ever been
duty so arduous suggested for my performance
| that have shrunk from its execution, l do not
recall 1t and do not think you do. Applause.
"A few weeks ago there was assembled in this
hall-flling the seats in which you sitting
"a convention representing the Democrat
prSt pirsy OF onn,t Indiana and tho think think
tial judgment of those who have looked
upon both conventions, teSt this one, assembled
here this morning. IS ma1e up of men equally
respectable. equally intelligent and equally enN
titled to the exercise of the full rights of citizen
ship. Applause. l have habit of always
understatng my propositions. you know.
Laughter and applause My fellow citizens, the
first thought that occurs to me this morning is
that this body of men assembled here to-day is
not the equal in political power in Indiana man
for man, with those who composed the late Dem
ocratic convention. We are laboring under
partial political disfranchisement The appor-
tionment for legislative and congressional pur-
nv ha Ia I)nn0crafo Leo Att
has robbed every Republican who hears me of
part of his political power. Applausc.] The
same process for disfranchisement for political
ends which has made the South solid, which has
kept the free people of Dakota from partici-
pating IN national affairs applause |, and which
has attempted by fraud to rob the people of
Ohio of their representation in the United
States Senate applause has invaded Indiana,
ana we are to-day confronting, first, the
question, how shall we recover our po-
litical equality2 Applause. l do not desire
to make a declaration of principles, but cannot
refrain from saying that the dominant control
hing and overmastering question in this campaign
in Indiana is how we can recover our political
rights. Applause. / would have you bear in
mind that this disfranchisement does not operate
only upon Republicans. 1t affects majority of
the people of the State. Democratic minority
has usurped the control of affairs The NationSJ
ais have been stripped of a part of their power,
and the Prohloitonists Also by these out
rageous acts of the Legislature, intended
to keep the Democratic party in power
against the will of a majority of the
people. Applause think we may call upon
all in this campaign to unite in an effort to re-
store an equal ballot. l say it is the first ques-
ton III the campaign, because we cannot accom-
plish our wishes in State legislation, we cannot
accomplish wishes in the House of Repre-
sentatives, at Washiy gton, until we recovar our
political rights as electors. We may desire that
State legislation shall take this form that, but
ysIos!H, we have no mo-, power power to give it any
is made equal in his political influence lap
plause. appeal then, to all, that if there be
differences as to what we severally wish to ac-
complish in the Legislature, at Washington,
we put this question to the front first and
recover our power to do anything before we di-
vide as to what shall be done [Applause.l
For twenty-five years the Democratic party
has asked to be judged upon its pretensions
flaHoghter 1T was party of pretensions 1t
made its campaigns upon declarations of what it
would do if 1T got into power, and now. for the
first time In quarter OF century, we are
able to lay its pretensions alongside Of its per.
formances. We could not discuss Democratic
performances heretofore without going back into
ancient history. Laughter Now, my fellow
citizens, what was the argument of the last
campaign! Well they said they wanted to look 2
into the books. They were sure there was some
thing wrong there The hooks have been open |
TO them some sixteen months Their most in
tellicent men, | suppose, have examined them.
and ask where-with here and
there a trifing .exception-they have dis
covered, IN the conduct of our
officials, that evidence of corruption and
maladministration in Office about which they |
talked so much. You will remember that their |
desire to look into the books related solely to the
books that had been kept by Republican off |
cials. Laughter It was demonstrated in the |
last Legislature that they did not care to look !
into the books their Democratic State Treasurer |
had kept. Laughter and applause An in |
vestgaton affecting the question of the safety |
n m UNc W
pressed in Legislature elected upon the dec |
laraton that they wanted to enter into book |
keeping. Laughter. They said they wanted to |
turn the rascals out, but have the impression |
that by some chance. the ends Of that procession
have been reversed [applause, and they are |
marching left in front. Laughter.
They said they would reduce tre surplus III
the Treasury. Mr. Hendricks, whose untimely |
death we as citizens mourn, pledged himself to |
the people of Indiana that, if the Democratic |
party were intrusted with the control of the (
national Treasury, they would distribute what |
he claimed to be an enormous and unnecessary |
surplus stored in the Treasury vaults. The |
honest Democrats of Indiana believed him |
as they had been wont to do, and doubtless, If |
the Democracy Of the West had been allowed to |
select President for their party some such pol |
icy would have been inaugurated But, as you |
know, New York captured their Convention and
aver that never in the history of the United |
States Treasury have the views of Wall street |
been SO thoroughly entrenched in the Treasury |
as they are to-day. Applause The Secretary, |
Assistant Secretary and Treasurer all |
New York men. They represent the view
of Mr.. Cleveland and of Wall street in regard to
the suspension of silver coinage. They are
greatly alarmed at the accumulation of silver. |
What have they done towards reducing the sur |
plus2 Why, my felow-citizens, that surplus
about which Mr.. Hendricks talked has been in
creased over eighty MILLIONS under Democratic |
management The money that was to go out |
among the people to stimulate industry and to |
at yvh oh had hoap foka hu
as Mr. Hendricks eoquentlY promised, has |
been boarded in the Treasury. During |
the sixteen months of Democratic administra- |
tion they have paid nearly one hundred millions |
less of the public debt than we had averaged |
every sixteen months for the four preceding |
Chayz said c.nad tiraas |