The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-16

tacts TO which we have listened. He then dis.
missed the audience. About the hotels the
success of this, the formal opening of the cam
paign, was the talk of the hour.
Senator Harrison's Speech.
Fellow citizens-This is what we are wont to
call an 'off year" in politics. It is taken for
granted By many that because neither Presi-
dent nor Governor is to be elected, the cleo
tion and its results are of small Importance.
This is not true. The House Of Representatives
of the Fiftieth Congress is to be chosen and the
Fifty.fifth General Assembly of the State of
Indiana The men who are to be the admins
traitors of those vast sums of money collected
from the people for local and State uses are also
to be selected The interests involved are great
and should enlist the active and intelligent in
terest of every voter. An off year, indeed, has
this advantage-it is favorable to quiet discus
sion and free thought-local interests and issues
are not overshadowed. The voter is not STAN
peded by brass bands, bonfres and torchlight
professions. What I shall say tonight and
throughout the campaign will be addressed to
the judgment and not to the passions of men.
What l shall say of individuals will have rela-
tion solely to their public acts; what shall say
upon public questions will be spoken in spirit
of liberation towards those who hold other views.
In the brief remarks submitted by mo
at our recent State convention. | said that
for twenty-five years the Democratic party has,
in national affairs been party of promises ard
pretensions, of criticism and obstruction. 1t
has appealed to the country, not upon the basis
of things done-it begged for oblivion as TO these
but OF things to be done. For the first time.
since the weak and affrighted Buchanan laid
down executive control, we are in position
to contrast Democratic promises with Demo
cratic performances in the executive branch of
the government. In the campaign of 1884 it was
charged by Democratic leaders that the Repuh-
llcan party had become corrupt, and had, in GER
tain important particulars, mismanaged public
affairs.
DEMOCRATIC PROMISES
l do not think can open this campaign
more proitably than by carefully comDaring the
Democratic professions and promises of the last
campaign with the performances of President
Cleveland and the Democratic majority in the
House of Representatives On the lst day of
September. 1884, the Democratic campaign was
opened at Indianapolis. by sneech from Hon.
Thomas a. Hendricks, the candidate of his party
for the vice presidency. He has since been LAID
to rest in our beautiful cemetery, with imposing
houors His party mourn in mis- death an ac-
knowedged leader His utterances, therefore.
may be accepted as authoritative expression of
the complaints urged against Republican admin
istration, and of the reforms to which his party
stood pledged. Mr.. Hendricks said:
In speech recently made at Richmond Mr.. Calkins.
the candidate for Governor boasting of the achieve
ments of his party made the statement which adopt
without examination that the Republican party found
empty Treasury. ana now it has surplus of four
hundred millions. THAT" said Mr.. Hendricks SIS an
enormous sum of monev-more. l believe, than half
the paper currency of the country. Estimating our
population at fifty millions, it is So for each mar,
woman and child. That great sum of money lies Idle
in the Treasury If it had been left with the people
it would become the willing and active servant of la
Dor; it would stimulate and strengthen DID, and de.
veop industries it would restore to the merchant
hJc dcixva
OF course, it is not true that Major Calkins
ever stated, or meant 20 state, that there was
surplus in the Treasury of four hundred
millions. He spoke in round numbers of all the
funds in the Treasury. But / appeal 10
friends in both parties whether the most poten-
tial charge against the Republican party in that
campaign was not that there had been accumu-
lated in the Treasury a large and needless sur
plus the boarding of which exercised depress.
ing influence upon the business of the country.
The suggestion that this so. called surplus
amounted to eight dollars per capita of our
population was cunningly used by some un-
scrupulous orators as to excite the expectation
that distribution upon that basis would be
promptly made tho moment the Treasury passed
under Democratic control If ever party was
distinctly and soiemnlv pledged to any public
duty, If ever a trust accepted upon condi-
ton, the Democratic party was pledged, by it's
leaders in the West, TO reduce the surplus in the
Treasury
On the 4th day of March, 1885, Grover Cleve-
land, himself New Yorker and imbued with
the most extreme New York views of finance,
appointed AS his Secretary of the Treasury Hon.
Daniel Manning. and rs Treasurer Hon. Thomas
Jordan. both, also, of New York. Both of these
gentlemen came to the exercise Of their public
duties from behind the counters of national
banks. do not say this to their prejudice, but
much has been said by Indiana Democrats. and
is already being repeated in this campaign about
Republican "subServieucy to the money power
and yet the latest platform expression of that
party indorses the administration. / must sup
pose they like this feature Of it, and mention
it for their edifcation. The law in force when
President Cleveland was inaugurated, and still
in force relating to the surplus was Section q Of
the act of March 3, 1884, and reads as follows:
The Secretary ofsthe Treasury may at any timo
apply the surplus money in the Treasury not other
wise appropriated. much thereof "a he may
slider proper, to the purchase redemption of the
United States bonds
Under this law the Treasury had been admin.
istered by Republican Secretaries. 1t will be
noticed that the discretion vested in the Secre-
tary is unrestricted Secretary Manning was
therefore at liberty at once, by large and re-
peated bond calls, to pay out and put into the
channels of trade and commerce every surplus
dollar IN the Treasury. It is certain that tho
Democrats of Indiana and of the entire West,
regarded the administration as pledged TO this
duty. / must believe that they still think that
the policy of boarding a large surplus, not
needed to meet the current obligations OF the gov
ernment, or to preserve its credit is bad policy
and one that tends to cripple the industries Of
the country. And yet, the policy of this admin
istration has been steadily and very largely TO
increase this surplus and the Democratic leaders
of Indiana have ln their platform this year asked
the honest and thinking voters Of the State
to indorse that policy. Is it possible that these
leaders suppose the people have forgotten their
a1aIe keilS Sa