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

was disappointment to large number of
people 1t was great disappointment to all
those who expected to see it go to pieces on
the important and pressing question of liquor
legislation, and these were the members of
the Democratic party who were out in force,
and their assistants, the third party men,
who have announced their mission to be "to
smash the. Republican party" This alliance
must have been sadly disappointed when they
looked upon that earnest determined, eager
body of men representing Indiana Republic
anism, and saw how they responded with such
unparalleled and magnificent enthusiasm
to the declaration of the platform
on that question. The first SEN
tence, announcing determined antago-
nism to the political influence of the
Liquor League, woke the echoes, and demon
strated the spirit and purpose Of the party.
There can be no alliance between the Repub-
lcan party and the saloon keeper who thrusts
his business into politics and impudently
claims for his traffic rights and immunities
which no other business would dare to ask or
assume. Between the Republican party and
the liquor power as political force there is
dscreed absolute and eternal divorce. No
| liquor man could have witnessed yesterday s
convention and have gone away with any
other impression than that it will be we'll for
him to take his business out of politics, and
make up his mind to obey the law. The plat
form recognizes the right of the people,
in their several localities, to invoke such
measures of restriction upon the liquor traffic
as they may deem wise. and to compel it to
contribute to the relief of local tax payers by
compensating for the extraordinary burdens it
| imposes on society. This is sound doctrine,
republican and democratic. The platform
favors laws which will permit the people to
do this; and we should be pleased to hear
| anyone make an argument against this propo
sition. In Indianapolis the Republicans have
already made one winning campaign on very
| similar proposition, and are ready to repeat
| it, we trust, with more boldness and with
greater emphasis to the overburdened tax
| payers. Our diminished assessment, the debt
pressing upon our resources, the neces
sarily increasing expenses of growing
city, demand an increase Of revenue;
and that increase of revenue, in a
just and equitable proportion, should come
/ from the liquor traffic, the evils Of which un-
questionably cause so large per cent. of a
certain class of public expenses. On that
| proposition we believe the Republicans Of In
lieve they will be in every locality in Indiana.
| Whatever may be personal views OF the pro
priety or practicability of the declaration on
the liquor traffic, no man who saw yesterdays
convention can doubt that the platform ex-
presses tho sentiments Of the Republican
party, and it was for that party the platform
was built.
On every vital principle enunciated the re-
spouse was quick and hearty. On the labor
question, the tariff, the soldier, the nom par
tisanship of management for the public insti
buttons of the State, public lands, etc.,
the convention gave expression to its views
without equivocation. On the vital, burning,
primal question of the Infamous dis
| reimbursement of all ant-Democratic voters
| in the State, the speech Of Senator
| Harrison, and the platform as we'll,
voiced the unanimous sentiment Of
the party, and should express the earnest be-
| lief of every honest man, no matter what his
party name or creed. The indictment of the
Democratic party as a prologue to the decla-
ration of principles is what makes the report
| of the committee so lengthy; but the conven-
ton had time to listen to it, and the people of
the State will have time to read if. AS Hor-
ace Greeley would remark, it contains some
| mighty interesting reaGing, and we commend
it to the prayerful consideration Of all con
cerned.
The ticket nominated is the creation of the
convention-of each and every delegate-and
an examination Of its composition will reveal
that the convention did its work wisely and
well. Colonel Robertson, at the head, retakes
the position he so we'll occupied in the can
vass of 1876, when he was the lieutenant
with General Harrison. The people of the
State do not have to be introduced to the head
of the Republican ticket. Mr.. Griffin, of
Lake, is young and popular gentleman;
Bruce Carr made the race two years
ago. and in a manner to add to
his strength and popularity, as was shown by
the vote he received Capt. ]. A. Lemcke, of
Evansville, is an elegant and cultured gentle