The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-03
THE REAL ISSUES DEFINED
A Large Meeting of Republicans Listens
to Some Good Campaign 0ratory.
General Coburn's Position on the Equalization
of Soldiers BOunties-Prospective Corrup-
tionists Directed to the New Election Law.

Last nights meeting of the indianapolis
Republican Club was well attended, and
its handsome quarters in the Mansur Block
were flied with earnest aud enthusiastic
Republicans to listen to addresses on the
questions of the municipal campaign. Hon.
Warren G. Sayre, of Wabash, who was ex-
pected to speak, was prevented from being
present by engagements at his home. but
his place was well filed by Mayor Denny.
Frank Blackledge and A. j. Beveridge,
who made stirring speeches. that were
literally applauded.
Mayor Denny. at the beginning of his re-
marks, referred to the excellent work of
the Republican city conventions typical,
orderly, intelligent and representative
body of Republicans, that had nominated
candidates whose names were synonymous
with good citizenship, honesty, intelligence
and manly character, and whose worth and
standing even the present evening organ of
the Democracy had had occasion to indorse.
upon the latter Endorsement, for there
were few persons in the community
beside its chief director and Mr..
FrenZel, who had not been praised and con-
yet to find one Republican who had ex-
pressed dissatisfaction with the nomina-
lions there made.
Taking up the Council nominations made
by the Republican organization, the Mayor
called attention to the fact that the Re-
publican candidates now most bitterly OPP
posed by the evening Democratic organ
were those which had heretofore heen most
heartily commended by it. On Sept. 2,
1885, it had gone to the extent of advising
Democrats to indorse John r. Pearson,
the present Republican nominee
for Council In the Fifth ward. Oct. IL, of
-. 4rrn rnar - roCanfoA anx-nrf nffoaEu
upon Mr.. Pearson, stating that his term in
council had been ar exceptionally good
zone. Oct. 4. 1887, when Mr.. Pearson was
again a candidate for Council, it repeated
stating that he had attended to the inter-
ests of his district without partisanship.
Now. in this Democratic reform year, it
wants to know if it is not a shame that Mr..
Pearson should have been permitted to rep
resent his ward in ouncil for the past ten
years.
Considering the platforms of the two par
ties, the Mayor called attention to the full
and unreServed expression OF the Repub-
3icans upon all questions of municipal con-
Germ. And after thus speaking out in these
plain terms on the questions which now so
deeply interest the people, what did the
crowd of Democrats and mugwumps bring
Ing up the rear do when they met a few
days laterf They adopted a verbose docu-
E1ment, which they call a platform. consist
ling principally of meaningless generalities
clk lns tEl LII OhO AtatA tACJ
Fdeclare for good streets and in the next
jdenounce the Republican city officials for
spending money to improve them. and. by
their silence on the iiquor-tax question,
of dong away with that tax, which is the
only source of revenue that we can hope
Efor In the near future to aid us in getting
iggood streets. They s.e complain spptannsd that a;s;t the
enough. This was very surprising. 1t was
the first time this community had ever
heard that the local Democracy were
in favor of q strict enforcement of the laws.
Wehad all been led to believe, from the local
campaigns conducted in this city, w
ship and county, since the time the liquor
1eague was organized and took charge of
The Democratic organization, in 1874, that
an enforcement of the laws was the very
thing they idn't want. They have been
almost bold and defiant enough to say so,
in their platforms and public declarations.
a. a party, to say nSthing OF the the hundreds hundreds
force of the party, who boldly declare it on
the streets. Perhaps the result of the last
two city elections had something to do
with that plank in their platform this
time. 1t is simply a policy plank.
Two-thirds of the delegates who voted
for it would never have done SO if
st had been understood to be q sincere
declaration of party principles, so far as
IS q much more astonishing declaration
than tb SO in that platform said the
epeakeA, 81 refer to the clause denouncing
the present city officials for contrasting the
legislation creating a non-partlsan board of
control. so-called by them. Think of it!
Publicly proclaimlng that it was the duty
of the Mayor and councilmen to quietly
turn over the fire, and street, and engineers
departments. and the police commissioners
TO turn over the police department. to
strangers. assuming to act as heads of those
departments, under an unconstitutional
law, and that, too, without testing the
~IrIs& &C 4ha% Io-F NU.a 49,. ..4k -
declaration put in a party platform befores
If SO, i will warrant the assertion
that the party having the i~mpudence
to do it was wiped out of existence
this one will be. A party SO ignorant and
impudent as to make such a public DECLARE
fion as that deserves defeat. But the most
significant thing about the Democratic
platform is its silence on the most I'M
portant question in this campaign. refer
TO the saloOn-tax question. Their conduct
on that question was cowardly In the ex-
IRENE. Who doesn't know that they failed
they could try to play doublel And who
doesn't believe that som of their candi-
dates have been trying to make votes by
promises on bosh sides of that question:
And who doesn't know that if the Demo-
cratic party should elect a clear majority
in the Council and Board of Alder
men the $3.50 license ordinance would
be speedily repealedY The whole record
OF the party IN tulS city anu county ID IOVeS
that. Under the old law authorizing a 500
annual tax on saloons, Charley Haugh, of
the Tenth ward, was the only Democratic
member of the Council who ever voted for
an ordinance to take advantage of it, and
be was promptly left out at the next cleo
ton. When the present law authorizing
cities to go as high as $3.50 a year was be-
fore the Legislature, introduced by a Re-
publican, every Democratic Representative
from this county, except Eli Heiny (who
lives in the country, voted against the bill.
And when an ordinance was introduced by
q Republican member of the Council to
raise the tax to that limit every Demo-
cratic member of the Council and Board of
Aldermen either voted against it or pur-
posely absented himself from the meetings
TO try to break a quorum when
the votes were taken. With this
record by the Republican party on the
hquor-tax question, and the platform
adopted by its chosen representatives to
guide them, the people know what to ex-
pect, II that party is successful in this con-
test. And with the Democratic record,
and the absence of a word on this impor-
tant question IN their platform, the people
know would follow if that party
should be successful The success of the
Republican ticket means $3.50 a year from
every saloon doing business in this city,
and good streets and viaduct in the near
future; the success of the Democratic
ticket means no liquor tax and bad streets
for years to come, and even then made