The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-26
POLITICS AND BUSINESS.

The following is an extract from a
Sentinel interview with Representative
Bynum:
The Republican party has always CON-
manded the support of the conservative
business interests of this country. This
lemen Is more powerful to-day than ever
before in our history. Great commercial
interests have grown up within the last
few years, involving the investment Of
millions of dollars, the operators of which
care nothing for politics. so that they can
be assured of a stable and honest admins
tration of affairs
There is nothing in the history and
record of the Republican party of which
it has greater reason to be proud than
the fact that it has always beer on the
right side in every question involving
the integrity. the honor and the credit
o fthe government, and the conservation
of sound business principles. This
statement holds true from the day of
its organization to the present time.
The present generation only knows, as
a matter of history, and can hardly
realize how vitality important were the
issues of the civil war period. They in
volved not merely the question of ma
tional existence, embracing in itself
all other and minor issues, but also
a multitude of financial questions,
going to the very essence of the
national credit and the preservation of
the great business and commercial
interests of the country. In each and
all of these great issues, and in every
| phase in which they presented them
selves. the Republican party was on the
side of the national credit and sound
finance, and the conservative business
element supported it because they
wanted ga stable and honest administra-
ton of affairs"
The war left the country with a great
debt and an inflated and deprecated
currency. Although the credit of the
government was still unimpaired it was
in a critical condition, owing to the i'm
mense debt and the uncertainty as to
how 1t would be handled. 1t became
lish a policy looking to a gradual reduc-
ton and the ultimate payment of the
debt, and it also became the duty
of Congress to provide, as soon
as practicable, for the resumption
of specie payments, which had been
suspended since 1862. The task
of graphing with these great and diff
cult problems devolved on the Republic
an party. The people looked to it
then, as they had lone during the war,
to pilot the government through the
breakers into smooth waters. What
Mr.. Bynum calls "the conservative bus
mess interests of the country" gave it a
steady and strong support. in the full
confidence that it represented ga stable
and honest administration of affairs"
The long struggle for a resumption of
specie payments was accompanied and
followed by repeated efforts to bring
about an initiation of the paper currency
of the country. 1t would take too long
to recount the history of these various
movements. but they are matters of
record. and we'll remembered by
elderly people. The greenback move
ment. the fiat money craze, and
other forms of initiation had to be
met and defeated time and again. 1t
seemed as if they were no sooner beaten
in one shape than they came mp in an
other. In every phase of this prolonged
and stubborn contest the Republican
| party was on the side of SOUND finance
and honest currency, and the Demo-
cratic party was in opposition. The
conservative business interests of the
country supported the Republican party.
So it has been on the silver question,
the tariff question. the bank question,
the internal revenue question-in short,
on every question involving business
and commercial interests. There IS no
| exception to the statement that on all
such questions the Republican party
has stood for sound finance and on
sentative business principles.
Mr.. Bynum says the element which
represents the conservative business in
terests of the country "has always sup
ported the Republican party" because,
while they care nothing for politics.
they desire "a stable and honest admin
istration of affairs" The history of
American politics during the last thirty
years shows that what Mr.. Bynum says
| is true.
RESULT OF PROTECTION.