The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-26


chairman Of the committee on resolu-
tons. read the report Of that COMMITTEE,
which Il as follows:
The platform praises the efficient.
economical and honest administration Of
President Cleveland. declares protection
a fraud. and, while recognizing the bene-
fit Of the reduction of duties on imports
just made by congress, favOrs such
further reduction as can be made, to the
end that purely protective duties be
abolished 1t declares that the Mckinley
law caused the business depression, re-
duced the revenue and led to the neces-
sity for issuing more government bonds.
Business failures, strikes, low wages, low
prices for farm products are enumerated
as the result of the Mckinley law. In
der the new law business is declared to
be reviVing.
I'VE dissent" says one plank from
the president views on the construction
and treatment of the silver question and
believe that silver should be restored to
the position ii occupied as money prior 10
its decentralization by the republican
party, and to that end we favor the I'M
limited free coinage Of silver at the legal
ratio of 16 to l, and with equal legal
tender power"
The platform denounces the last gen.
eral assembly Of Ohio, Governor Nc
Kinley's administration and the Ameri-
can protective association. Tt faVOrs
liberal pensions, corrupt practices law,
limiting amount OF money to be eX-
pended by candidates and a law prohibit
ing free passes on railroads.
The Minority Report.
The pIanks indorsing President Cleve-
lands administration and declaring for
free silver were each loudly chsered.
When the applause had subsidized the Hon.
Tom Johnson submitted the following
minority report, signed by six members
Of the committee:
I'VE favor the election Of United States
senators by direct vote OF the people. and
for the purpose Of practically ef1ecting
that end, we hereby direct that the demo-
cratic state central committee, In issuing
the call for the state convention for the
nomination Of state officers in the year
1885, include therein the announcement
that candidate for United States senator
will be named by sad convention. who
shall receive the support Of the demo-
cratic members of the legislature there
after to be elected
As this resolution had been discussed
and defeated in the meeting Of the COM
mittee on resolutions as an anti-Brice
measure there was considerable demon
stratiOn among the Brice men when IL
was read in the convention. Mr.. john
son spoke briefly upon the minority re-
port. He said the election Of senators by
direct vote would bring them closer to
the people and cited the case of Senator
Palmer of Illinois, who was the first
democratic senator elected in that state
since the war.
Clark Causes an UprOnr.
John ]. Clark Of Mahoning county Sc
cured the floor as soon as the applause
following Mr.. Johnson's speech had sub
sided and threw the convention into an
uproar by stating that worth and ability
were no longer required in the selection OF
United States senator's, but the main
consideration was the length of the
purse Mingled Kisses and applause al
most drowned the speakers voice. but
at intervals his voice rang out clear and
decisive. An effort to declare him out Of
order was ruled out by Chairman Hurd.
The Hon. Jesse Lewis Of Urbana asked
the convention to defer the question OF
electng United States senators by vote
of the people for one year, which was
mat with cries Of mo" mo" Cries for
Johnson brought the free trade congress-
man again TO the front and he said he
did not believe there was any occasion
for tn ill-f5 cling which seem d TO exist.
The Hon. Virgil p. Cline Of Cleveland
thought the people should be g little
nearer to the senate and there was moth
ing to prevent the people making their
wants known TO their representative
James W Seward came to the front
with an amendment to take the sung
out Of the minority report. This pro-
posed to strike out all which followed
the simple declaration in favor Of elect
ing United States senator's by direct
vote The amendm nj was strongly OPP
posed. but was adopted by a vote Of 467
to 32S. The minority report was then
made a pert Of the majority report.
The Free Silver Plank.
The frA silver plank was also the
source Of contention. Seven members
of the committee on resolutions, among
them Tom L. Johnson. Virgil p. Cline,
Frank Hurd and Congressman Pearson,
submitted the following minority report:
1--WE believe in honest money. the
coinage of gold and silver. and a circu-
lating medium convertible into such
money without loss. We are opposed to
free. unlimited and Independent coinage
Of silver at the present ratio Of Is to 1.
We favor the coinage of silver under
such legislative restrictions as will main
tain the circulation Of both gold and
silver on a parity, and we reafirm the
doctrine Of the national democratic plat
form Of 1892 upon the subject Of cur
rency and money"
As the free silver question was
switched into the discussion on the SEN
atorial matter there was little discussion
on il, the minority report being defeated
by vote Of 46s TO $40. The platform as
amended was then adopted.