The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-25
The Ex-Representative Addresses n
Sound-NOney Audience at En-
EIfsh's Opera House.
NOW TURNS TO THE OLD FAITH
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FIATISM IS
TOO MUCH o HONEST MEN.
HI. Remarks to the Russell
exandcr humphreys, "a Prominent
Louisville Democrat, Also Speaks.

George w. Cooper, ex-Representative
from the Fifth district, spoke to an enthu-
siastic audience at English's Opera House,
last night. where he and Alexander Hum
pbreys spoke under the auspices of the
Russell Club. Mr.. Cooper Is a prominent
Democrat who is unable to swallow the
Chicago platform. His address last night
was in the advocacy of sound money. The
opera house was tastefully decorated for
the occasion. The portrait of w. f.. Rus
sell. the late Ex-Governor of Massachusetts,
the namesake of the Russell Club, of this
city. occupied a position of honor in the
middle of the stage. To the right and left
were the portraits of General Palmer and
General Buckner, the National Democratic
nominees for President and Vice President.
Suspended from the portieres of the right
and left boxes were the portraits of Jeffer-
son and Cleveland. Mr.. Cooper was re-
ceived with warm applause. and through
out his address was literally punctuated
with the cheering and applause of a sympa-
thetic audience.
The strong counter attraction Of General
Harrison at Tomlinson Hall doubtless kept
many people away from the meeting that
would have been there on any other night.
The opera house was not packed. There
were not five or eight thousand people
there, but the auditorium was comfortably
filled, and the sympathy expressed by the
frequent applause which was heartily given
the speakers showed that the crowd was a
sound-money crowd. At o'clock several
hundred members of the Russell Club
marched to the hall in q body, headed by
the When Band.
MR.. PICKENS'S INTRODUCTION.
The meeting was called to order by Sam
uel o. Piekens. In introducing Mr.. Cooper,
xubo no Sai6 waS fO aot nS the chairman of
the meeting. Mr.. Pickens said:
1T affords me the greatest satisfaction,
and l am sure it gives you great pleasure,
to have as the president of this meeting a
gentleman who has been distinguished as a
representative of Democratic principles.
The Democratic party has had no more
able champion of It's principles in the past
than the able gentleman who represented
the old Fifth district in Congress from 1888
to 1894, and he Is as elOquently and as ably
battling for Democratic principles in this
campaign as in the past. (Applause.) Like
many other Democrats in Indiana and else
where, he has been unable to follow the
combination at Chicago which repudiated
Democratic principles and enunciated in
stead Populistic principles and nominated
q Populist. The number of Democrats who
are unable. to stand upon the Chicago plat
form mas increased from day to day, and
very rapidly recently, on account or the
Populists determination that no man shall
be called a Democrat who cannot indorse
the Chicago platform.
I'VE hear a great deal about intimidation
The Populists who make the cry are The
ACtil tAHpldhoS.J IC oC-
mand of every man who has had an opin-
ion different from the Chicago platform
that he shall declare for that platform be-
fore he shall be allowed to advocate the
cause of Democracy. The last attempt at
coercion-that dastardly attempt in Ken
lucky night before laSt-haS brought over
many men to the ranks of the National
Democracy. That, was the greatest attempt
at coercion that has been known since the
time of 1860 and 1861"
Mr.. Pickens presented Mr.. Copper, who
was greeted warmly. Mr.. Cooper said it
yVaG hardly rrnhHhla that he yy01II6 have
been at the meeting had 1t not been for the
occurrence in Covington Thursday night. He
did not wish it understood, however, that
his convictions had changed since that
night. They were the same as they had
been five months ago. The mention of the
name of Secretary Carlisle brought forth
deafening applause. Mr.. Cooper referred TO
the treatment the Secretary OF the Treas
ury received at his own home as a dis
graceful blot upon civilization. Civilized
countries, he said. would remember that act
as a characteristic OF the country, and 1t
would be used as an argument against free
government. Mr.. Cooper then went into a
discussion Of some of the issues, speaking
as follows:
been a Democrat and am a Democrat yet.
1t is true that some of us SSembie here
find ourselves unable to support the noml-
nees of the regular Democratic party, and
1t Is therefore incumbent upon Us to state
in a respectful manner the reasons which
have impelled us to withhold our support
from that organization. l have always
been a strict partisan and heretofore have
been able to satisfy myself with the action
III IA lbiN
ity. / confess also 10 you that / have made
an earnest and protracted struggle to reach
that same result this year, but with what
success you can see. Early IN the prelim-
mary campaign before our State and ma
fional conventions had been held Senator
Tillman, of South Carolina, made a speech
Mt Columbus IN the opening sentence or
know whether / had any party or not. and
am not too sure whether belong to any
party or not now" that time l thought
Senator Tillman became more certain of
his position and I more doubtful ana I'M
out. He and his adventurous followers are
in full possession of the old Democratic
mansion. They have rearranged the furni-
ture and turned the faces of the pictures
10 the wall. / stayed as long as | could
place by the pleas of party regularity;
by the tender associations and memories
OF the past; by sense OF gratitude to- those
and who still remain; but, however strong
personal and party considerations may be,
81 at any time 1t can be made to appear
that above them and against them our
country's voice can be heard calling US to
the performance of a solemn duty every
honest man will agree that that voice must
be heard and obeyed.
1T has been urged that in party conven-
tions the voice of the majority must con-
troll. This is true only as to matters of
party discipline and questions of PERSONAL
preference 1t is not true as TO vital prin-
c'ples affecting the public welfare and the
national honor. A II ajority cannot make
right that which was wrong. At the State
convention, although the u~nmistakable
current seemed inevitably against the prin-
ciIles which ! believed to be sound and
lust, / yet believed that there was bone
that the party could be held together and
that there would be found room under the
ample folds of the Democratic banner for
all its faithful followers. What has oc-
CURED since sufficiently explains why that
hope was groundlesS. Who could have
foreseen all that has since occurred? Who
co'sid have dared to prophesy the scenes of
the Chicago convention. turned into an or
atorical contest, and the nomination to the
highest Office in the gift of the American
people given as a prize to noisy
defamation? Who could have fore
seen the Democratic party, the party
of Andrew Jackson. trafficking IN the open
market with its principles and kneeling at
the feet of d~isorganized discomfort as a
suppliant for favors? AS / have said, there
was rope even as late as our State con-
vention. that there might be found room
In the Democratic party for us all, Sut il
seems that from that day on the canvass
has been continually narrowed, and one
plank after another taken out of the cid
Democratic PLATFORM, until the candidate
for President has at last announced that
there is but one issue, and that all Others
are subseryient TO that, and upon THAI IS
sue alone he wishes TO go up or down. So
far as / am concerned. / have decided 10
let him go down.
JEFFERSONIAN DEMOCRACY.
when Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated
President of the United States, he an
.ounced in his inaugural address some
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