The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-14
GEN. sICKLEs,s SPEECH.
This General, IA Lifelong Democrat,
Speaks to the Soldiers.
Gen. Daniel q. sickles. at the TomlIn

/ Gen. Daniel E. Sickles at the Tomlnson
Hall meeting, spoke as follows:
Mr. Chairman and Comrades. Fellow
countrymen-It is quite true, as you have
| already heard, that my infirmities, super
added to the fatigue of a long journey
| through nearly all the Western States,
make 1t difficult for me to offer any ex-
| tended remarks either here or elsewhere
| Tonight. | have to-day and yesterday adj
| citizens of Indiana from morning till night
we have been welcomed in many parts Of
| and the addresses that my colleagues and
| myself have had the pleasure OF making
] have left all enfeebled in body. but
| greatly strengthened in hope, in confidence.
! in belief that the voice of Indiana, when
heard. will be like her voice in 1864. and 1868
and 1872. when the great issues OF the war
| were at stake, and when her patriotism
was called upon to prove her allegiance
and her loyalty to those principles, and to
] the men who represented them
/ Il am glad to know / insisted upon COM
! ing to this hall first. because | was told
| here would meet your veterans and sons
| of veterans. (Appiause.) My first duty as
| citizen is to them. Applause) Their
| friends are my friends; their enemies are
my enemies. If it be in my power to guide
| them by reason of any experience ] have
pleasure plea TO to DO SO. They Know every SOL
der knows who knows anything about me,
that l never asked a soldier his politics.
not now any more than when he stood IN
line of battle with nuSket in his hand
Offering his life to his country; nor have L
ever made the political preference of a sol
der condition of any favor that was in
nv power to extend to him. / appeal to
them because / love them and am proud
of them. (Applause) Because / feel a So
licitude, the soicitude of a brother, as TO
their conduct. / feel a solicitude about
feel a solicitude about their conduct in
life. / am glad when | see them respected
in their communities as good citizens; am
happy when / see them prosperous in ilfe,
dilgent in their employment, honorable III
their intercourse with their felioW-men;
and for the same reason am ANXIOUS thal
they should see clearly and perform hon.
estly their duty in this canvass. | do not
wish to see them bound by any party
shackles. (Applause) / know il is not
easy to cast aside partisan afhllatons;
have experienced it myself But at the
call of duty, when we remember that our
country must be first and above party cap
plause) then our path IS made clear ana
Let us not listen to what party mana-
gers may desire, for we know very Wen
that party managers are constrained very
often to suppress their real sentiments be-
cause they have obligations to peform to-
which they are not at liberty to disregard.
OF such men / have but little complaint
to make and no reproaches to cast. But
those of US who are Independent and free
to choose our own path. let us be GUIDED
solely by our conscience, by our seh-re Ire.
form our duty without regard to the de-
mands of partisanship. (Appause)
A REVOLUTIONARY PLATFORM
ION the 10th of July, after the wires had
flashed to New York the proceedings OF the
Chicago so-called Democratic convention,
felt convinced it's platform was revolution
airy. (Appause) l found its candidates
ridiculous (applause); the platform revolu-
tionary because it proposed to reverse the
best traditions of American history and all
the teachings of the Democratic party;
revolutionary because it assailed the funda-
mental principles of our government ana
of our institutions; revolutionary because 1t
put in issue the elementary principles OF
morals 1t practically declared that the oid
moral law of honesty is the best policy
should be repealed. Applause-) In erect II
declared that the government ana people
of the United States were bankrupt, ana
that all debts, pubic and private, should be
paid at the rate of 53 cents on the dollar
(applause); reckless, naked act OF re-
scribed on the American nag. SuoJecIihS Us
to the taunts and sneers of the world. You
know while sympathlze with the I'M
fortunate who by reason of reVerSeS IN nfo
NAV not be able to pay debts in fuif, yet
we have nothing but contempt for the ras-
cal who is able to pay in full but refuses TO
do so. (Appause.) They propose 10 IN
scribe upon the brow OF our country the
certainly not Democratic. according TO any
teachings / have ever had in the school of
Democracy. They deny the authority of the
President to execute the laws, put down
mobs, protect lives and property When as
sailed ana tbe e forr ca ' An
drew Jackson when South Carolina refused
to nav revenue for importationS because
they regarded the tariff as too hignt AN
drew jackson did not wait for an invitation
from the Governor of South Carolina to
send force there before executing the iIWs
sion eff the Governor of South Carolina
after Fort Sumter was fired upon 10 send
bellion General jackson executed the laws
according to his oath and sent an army and
nd feet to soqt information to John 6
Calhoun that if he put himself at the mead
of the notification movement ne would be
hanged (Applause.) That is Democracy as
l understand it.
MY friends, 1 said the candidates are
ridiculous They are. MIR. Bryan proposes
in his addresses through the country to re-
form this government of ours: According
to Mr.. Bryan the government OF the Uhted
States uD to date has been a failure. He
proposes to make * a success. lLauSlter.)
To be sure, we have had our Washington
roe and Jackson and Lincoln. They are
all failures. 1t is left for Mr. Bryan TO
point out the plan OF national prGgresSS ard
And although he brought no credentials
with him from Nebraska, he certlnes TO ms
own fitness to be our Moses Qaughter) ana
lead US out of the wilderness of disappolnt-
ment and failure to the promised land OF
success
INDIANA AND NEW YORK.
my friends, / want to point out to you
before I take my leave a remarkable re-
semblance between the politics of Indiana
there are 800, 900 Democrats who will not
support Mr.. Bryan (Cheers.) The condi-
tions of popular sentiment in Indiana are
of course much better known to you: /
am unable to speak for them from any
personal knowledge, but il is q remarka BILE
fact that for the last thirty years this
public sentiment of Indiana and New York
have been singularly identical. There seems
to be this characteristic between these two
great comrnonwealths that both are dis
eliminating in their politics; that neither
of them attaches itself to the fortunes of
any party. Every four years New York
and Indiana alternate in their adhesions to
the Republican or to the Democratic party
and this can be said OF other two
States In the Union. When you look at
Iowa and Minnesota and other Western
States there is an uninterrupted continuity
of adhesion to one party-the Republican
party. When you look at Indiana and New
York you see that in 1872 they voted for
Grant in 1876 they voted for Tilden, in
1880 they voted for Hancock, in 1884 they
voted for Cleveland, in 1883 they voted for
Harrison tapplause), in 1882 they voted for
Cleveland. in 1896 you will-(cheers and cries
of Mckinley. McKinley,')-in 1896 both will
vote for Mckinley. for 1895 in Indiana and
New York is Republican year (applause)
as sure as fate, your history. your ante
cedents and your record force you to do it.
L have told you what the sentiment is in
New York. / repeat that New York Will
give 100000 majority for Mckinley. Cap
plause)
Now. | know nothing Of the details of
your canvass in Indiana; / have sought no
information on the subject. But do know