The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-28

Il
ed with prolonged applause and laugh
1.-The Republican party fronts the de-
structiOnists and trumpets it's defiance
to the enemies of sound money. 1t will
fight, however, without covering any
of the glorious notices and inscrip-
plause.) When the house is on fire
and many of our Democratic friends
believe that to be the present domestic
situation-the tenant Of the top floor
ought not to ask the tenant in the
basement to bury any OF his opinions
before he Joins the fire brigade, and our
Democratic friends who realize as We
realize the gravity, the tar-reach1ng
consequences of this campaign, ought
not to ask the Republican party to re-
organize Itself, TO put aside any of the
great principles that it has advocated
In order to win q vote. If their opin-
ion is sincerely held, as they insist, it
ought to determine their action Tor
themselves without reference to what
anybody else should do. And I sub
init to these gentlemen, for whose
opinions I have the highest respect,
whether If 1t is true as they say, that
the success of the Chicago nominee
mercia1 distress and drag the nations
honor in the dust, there can be nOQues-
ton for such gentlemen but this: How
can we most surely defeat the Chicago
nominees?
Neither conventions nor committees
can create issues nor assign them to
their places as TO their Importance
That is the leading issue of a campaign
which most agitates and most inter-
ests the people. In my opinion there
Is no issue presented by the Chicago
convention more important and vital
than the question of protecting the
power and duty of the national courts
and national executive. The defence
OF the constitution and OF the integrity
of the supreme court of the United
States without awaiting the call or
consent of the governor of any state.
Ar,F-
campaign. (Applause.) Tariff and coin
age will be of little moment If our con-
stitutfOnal government is OverthrOWn.
when we have president who be-
heves it is neither his right nor his
duty to see that the mail trains are not
INSTRUCTED and that interstate com
merce has its free way irrespective of
state lines and courts who fears to use
our ancient and familiar power to re-
strain and punish law breakers, free
trade and free silver will be appropri-
ate accompaniment of such an ad-
ministra ton and cannot add apprec1a-
bly, to the national distress or the ma
tionaI dishOnOr. (Applause.) There is
only one rule by which we can live
usefu1ly as a nation or peacefully as
citizens it is the rule of the law cOnSti-
tutiOnauy enacted and finally inter-
preted by the judicial tribunal ap-
pointed by the constitution. When it
becomes the rule that violence carries
its end, we have anarchy-a condition
as destructive to honest labor and its
rewards as QeaLu IS 10 the tissues OF
the human body. (Applause) The at
mOsphere of the Chicago convention
was charged with the spirit of revOlu-
ton. This platform was carried and
its nominations made with accompany
ing incidents Of frenzy that startled
the onIoOkers and amazed the country.
The courts and the president were ar
raigned for enforcing the laws, and
government by the mob was given
preference over government by the law
enforced by the court DEGREES and by
executive orders The spirit that eX-
hibited itself in this convention was SO
wild and strangely enthused that Mr..
Bryan himself likened it to the zeal
that possessed the crusaders when they
responded to the impaSsioned appeals
of Peter the Hermit to rescue the sep
ulchre of our Lord from the hands of
the infideIs. His historical illustration
was more potent and more fOrcible
than he knew; for the zeal of the cru
saders was a blind and ignorant zeal;
they sought to rescue the transient
the body of the Son of God, while they
trampled upon the precepts of love and
mercy which he had left for their
guide in life. (Applause.)
He told US that the silver crusade
had arrayed father against son and
brother against brother and had sew
cred the ties of love. Senator Hill,
watching the strange proceeding, had
to extend that brief political code from
which he has gained so much renown,
and felt compelled to Say:I am a
Democrat but am not revolution
ist'
SENATOR Vest realizing that they
were inaugurating a revolution, re-
minded the convention that revolutions
did not begin with the rich and pros
porous. Mr. Tillman felt that the
change in the management of public
affairs was to be so radical that he
proposed sulphur fumigatiOn for the
ship before the new crew took posses
sion of it. (Laughter.) Now, my
friends, all these things indicate the
f1rv7 IN Srh
adopted and the spirit that promoted
the nominations that were made.
There was no calm elaboration.
There was frenzy. There was no
thoughtful searching for the man who
from experience was most able to di-
rect public affairs. There was an i'm
pulsive response to an imprisoned
speech that selected the nominee. Not
amid such surroundings as that, not
under such influences as those are
things done which will commend them
selves to the judgment of the Ameri-
can people. (Applause.)
They denounce in their platform
interference by federal authorities in
the local affairs as a violation of the
constitution of the United States and a
crime against great institutions.
Mr.. Tillman in his speech approved
this declaration 1t was intended to
be in words a direct condemnation of
Mr.. Cleveland, as president of the Unit
ed States, for using the power Of the
executive to brush out of the way every
ODSlsSAS ~ ~4lG AASe passage u the man
trains and interstate commerce, and
my friends, whenever our people ap-
prove the choice of president who be-
neves that he must ask Governor Alt
geld or any other governor Of any other
state, permission to enforce the laws
of the United States, we have surren-
dered the victory the boys won in 1851
(Great applause)
"Once we were told, and q grave
question was raised whether the United
States could pass its troops through
Kentucky to meet q rebel army in Ten
nessee. Ny friends, this constitutional
question, this division between the gen
eral and local authorities, is plain