The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-16
WHO ARE THE BoLTERS:

| 1t seems to be the policy of the leaders
! of the free-siver faction in this State to
| treat the sound-money Democrats as bolt
ers. At an early stage of the movement
Governor Matthews spoke of it very con-
| temptuously and said it's leaders would
simply earn political oblivion Since then
| the convention of Sept. has been held. a
new declaration of Jeffersonian Democracy
| has been made, strong ticket has been
| placed in the field, the candidates have
| been notified of their nomination at
one of the most enthusiastic meetings of
| the campaign, and the movement is gain
ing strength every day. Still. the slverites
| seem TO think it can be crushed with con-
| tempt. The local free-slver organ con-
stantly refers to soundmoney Democrats
| as boilers Yesterday, under the caption
| THE State Boilers" it announced that
! THE State boilers organization will meet"
etc. They not only boilers, but merely
| state bolters,'' as if the movement were
| confined to Indiana instead of being ma
| tional in extent. The organ is very careful
not to speak of them as Democrats, or
| National Democrats, they nave decided
| to call themselves, evidently fearing that
something of party prestige or regularity
| may be sacrificed if they are called any
thing but boilers
All this is very funny. The strength and
| significance of a movement that has re-
| ceived the adhesion and Endorsement of
most of the great party leaders, including
the President ana every member of his
Cabinet, which has the support of nearly
OF ha ort,y
which is fast absorbing the better element
of the party everywhere, cannot be brok-
| en- or lessened by calling those engaged in
it boilers. In a literal sense they may be
said to have repudiated the party organiza-
ton and action, but they did not do so
until those who had gained control of the
organization had repudiated the party prin-
ciples. If principles make a party, then
the Populist mob who made the Chicago
platform and nominated a Populist for
President the boilers, and those who
stand for the old principles are the true
Democratic party. Loyalty to political
principles, like loyalty to government,
implies something more than mere COM
pliance with regular forms. The men who
walked out of the United States Senate in
servance of forms. Treason to a cause is
often associated with entire regularity of
procedure. General Buckner said in his
speech accepting the National Democratic
nomina ton for Vice President:
Benedict Arnold was regular in his pro-
ceedings. He was regularly commissioned
by his government; he wore its uniform;
he was regularly assigned by Washington
to the command at West Point and the ISL
and; he issued regularly his orders through
the chosen staff officers to his troops dis
bursting them broadcast in order that the
enemy might come in and massacre all of
them. All that proceeding regular, but
when he was detected: when his rank trea-
son was discovered, Washington and his
followers refused TO follow such regular
proceedings. And yet according to the cry
of our friends at Chicago, Washington and
the patriots of the revolution We're boilers.
This is an illustration that illustrates.
According to dates. forms. regularity of
call and order of procedure the Chicago
convention represented the Democratic
| party, but in its action it abandoned DEM