The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-20
HON. F. T. ROOTS In NEW YORK,
An Effective Little Speech Before
of the Commercial Club.

candidate for the Legislature in Fayette
county, was in New York last week, AMI
was invited to address the Commercial
Club. The audience numbered about 4,0o0,
and Mr.. Roots was frequently applauded-
He said:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of New
York. ind myself, although a stranger
TO you. politically, very much at home.
Whether IN the city or town; the vlilage
or the country, yea. were it in the Jung.eS
OF Africa, and / could hear but one person
lift up his voice for Mckinney and protec-
ton, L would say there is my friend and
Since arriving here | find and am per-
suaded that there are a few Mckinney and
TO me that you are going 10 make It
unanimous on the Sd day or November. l
hail from 81 State whose educational Ia
cliities and public school system are ac-
copied as models of discipline and scholar
ship by the East; from a State that has
furnished you u poet of national and in
ternational reputation, James Whitcomb
Riley: from q State which has furnished
the United States a President whose adj
ministration will go down in posterity as
one of the most successful, patriotic ana
business-like since the foundation of this
statesman, benjamin Harrison, OF INDIANA.
We have been laugh to believe that New
YORK city, through which flows % per cent.
or the emigration to this country, Where
is collected the bulk of our customs, was
a great ana patriotic city, but after read
ing Mr.. Bryan's speeches. doubt seems to
take possession of ones mind. and l
thought L would come down and take a
squint at you and ascertain whether the
picture was half as bad as 1t was painted.
We find, however, that the ladies are as
beautiful. the men as hospitable and hon
Broadway, fianked by the side streets, pre-
sents the most inspiring scene that is
ALLOTTED the eye of man to LOOK upon. TOR
Gods footstool are unfuried to the breeze
Old Glory is on guard, proclaimins to the
United States protection to American in
QuSIrleS ana the honesty ana nCnOr OF the
American dollar. The spirit of Garfield
stil lives and speaks to US again as dur
said: God reigns and the government at
Washington stil lives
the issues in this campaign? The Demo-
cratic party, or rather, Popocratfc party,
by consummate skill. has injected free sill
yer at Is to / into this campaign and en-
deavored to relegate the tariff question to
the rear. Two years ago. yes. but one
year ago, Kentucky and Maryland We're
redeemed and saved to the Republican
party. In 1894 Indiana gave a plurality of
5000, Ohio O.0o0, and New York was Re
What did it mean? 1t meant "a rebuke to
the un-American Wilson bill. which was
goo, robbed the treasury of it's surplus, the
farmer of his markets. and the laboring
man of his employment. II it was right
rebuke it in 1856. for it is is still the SUI
preme law of the land, and hangs over the
life OF our Nation like the sword of
But what is this that we hear con-
corning the money question? Mr.. Bryan
try, Inhabited by gold bugs. plutocrats, etc.
In reply, we would say to Mr.. Bryan that
not only the New England States, but the
United States. is an enemy to sectional
ism, dishonesty and reputation. We would
say to Mr.. Bryan. as General Grant said.
that no man shall be placed in public Of
fice who would repudiate one farthing of
our national Indebtedness We would say
to Mr.. Bryan, as Mr.. Webster said: 1t is
not more coinage that We need bur more
confidence-confidence is the atmosphere CT
modern business. which has done more to
earth Mr.. Bryan says the price of silver
will &C up from its present value to a dol
free coinage: We would remind Mr.. Bryan
that. the bullion value of the present dol
lar has fallen since he has been talking
and three-quarters. and if he will continue
to to tax 4Mab It is possible s 5 that it Will fall
mind him that the price of wheat.
which he said would fall with the price of
silver, has gone up 13 cents for December
delivery. We would remind him that gold.
which he said was SO scarce that we could
not get our fingers Upon it, has come in a
golden stream. floating on its bosom SAL
0D, QUO, confirming the fact that whom the
gods would destroy they first make mad
The success of the Bryan movement de-
Ponds upon Misrepresentation. He garbled
the late James G.. Biaino's statement: he
desecrated the memory of that great
statesman when he quoted him., partially
'HNh ~ "i1 it Nh NV hiNdil-
Mr.. Blaine, in 1873. was contend;ng for thu
.arger use Of silver, and the Republican
party. following his advice, has coined $780,
900, 600 and made them legal tender for ali
debts, both public and private. Were Mr..
Bryan TO quote Mr.. Blaine fairly he would
make votes for sound money faster than
you could count them. Mr.. Blaine said. in
1878, to coin dollars at Is to ]. which were
then only worth % cents. gave an illegiti-
sovernment nad no right to grant: III 1t
were wrong in Mr.. Blaine's time to coin
90 cents into a dollar he would certainly.
if living to-day, denounce the effort to coin
50 cents into a dollar as a double-dyed
l hold in my hand a pair of scales;
on one side l viii place S24 grains OF stand
ard silver. worth 100 cents, on the other side
41212 grains. worth 80 cents, the amount
Mr.. Bryan proposes to stamp as a dollar.
equal weight almost breaks the scales. Oh.
what a spectacle for justice to behold.
How many votes do you suppose Mr.. Bryan
would make if he were. on his tour of
s~peechnaking. to hold these scales in one
hand and preach 16 to ] with the other?
II Blaine were living to-day he would say
other side and make those scales balance.
for Il false balance is an abOmindtion to the
Lord, but a just weight is His delight
The farmer is confronted at the Touring
mill with the fatal brass scales, and is
weighed in the balance ffty-eight pounds
to the bushel for No. > wheat: / ask in all
honesty and reason if 1t is right to weigh
him up and confront him with the scales
at the Touring mill. why should not the
WIG Dt COiiIICIittu III III ScSLICS
at the mint mill and be compelled TO place
100 cents of silver in the dollar? Mr.. Bry-
says that free and unlimited coinage
of silver at IL to ] would not drive gold
of the country We would cite to him
the facts in history. and ne cannot deny
them. that the ratio from 1872 to 1884 was
Ia to |. when il should have been 15lh to I.
The error was only one-half, or twelve
grains. which ! hold in my hand, SO small
that you can hardly see it. l submit TO you
the question if twelve grains drove out
gold from our circulation, from 1892 to 1884,
what will the error to-day of IA grains
do at the ratio of Is to /? 1t will drive gold
beyond recall and you will not near nor
see it for years to come.
w had thought that when 250, Zoo boys
in blue had bit the dust, when $4,000 COM
I'd officers had placed their lives OF
the affairs of their country and sacrificed
it with their blood, when mother had
opened with trembling hands the fatal let
ter causing her to cry out in her anguish.
My God. / am alone in the world: | am
a widow we had thought that after this
had been buried with its twin sister. Sc
cession. at ~Appomattox; but, no. Mr.. Bry-
an has proclaimed a financial war of Sec
tjonalism, a war of the South and the West
against the East and the North. Boys i'll
blue, Grand Army of the Republic. sons
and veterans. business men and patriots of
our country. to arms again, and. On the Sd
backed by g~unpowder. but with that which
is more powerful, the ballot backed by
opinion, and dig the grave SO deep
and bury this heresy of Organism, Altgeld-
ism, Tilnanism and every other ism con-
nected with the Chicago platform, so that
will never hear Of it again from now to
the resurrection morn"