The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-14
POPOCRACY INDICTED
YORK DEMOCRATIC WHEEL HORSE.
Ex-Lieutenant Governor William T..
sheehan on the Platform Adopted
by the Chicago Convention.
STRONG, BITTER ARRAIGNMENT
OF THE DOCTRINES ADVOCATED BY
THE NEBRASKA ORATOR.
Mr.. Sheehan VIII Resign as Member
of National Committee if Populism
Is Indorsed at Buffalo.
MR.. HILL STILL UNCERTAIN
HE WILL PROBABLY NOT ATTEND
THE STATE CONVENTION,
%-
Which, from Present Indications
Will Be a Mere Bryan and Sewau
RafiGcatinu Meetinu.
of National Committee if PopuIism
Is IndOrsed at Buffalo.
MR.. HILL STILL UNCERTAIN
HE WILL PROBABLY NOT ATTEND
THE STATE CONVENTION,
Which, from Present Indications
Will Be Mere Bryan and Sewau
Ratification Meeting.

cent letter of inquiry from Joseph B. May
err of Buffalo, to the attitude of ex-
Lieutenant Governor William f. Sheehan
in the present campaign, the latter makes
his position plain in the following inter-
eSting statement
THE proceedings of the recent Chicago
convention unparalleled in Democrat
ic history. Radicalism and not patriot
ism, dominated its course. The guiding
and, in a large measure, the controlling
spirits of that body were Republican
United States Senators-men whose votes
made it possible to engraft upon the stat
utes of this country the Objectionable and
disastrous Mckinley law. When before
were rock-ribbed Republican protection
lists given in a Democratic convention seats
of honor and permitted to dicker and shape
the policy of our party? The patriotic ad-
vice of men who had grown gray in Dem
ocratc service was sDurned and the
judgment of these new-found apostles Of
an undemocratc creed was enthusiastic
ally accepted. A platform was adopted
under the guise of Democracy, from which
all thoughtful Democrats should recoil.
There never has been a moment since its
adoption that / could support it, except
by a loss of my self-respect
What is this platform? There is not
good. There is not a word in it that is
bad, and therefore undemocratic, that has
not been stolen or taken from the Populist
platform. Bad as Republcanism is, subver-
sve it has generally been of the best
interests of the country. it is Indefinitely
preferable to populism, which is next of
kin to socialism.
I'VE should examine our past platforms
in connection with the teachings of the
founders and statesmen of our party to
ascertain what is the test of party faith.
Democratic principles took root with the
birth of the Republic; they as sound
and lofty to-day as they were when first
expounded by Jefferson. All Democrats
should give their hearty support to candi-
dates who stand upon a platform which
reaffirms and uDholds these principles.
WICKED AND DISHONEST.
when was it ever a tenet of Democracy
that by the fiat of government So cents
worth of silver should be made equal to
100 cents Of gold in payment of public and
private debts? What Democratic conven-
ton has failed in recent years to justly
condemn Republican paternalsm? Where
is there a more wicked form of paternal-
ism than for the government to stamp
for the benefit of the mine owner 50 cents
worth of silver bullion one dollar in
cO1E! Wneg6 Is democracy III a PROPOSE
ton that allows the silver of the world to
be coined at our mints free of charge at
a ratio far beyond its intrinsic CONNER
cial value and compels our citizens to
accept this false and dishonest coin at its
face value in extinguishment of their debts
and in payment of their labor?
1.-The advocates of this platform hazard
everything on the single proposition that
the enactment of a law for the free COIN
age of silver at the ratio of IS to 1, with
out the aid or assistance of other nations,
will bring gold and silver to parity. We
consider our silver dollar to-day as good
as gold because it has back of it the cred
il and faith of the Nation pledged to
maintain it's parity with gold. Under free
coinage this credit and faith will be with
drawn from the coin. The government
will have no interest in responsibility
for it, These men propose, however, that
the power of Congress shall be exercised
to compel our citizens to accept in pay
ment of their debts a dollar that is intrin-
sically worth but SO cents without being
able to compel corresponding relief to the
American debtors when foreign creditors
demand of them payment in gold. No law
has yet been able to make all men honest,
but no law should compel them to be dis
honest.
But, more sacred to every citizen than
the honor and business interests of individ-
uals, is the honor of the Nation itself. The
United States is q debtor by virtue of the
bonds it has issued. If for these bonds
gold was paid, justice, morals and national
honor all cry out for redemption, principal
and interest in the same coin. But it is
claimed that on the face of these coins the
government is given the legal right to re-
deem them in coin, and. therefore, may re-
deem them in silver coin. A question of
morals should always rise superior to a le-
gal question. For the $3.50, 100000 Of govern
ment bonds now outstanding we have re-
ceived gold coin. and unless the intelligence
of this Nation be blunted and it's patriotic
impulses paralyzed those obligations will
be redeemed in similar coin.
BRYAN FAVORS REPUTATION.
Il have heard it said that no attempt
will be made to affect existing obligations
if the work of the Chicago convention be
ratified at the polls. The answer is two
fold. The proposition not to repudiate these
obligations was overwhelmingly defeated
by the convention after Mr.. Bryan had
concluded the speech which resulted in his
nomina ton. Under free coinS ge gold
would be exported or boarded and silver
would become the money of the country
With silver or fiat money as our only
means of revenue, how can these millions
of United States bonds be redeemed in
gold?
With a legitimate proposition to increase
the number of United States Supreme
Court judges, or to abolish within consti-
tutional lines life tenure in office. / may
have controversy. do Il object to