The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-27

/ date for Congress.
COOPER'S NOMINATION.
In the neighboring and capital district of
the State, only few weeks ago, the Demo-
cratic party having the votes to send a
man Of its own faith to the House of Rep
resentatives, met for the purpose of NOM
! mating a candidate. A handful OF Popu-
| lists, representing a disgruntled minority
of the people of the district. met at the
same time and sent a message to the Dem
ocratic convention to the effect that Of the
| several candidates before that convention
| there was one the Populists would not
support, and that he must not be nom
! mated. The orders We're obeyed. The in
/ suit was accepted. And SO it happens that
an able and accomplished gentleman. a
! lifelong Democrat, in every way qualified
| for the place, was deliberately rendered in
/ capable Of holding this office or receiving
| the nomination for 1t by the action of
! these recent allies of the Democratic par
! ty. Can the degradation of the party pro-
| coed further? Can the humiliation of its
| members be made. greater? Can the in
| dEcements offered every sef-sacrificing
man TO abandon it be increased?
Not the least disheartening of the spec
| tacles presented by this uncommon cam
| paign is the insincerity OF those who are
| supporting this so-called Democratic ticket.
While doubtless there are many well-mean-
| ing and honest people who believe in the
! doctrines enunciated at Chicago, you and 1
| are seeking office upon the State and ceun-
| ty tickets, those who as politicians are
| the leading orators are making the canvass
| for that platform do not believe it, and do
| not indorse it. We can pity and in a GER
! tain sense respect the man who follows a
! mistaken belief and gives it his earnest
| support; but what measure of contempt
| shall be melted out to those who this very
| night throughout the State of Indiana are
| using their ability, their standing in the
| community and their position in the party
| to make people less informed than they
accept doctrines they know to be wrong,
or at least do not believe to b right?
nffn TN6 nf XI for n
speak of the party which met at Indianap-
oils as the third party, because | believe the
principal bone of contention between the
folks who met at Chicago and at Indian
apolis is as to which is the real, genuine.
name n, blown hin, in the bottle Democracy q tH
third party. 1t was not to be supposed
that the odious performance at Chicago
was to go unrebuked. 1t was not TO be
believed for a moment that even strength
of party feeling and the regularity of the
convention would be sufficient to force this
ticket and platform down the threats of
all of the self-respecting Democrats in the
United States.
GENUINE DEMOCRATS.
THE demand for another convention was
quick and widespread. The summons sent
out inviting the scattered hosts to the late
Democratic party to assemble at Indian
apois breathed patriotism in every line.
The personnel of the convention assembled
in response to the appeal disclosed the de-
voted. the wise, the unselfish Democrats
from every State in the Union. They were
men who had borne its burdens, fought it's
battles. endured it's defeats and shared it's
victories. 1t was a convention of genuine
Democrats. but it was not a convention of
the Democratic party It's platform was
ideally DemocFatic.t 1t nominated for its
candidates two men Gf national renoWn
honest brave and patriotic; and besides, it
nominated for President a Democrat who
voted for Cleveland AMI Stevenson in 1892
and that is what no other national conVen-
convention of the Democratic party It's
ticket has been received with approval by
pure and patriotic of the organization
IN every part of the Union, from President
none of these things will avail to make it
the regular Democratic organization.
THE avowed purpose of the. movement
is to maintain the principles of the party,
to preserve the ark of the covenant SO to
speak, and at the proper time to again
rally the party under the true banner and
go forward to the accomplishment of the
ancient purposes. Whether these are all
the reasons which led to the assembling of
this convention am not SO sure. The gen
tlemen who participated in it doubtless to
some extent deceived themselves. While
they claim. and cheerfully accord to
them the highest degree of self-sacrifce
and patriotic desire for the Darty's good,
it raay wen be doubted whether there are
not some selfish elements existing even in
men may not know that any selfish pir-
be some feeling of resentment because at
Chicago others were honored and preferred
some desire for future Dreferment, which
leads them to hope that in the reorga MIA
ton of the party they may stand for the
fuence? And is there not certainly a be-
yond question in it allan element of fear
which heSitateS TO openly renounce party,
and which is welded to name and form
rather than to substance and fact? May
not these things to some extent have con-
trolled the action of these gentlemen in
calling and conducting their convention?
CANNOT SUCCEED.
"Cheerfully according to them, however,
the greatest credit for loftiness of purpose
and purity of aim, I dare charge and under
take to prove that they will fail. These
men only hope to have dominant and pow
erful party when they shall have recalled
it's former membership to reason and gath
cred it again under the old standard. But
it seems to me sufficient reason why this
hope will not be realized is found in the
fact that under far better conditions these
same men were unable to force their views
upon a majority Of the party. All their
labor, pleadings and threats were unavail-
ing to turn the party aside from it's march
to doom in recent weeks. How, then can
they successfully claim that when the
voters debauched with the false teachings
of this campaign, shall return disheartened
and defeated at it's close. that out of this |
same constituency decreased in power, less
ened in integrity. they ever erect a
party which shall take the place of the
tractabe. conservative, wabiding ola
Democratic party
Moreover. is there not something in the |
claim which others have been making about
US for a long time, that party cannot |
successfully govern the country? You and |
/ have been very indignant at this charge
and have loudly acclaimed against the idea |
that one body of American citizens when it |
amounts to a majority and is based upon
accidental political associations. does not |
contain much patriotism and intelligence |
as another of approximate size. ] would |
not care to dispute the truth of this view |
But still that does not answer the question
Is the Democratic party as capable of gov
erning the country as its adversary? If |
not why not? Assuming that an equal |
amount of intelligence and love of coun- |
try exist under each organization, may |
there not be another reason why the Dem |
Ocratic party has thus far, in discharging |
its duties when in power. fallen short of |
the high standard which those who voted |
it's ticket and rejoiced in its success eX- |
pected it to attain? | ask this question, and |
+ leave YOU to answer it to your own con- |
sciences Is it not true that in the Demo- |!
cratic party leadership and independence |
and courage are not regarded in the Re
publican organization? If instance is |
wanted I will ask you why Grover Cieve- |
land brave original, independent thor |
oughly imbued with love of country and |
desire to serve his party, has from the first |
been upbraided opposed and finally derided |
and hated as he is to-C-y by the great |
mass of the Democratic party? Why is it
that a leader and thinker and a patriot |
like this is so abominably treated by MEM
of