The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-14
WORK OF THE CONVENTION.
First Days DOings Consist in Speech
and Presidents Address.

WORK OF THE CONVENTION.
First Days DOings Consist in Speech
eS and Presidents Address.
DETROIT, Mich, July 13.-Cool, pleasant
weather was furnished for the opening Of
the tenth annual convention of the Ma
tional League of Republican Clubs, which
was called to order considerably later than
the scheduled hour of 10 o'clock this morn
ing. The Detroit Auditorium, naturally
crude and uninviting in appearance, was
beautifed by a considerable display of
patriotic decorations. The most striking
feature in the decorations was a life-size
portrait of President Mckinley surmounted
by eagle and surrounded by the stars
and stripes. Directly opposite, in the rear
of the hall, was a similar portrait of James
Blaine. Pictures of Washington and
Lincoln adorned the walls at either end of
the big hall and the intervening spaces,
rafters and gallery fronts were hung with
the red, white and blue escutcheons
of the States. A graduated tier of seats
on the platform, with q capacity of five
hundred, was occupied by more or less
notable visitors. The delegates who were
seated in state groups filled nearly the en-
tire floor space, and the local public looked
on from the galleries The States having
the larger delegations were grouped in the
front and center, the largest spaces being
occupied by Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, New
York and Pennsylvania. The air was en-
livened by band music while the crowd
gathered. 1t was 1890 when President
Woodmansee raped for order. The dele
gates had not yet settled down in the place
assigned them and the galleries had
almost no occupants. Rev. Dr. Robert j.
Service, of the acknowledgements Presby-
terrain Church. came forward to offer
prayer. He prayed for a blessing on Presi-
dent Mckinley. Congress, the Governors of
States, and all others in authority and that
the national honor might be saved from
tarnisbment. President Woodmansee then
introduced Governor Pingree to deliver the
address of welcome on behalf of the State
of Michigan. Mr.. Pingree said:
GOVERNOR PINGREE'S WELCOME.
"Mr Chairman and Members of the Re-
publican League-The Republican party
was born in Michigan. Your meeting here
should therefore be inspiration. You
cannot fail to remember what it was that
made it necessary that a new party should
be formed. On behalf of the State 1 extend
to you a cordial welcome. You are the
young men of the party. You represent its
working forces. You know the necessity
of organization You know that this is an
age of activity and progress and that
parties, as well as men, must move forward
or they will die. You cannot live on mem
DRY or on hope. The Republican party
from the day of its birth he"ame great
power, because it was the party of
people and it VIII remain Il great power
so long as it remains the party of the
people and no longer. 1t was controlled
ciple of equal rights, but it has been neces-
sary to fight to keep what we have The
great masses of the people are honest ana
patriotic. They are willing to share the
burdens of civilization if they can receive
a few of its benefits. Sometimes they be-
come impatient and demand an inspection
of the books. They the people, know that
they are not responsible for the
present conditions in this country. Farm
ers and mechanics, who are the principal
burden bearers wonder what has become
of the old principle of equal taxation They
wonder how and why many privileged
classes still exist in this Republic. The
people have been reading and studying.
Some of them have been thinking. They
know that the principle of equal taxation
is closely allied to the principle of equal
rights. and that it is Republican principle
and they expect the Republican party to
enforce 1t, and they are going to see that 1t
is enforced. We hear great deal said
about the home market. 1t is the most
valuable market we have. If l were going
to destroy that market entirely ] would
favor the continued formation of trusts
and combinations of capital. This would
result in throwing about half of the work
ingmen out of employment, and of Wiping
out small concerns and destroying 1nd1Vidu-
ality, which is another name for patriotism
Then it would be only necessary to see that
the greater portion of the taxes are col
lected from the working classes, and that
all railroad companies and other watered-
stock concerns are taxed from one
third to one-SeVenth as much as the wild
ow's cottage and the farmers farm The
majority of the people is not in favor of
destroying the home market in this way
Nero was about the only man who rejoiced
DIlrniHP Rome. q
favorites to whom he had promised the
work of rebuilding l have great faith that
the right will prevail. The people are
patient, and when they are betrayed by
their representatives they make other Sc
lections and try again. They expect relief
from the Republican party and they are
willing to give it fair trial. You are here
rs the representatives of that party fresh
from the people themselves, and your ut
terances and your recommendations will
be awaited with interest, and if they are
wise and true and practical they will be re-
ceived with welcome"
The Governor was compelled to pause for
a moment on account of an interruption
caused by a ripple of applause at the en-
trance of the Illinois delegation headed by
Governor Tanner Mr.. Pingrees address
was not in any sense a spreadeagle speech
and the applause, which was rather faint
coming from his friends in the Michigan
delegation. At one point the Governor
aroused genuine burst of applause by an
interpolated reference to the miners strike
expressing the hope that it would be sue
cessful.
Colonel Henry NJ Duffield of this city
welcomed the delegates on behalf of De-
troit. Colonel Duffield said in part:
THE HOPE OF THE PEOPLE.
81 congratulate you on meeting in the
very hall where our great President made
the speech at our Michigan Club banquet
which started him we'll on towards the
White House. 1 congratulate you that, al
though but four months of his Administered
ton have passed, to-day you see the clouds
of financial gloom lifting and you know
that as soon as the tariff bill is passed
prosperity will return to us. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that the Republican party is
in minority in the Senate. it's representa-
tives are going to give this country pro-
tective tariff with adequate revenues, and
then, IN obedience to the st. Louis plat
form, they are going to give us right
proper ana eXpedient legislation on the cur
rency question. 1t has been said by the
Governor that the hope Of the country is in
the people. but / tell the Governor that the
nope OF the people is in the Republican
party. (Great applauSe.)
The hope OF the people has nothing to
do with the demagogism and the Vtupera-
ton of Bryan. The hope of the people is in
that party which has always been true to
the poor man, and which has been. and, |
trust. always will be. equally just and true
to the capitalists. In great, growing
country like this there will always be strife
between capital and labor. but let us do all
we can TO make that strife a friendly one
If the miner is not getting wages enough
let us help him to get his proper pay but
If the miner who does not want to work
attempts TO interfere with the one who
does, tell him he cannot do that Our marty
no fear of the rich and no favoritism 10 the
poor. 1t is easy 10 oppose corporations and