The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-12-30
GRAND OLD PARTY.
An or Year Consolidation Mee'hs
Held i'm Indianapolis Yesterday

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, De2. 2S.-Fiye nun
.irad REPRESENTATIVES of the republican
uaT Of Indiana outside of the city OF
Tndiaronolis attended Il conference 10
Jny. The meeting was for talk ana anu
business and was the largest oH yeul
meeting the party ever heid. NJ hlce.
ing was held a little later III the sean
in order that the lnlted states seiae LUZ
from this state and the republican rep
resontatives might be here, and they al
came. influential men in the party were
encouraged by the statements OF the
senator and representatives that there
is hone for currency reform. not ne0lcal
legislation. but action that Will tend 10
set the party right before the people.
The unanimity of the party in the state
OF the proposition that the currency
must be reformed was surprise 10 II
good many of the men attending the con-
! ference. The democrats, 1t was averrcu,
| will declare for free silver i'll their NEXT
! state nlatform. and the republicans will.
of course. take the opposite ground. In
/ the event Of the failure of congress TO
| fake action looking to the reform OF the
| currency. members of the party SAN
the party in this state would 90 into the
| state campaign enlbara Ssed ana on the
defensive from the start. In the hotel
| Hobbies there was a great deal OF talk
against the civil service law. but IT came
largely from men who made application
| for office Immediately after the nominal
ton of Mckinley and have been disap-
| pointed. The prominent men OF the
party agreed that no one need fear that
the republicans of Indiana will ever de-
clare against the law.
The principal speakers were:
! United States Senator Fairbanks ana
| Governor James A. Mount. Senator
| Fairbanks paid high tribute to the
president He said:
in my humble judgment more pa
triotic citizen of the repumbllc never
,raced the chair of the chief eXecu-
| tive"
Senator Fairbanks expressed the be-
lief that the Dingley bill will bring the
people blessing and prosperity equalled
! only by the Mckinley law itself.
"Some of our democratic friends say
| it will not raise revenue sufficient for
! the government-that 1t is not raising
| sufficient revenue now. This is true as
to the present. Why? Because previ-
Gus TO the enactment of the Dinglcy
law millions and millions of dollars in
products made by foreign hands were
sent to this country. Foreigners know
the best friend to them was the Wilson
law and that its doom was sealed by
the republican congress. After these
products sent to us by the Swftest
ship which Dlow the seas are consumed,
we shall have sufficient revenue from
the Dingley bill. The bill will vindicate
itself 1t will speak more eloquently
for itself than any republican can speak
for it,
On the subject of currency reform,
Senator Fairbanks spoke as follows:
"Our democratic friends said to the
gold democrats:
1.-The republican Darty will not keep
faith with yoU. When the party de-
clared in favor of sound money at st.
Louis they did not mean it, The re-
publican party, with Mckinley as our
leader intends to keep faith to preserve
the gold standard unimpaired to the
American people. The currency ques-
ton is great question, md to it the
president of the United States and his
ardOr and intelligence. | say the pres
ident but day before coming here
asked him if he had any message for the
republicans of Indiana. He commission
ed me to say to you that ne gratefully
remembers the encouragement and as
sistance which the republicans of this
splendid state have give: him hereto
fore. and he further said:
~ am going to keep the bond. | am
going to vindicate the sound money plank
in the St Louis platform.
A party which keeps faith with the
American people will. in my judgment,
be supported and sustained by them.
No party can afford 70 vary from its
platform pledges the width of a solitary
hair. At the coming session of congress
the great currency question will be in
debate. | can not foresall what will be
the result Of the issue, but. unfortun-
ately, we have majority only in the
house. In the senate The free silver
democrats, free silver republicans and
populists constitute the majority.
Whether we can pass through the SEN
ate any measure that will commend it
self to the conservative judgment of the
American people | can not say, but | do
believe the American people will give
us credit for an honest, determined effort
and that effort they will surely witness.
If we fail it will not be be clIse of any
lack of determination and perseverance
in purpose on the part nf the republicans
of the Unit ed States senate