The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-24

Senator WolcCtt's address at the banquet
of the New England Society in New York
was queer mixture of patriotism and Sec
tionalism. Nothing could have been finer
than his references to the flag. the integrity
of the Union and the future greatness of
the Republic. and nothing could be much
more mischievous than his attempt to create
the impression that the interests of the
West and South are distinct from most
Of the East and that they are practically
allied against the East on the money ques-
ton. He said:
The far West. largely the child Of the
East. and pulsing with its blood joins
Is not only debtor against creditors, class
against class, but In a land pervaded with
equal devotion to what its people believed
Us the truest welfare of the whole country
great majorities in section face equally
great majorities in another. The men
of the West are Americans to a proportion
greater. far greater, than in the East, ma
tive-born Americans citizens. The views
they cherish are held with practical urani-
nifty. So universal a feeling as that which
pervades the great West cannot be all
wrong.
In so far as this seeks to create the i'm
preston that Western and Southern sem
timent is practically unanimous in favor Of
true. and in so far as it insinuates that
these sections are or will be in alliance
against the East on the money question 1t is
positively mischievous. Senator Wolcott
was putting Forefathers' day to a poor use
when he utilized it to express views calcu-
lated to array section against section and
class against class. Hundreds of thousands
of voters in the West and South will deny
his right to speak for them on this question
and will condemn such sentiments and ex-
pressions as those above quoted.
Not to dwell further on the unpatriotic
anmus of suggestion that the West and
South have Joined hands against the East on
the money question, it can truthfully be said
that it is not true 1t is surprising that so
bright a man as Senator Wolcott should
have made, even by implication, an asser-
ton so easily disproved He was address,
Ing an audience which classes all the States
west of Indiana, including this, as West
ern States. OF these Mr.. Mckinley carried
Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Oregon and Califor-
MIA. most of them by very large popular
majorities. Every vote cast for Mckinley
In these States, as well as in those he did
not carry, was a protest against Senator
Wolcott's views. OF Southern States Nc
Kinley carried Kentucky and received hum
dreds of thousands of votes in other South
ern States, 100000 in Missouri alone-7every
one protest against the Wolcott view, for
although he is a Republican, he is preach
ing anti-Republican doctrine. The cleo
tons which have occurred during the pres
ent year. especially that of Iowa, show that
All accounts agree that it is not nearly as
strong in the South as it was a year ago.
AT the monetary convention, held in this city
in January last, there were delegates from
eleven Southern States, and there will be
more in the convention to be held next
month than there were year ago. Several
members of the commission which has been
sitting in Washington, and which is about
to report a plan of currency reform, are
from the South. The Southern Bankers
Association which met at Atlanta two
weeks ago declared very strongly in favor
of the single gold standard. In short there
is abundant evidence that the weight of in
telligent opinion in the West and South is
in harmony with the weight Of similar opin-
ion in the East on the money question. Sen
ator Wolcott may speak for himself and
for Colorado, but when he asserts or insin-
yates that the West and South are ready
to join hands against the East on the money
question it is time to remind him that
he is speaking without authority