The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-15

take everything for granted in the public
credulity Yet il is a dernOnstra BILE prOpOsi~
chfnery going-before they could set up
their silver mills and perfect their rag
money plants-before they could issue dol
lars plentiful enough and cheap enough to
come within easy reach of the mortgaged-
ridden farmer and the insolvent merchant
there would be no farm left to release.
no stock of goods to be sold off at adj
vance prices The big credits would swal-
low up the little credits. The return of
money borrowed of other lands on Ameri-
can securities would be at once demanded.
The banks of international exchange
would come back on the local banks.
The local banks would be forced to call in
their loans and close their accounts, and,
most likely along with them, their doors.
Long before the promised streams of free
silver reached him, the farmer would be
wiped out-the merchant would be wiped
out-leaving only the adventurer, with
nothing to lose, to tell the tale. Even he
would in most cases end, where he began,
with nothing, or with worse than nothing
like those who during the war, found
themselves loaded down with that money
of which it was commonly said that the
more you had of it, the worse off you
We're In short, the remedy proposed by
these visionary fnanciers and optimistic
phflosophers-these chasers of political and
other rainbows-is a piece with the pre-
scrlption OF the quack DOCTOR good to cure
in thirty days, and consequently value
less to the patient doomed to death except
he get relief in twenty
Let US give thanks to God that we are
we generation of swindlers In Ken,
lucky at least-and just now we are most
concerned about Kentucky-we claim to be
a race of brave, upright and solvent men,
who mean 10 pay our honest debts, dollar
for dollar and will do so if permitted by
those rampant leaders who have stolen the
hOuseboat of Democracy tor their hair
Drained excursions, and who lured by Siren
voices and needless of the volcano frown-
ing above them, are sailing in fancied Sc
curity over the treacherous waters of We
suvian seas. From the beginning they
were doomed to shipwreck They are
wanting in all the essential elements of
success in life on land or sea Even in their
own trade of professional politics, they are
rank failures. Where they are sincere they
are mistaken. Where they are disinterest-
edit the word has any place in their Vo-
cabulary-they equally lack discernlnent
and compOSure. lntolerant and short-sight-
ed-Overfowing with excitement and mis-
informatiOn-too often they are merely
vain, selfish and Vengeful. Men of this
deserve to win. They would not know
what to do with substantial victory even
if it were possible for them to achieve one.
Across the brow of each of them is writ
ten the motto, rule or ruin, and Just be-
meath it the curse Of Reuben, Unstable as
water thou shalt not excel Knowing them
for what they are, no prudent man would
commit any private affair of pith and mo-
ment into the custody of such attorneys;
could separately, or as body, handle the
least of private affairs more disastrously
than they have handled the affairs of the
Democratic party. For, to change the
figure somewhat, to fetch it home and
adapt it to our native parts of speech, they
have played Il very loose and a very losing
game; they have run a very devious and
a very desperate race; they have left out
of their betting books a dark horse, and an
exceeding dark horse, but one that was
never known to be left at the post dark
horse they have not even mentioned, far
less considered, in their calculations, but
which they Will have to reckon with; and
III Il NIx fnol
conscience, the moral nature of the people
of Kentucky.
AN APPEAL TO KENTUCKY.
For one, l am willing to trust my fate
for good or ill-to rest my case now, and
through all time-with that heart that
brain, that conscience. that moral nature.
I am not conscious of having committed
any crime unless it be crime to love Ken
lucky and to place her fame and honor
above every other consideration. l do not
think that l have perpetrated any act, or
written or uttered any word, which should
cost me the loss of the confidence and re-
Spect my felloW-Democrats of Kentucky
have ever been good enoughNto manifest
toward me. l am ready to go; to lay at
their feet Whatever of service 1 have done
as their agent whatever of success or fall
ure l may have achieved in their cause
to take my discharge from their hands and
to depart in peace. Political humiliation
has no terrors for me. OF political ambi-
ton l have had none which has not en-
braced the glory of my country and the
happiness and prosperity of my country
men, here in Kentucky, and everywhere
the exile and oblivion which may be in store
for me, | shall not be left quite destitute
There await me green fields and bright
eyes and loving hearts, and books and
music and peace, yea, and all that should
accompany the man who has done his duty
as God has given him the light to know
and the sight to see. But my discharge
must emanate from headquarters and
come TO me by authority. i will surrender
my commission as a Democrat to nobody
except the Democrats of Kentucky. No
set of self-constituted leaders in their
impOtent blasphemy arrOgating to them
selves the providence of God and consign-
ing Democrats at least as good as them
selves not merely to death, but to damna-
ton, can drive me, or such as me- out of
the Democratic party. 1t is fit that men
should talk about the guillOtine who carry
in their hearts the spirit of Robespierre
DantOn and Marat 1t is fit that we should
hear nothing higher, purer, wiser than the
g1bbet and the stake from men who have
no other conception of party warfare than
personal defamation, insult and menace
nor of government, except as an almshouse
for mendicant politicians Such men are
not my @peers; they cannot try me; they
cannot convict me; they cannot scare me;
and, above all, they cannot cast me out
the Democrats of Kentucky. and they only
at the ballot-box-and, speaking not alone
for myself, but for all of us gathered here
to-day-to the ballot-box l appeal and each
one of us appeals, calling God 10 witness
our profound conviction and the sincerity
of our plea for the honor of Kentucky and
the integrity of the Democratic party"
Mr.. Watterson's speech was most literally
punctuated by voices and hands expressing
approval of his utterances, bat the loudest
and longest applause, perhaps. was when
dramat1CaiIV declared
of silver at the ratio of Is to was as dead
as the institution of African slavery. Great
merriment mingled with the applause when
he adroitly illustrated his point about the
self-wrecking of the free-silver Democrats
with the use of the figure of speech telling
that the bookmakers had let loose a very
dark horse" which was never known to
be left at the post" After this the various
committee reports were adopted and the
convention took a recess until o'clock to-
night.
RESOLUTIONS PASSED.
NOmiDa ton of Ex-GOVervnr