The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15
Totals 900.
MIR. ovERsTREEr spEAKs.

MIR. OVERSTREET SPEAKS.
There were loud calls for Mr.. Overstreet,
and he spoke briefly.
Mr.. Overstreet begged that the audience
would indulge him with quiet attention, as
the fatigue of the last few days and bad
cold had greatly weakened his voice. He
assured the Republicans of the Seventh dis
trict that he had the deepest sense of graft
tude in his heart for the confidence i'm
posed upon him by the vote it has taken.
He said he understood perfectly that in
contests for an elective Office earnest eff
forts were always made for various candi-
dates growing out of personal friendships,
and he believed that the contest just closed
had resulted in no feeling of bitterness. He
had represented this constituency little
over year and it had been an eVentful
year. Upon the advent of the new admin
istration a year ago 1t mad been confronted
by three questions of large Importance
A depleted treasury and a credit that had
been badly strained demanded that rem
edy be applied with speed and fullness.
Without in the least f1inching in this duty
the administration had taken up the mat
ter and after a memorable struggle in
Congress had succeeded in providing for a
revenue. He was confident that had not
the present war come up the treasury would
now be showing a surplus instead OF the
deficit that had shown during the preceding
four years.
The second problem had been an extreme
ly embarrassing and delicate one. For the
first time in the lifetme of. the present gem
GRAFTON there was danger of "a serious con-
fiict with foreign powers. The little cloud
that rested upon the horizon when the ad-
miniStration came in had rapidly grown 10
a storm and in spite of all efforts to over
come the difficulty through honorable and
peaceful arrangement the country had peen
by the force of circumstances plunged into
war He called attention to the fact that
the negotiations preceding the war had DEM
onstrated that the American, government
was amply able to cope with the diplomacy
of the old world; that the steady states
manship and unhinching patriotism OF the
President had taken hold or the sltuaton
and carried the banner OF the country with
honor to our name, maintaining with force
and vigor the glory of the American nag:
To our credit be It said that the nead OF
the Nation had exhausted every honoraDle
effort for an honorable peace, but since war
had come he had no doubt whatever OF the
The third problem was the embarrassed
condition of the country's currency. Dur
ing the last campaign this had been the
single issue - whether this country should
hesitate in it's forward progress and adopt a
standard that had been rejected by all en-
lightened nations of the world. me coun-
try was to be congratulated upon the out
come of that campaign. Had 1t been other-
wise, had the American people not recorded
their vote in favor of a sound ana honest
gold standard, the effect would have been
so embarrassing to the operations OF the
treasury that it would have been extremely
difficult to provide the sinews of war for
our struggle with Spain. He felt assured
that had the rapid march of warl1ke events
not ABSORBED the ATTENTION OF congress tHAS
question would have been taken up and de-
termined. He had faith in the Republican
party and he had faith in the pledges that
the gold standard would be enacted into
statute law before the close of this admin
istration. He called attention to the ac-
House who had endeavored to check the
administration by declaring, while loudly
vociferating their Warltke demonstrations,
that thew would not vote the war appropria-
tions unless one of their three measures OF
finance were passed, either the income tax.
the issue of greenbacks or the coinage of
the alleged seigniorage. This spirit mani
tested in Congress indicated to him that by
the time November comes around, when the
present war shall have been finished, the
preaching the silver question and demand
ing cheap money, and he urged his hearers
to be ready to promptly meet the issue,
On the close of Mr.. OverstreetS speech the
convention at once adjourned
When the hall had become about half
emptv ''Chimmie" McNulty, a fine. strap
ming Irishman, happened to run across the
iusflV celebrated LAP Moore at the en-
france Moore. was in high dudgeon because
his own candidate had not been nominated
and declared with a sheer that If as many
Republicans Laid down" next fall as had
done so in the city campaign there would
not he enough left to elect Overstreet. The
quick blood of Erin was bubbing in
'Chimmies' veins and he resented the
suggestion and declared that he had never
failed to vote the Republican ticket. Words
few sharply back and forth for moment,
when Moore made at the Irish lad and there
was the liveliest sort OF mix for few
moments. The police were on mana prompt
discovered that both had been simply press
ING against each other and beating the Cir
clmambient air, so there were no bones
broken.