The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-29

have to-day confronting them the most Sc
rious question that has arisen since slavery
day, Mr.. Seeds reviewed at length the
history of the monetary reform movement
and outlined the plan of the commission
indorsed by the conference this week. Con-
tnuing, he said:
1.-THE large number of men of affairs in
terested in the movement did not so about
the matter in blind or careless fashion. The
business of the country suffering from
malady of an intermittent nature, and In
stead of calling in a faith doctor or some
wild enthusiast on the subject of YARDS,
they called a consultation of men who
knew their ground thoroughly and did their
have succeeded in mn finding out the remedy
needed and have obtained substantial agree
ment upon it from the business interests of
the country, they are ready to prosecute
their appeal for curative legislation, first
before the people and then before Congress.
There are two ways of getting a measure
through Congress-one is by organizing
lobby in Washington and carrying on a fight
in the cloakrooms and upon the floor of
Congress. / do not say that many valuable
measures are not put through Congress In
this way, but do say that some measures
that are not distinctly honorable are are occa-
sionaly passed in this fashion. The men
who have this matter Of currency reform at
heart prefer the other way. They prefer TO
go before the people to educate and to or
to Congress with a united appeal for the
passage Of the measure. This method may
but it is more permanent in its results, and
when victory comes. that victory is GER
tainly much more satisfactory to those who
won 1t.
THE EDITORS ATTITUDE.
Indiana and the Republicans of Indiana
have already done much for this movement
but we can do, in the future, much more.
The State has been closely identified with
it and in so far as there has been any ex
preston of party opinion of a general ma
ture, that expression has been strong and
courageous in support of the right. On the
other hand, the movement has done much
for Indiana. TINS State is respected through
out the country to-day as it has never been
respected before. Instead of being looked
down upon as the home of partly civilized
people with long WhiSkeTS and strange dia-
lect, Indiana is looked up to as the mother
of a patriotic movement and a center of
modern, up-to-date business opinion. The re-
lation between the movement and our peo-
pie is thus reciprocal and While we nave
held up its banner and helped to give 1T
force and strength it has, in turn, given us
prestige and raised us in the estl-
nation Of our countrymen. What is to be
our attitude as Indiana Republican
editors during the next six months when
this matter comes before the people di-
rect and we are expected to express our
views upon 1t, day after day and week after
week? The answer lies in the nature and
in the history of the Republican party.
With us to do nothing is to die, to drift is
to drift toward the shoals of Democracy.
When the Republican party lodges 1t dis
appears. In every free government since
the world began there have been two great
popular divisions among the people-tWo
parties, though they were not known as
parties in olden times. One must be the
party of progress, or, If you please, the rad
zeal party, at any rate the party that goes
forward and does things, the party that
maps out a constructive policy and builds
UP and does not tear down. The other must
be conservative party, or, IL you please,
a party of retrogression a party that IS
held together by the cohesive force of OPP
position, that thrives only upon defeat and
disintegrates when placed in power, where
it is expected to have defined policy of
action. This is but natural, for the reason
of it's being is opposition to action. 1t may
sound bit odd to call the Democratic party
conservative party, and the name retro
this country it is the brake upon the Wheel
the drag upon the chariot of progress 1t
is the party that stands off and criticises
and growls and objects until it gathers to
itself enough discontented people to win
majority. Then it is placed in a position of
responsibility and Immediately dsintegrates
and goes down to defeat because it has not
within itself the power to agree upon
constructive policy.
hand, from the very nature of it's being, is
the party of progress and action 1t hangs
together, not through the force of mutual
opposition to some line of policy inaugur-
ated by another party, but through the
strength of living principles. 1T draws to-
gether the people who believe that it's ac-
tive line of policy is right. 1t is our BUSH
ness, as men who in humble way seek to
do the best we can for our party and for
scientiously, to look at this subject care
fully, to make up our minds whether the
movement for currency reform is right,
whether the things proposed by the com
mission are right. and if we make up our
minds that they are right, that they would
bring about better conditions, that they
would be conducive to the prosperity and
the happiness of the people as a whole, then
let us take up the fight for them with the
every community of Indiana enough of
conscience, enough of justice and enough of
patriotism to sustain US in an earnest and
honest battle for better things"
THE APPROACHING CAMPAIGN.
Harry S. New, of the Indianapolis Jour-
nal, was the next speaker called upon by
the president. Mr.. New responded with a
short talk on the topic THE Indiana Press
in the Approaching Campaign" He said
that he was present to hear counsel rather
than to speak, but that he would say that
the duty of the Republican editors this
year was very arduous one. while every
campaign is an important one" said he,
this particular campaign is of extraordi-
nary importance" He referred to the fight
made by the Indiana delegation at the St
Louis convention. Probably one-half of the
members of that delegation, he said, were
opposed to the employment of the word
gold in the platform from fear of Offend
ing their constituents and it took earnest
argument to bring them over to the views
by the delegation subsequently turned the
tide of opinion at the convention and made
possible the courageous plank of the plat
from upholding the gold standard. ''It was
the bravery of the Republican party" con-
tlnued Mr.. New, that brought to us the
support of the gold Democracy, which ele-
ment it is my humble Judgment made cer-
tain the election Of President Mckinley
The gold Democrats represented all the
business element that was affiliated with
the Democratic party; they composed all
that was respectable in that organization,
and they left their party for principles
sake: They have been brave and we Re-
pubicans should not be less So
Mr.. New, continuing, said that the money
question was pressing for solution ana that
no matter now timid some may be re-
speeding it, there was no downing it. The
Republican editors of Indiana should study
1t and equip themselves for the great fight.
The reputation of the State in past years
has been largely one for fiatism and green
backism, and in the convention of 1883
many of the representatives of other
states were dubious as to the ability of
Indiana to furnish man equal to the
emergencies of the executive chair. They
wondered if any good could possibly come
out of Nazareth, but the wisdom of the
than demonstrated by his capable and con-
scientious administration of the Nations
affairs. Since 1888 there has been State
that has produced greater intellectual
giants than the Hoosier State, and the lack
of confidence in the wisdom of the voters
there IS nothing that is bringing greater
credit to it than the stand it has taken
in monetary reform. 1t is in the forefront
of the movement 1t was the State
that absolutely settled the question whether
the Republican party was going to be bold