The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-02
II. $. NEW IN THE SEVENTH.
Chosen by AccIamatiOn-An Enthusi-
astic Convention

ast1c convention.
The Republican convention to select
member of the state committee from the
Seventh congressional district met yester-
day afternoon and selected Fl. S. New for
that position by reclamation. The conven-
ton was in line with the other Republican
meetings held in this city this year, being
marked by enthusiasm and perfect har-
mony, conditions which throw much vim
into the county organization, now buckling
On itSarmor for the campaign of 1s9S The
convention adopted strong resolutions in
dorsing the stand for sound money and cur
rency reform which the party has taken,
and also listened to ringing speech by
John L. Griffiths on the vital questions now
before the public mind.
The Criminal Court room was crowded
when Chairman Fesler called the convention
to order. There was but one name suc
gested for presiding officer, that of Mr..
Griff1ths, who was chosen With display of
enthusiasm on the part of the delegates.
In taking the chair, Mr.. Griffiths said in
part:
rms convention has an important duty
10 perform in the election of a member Of
Ine RepuDhcan state central committee. The
campaign of 1898 must be fought along the
lines laid down in the ST. Louis PLATFORM
never tire of reading the financial plank
III Lndl pldLIOfn-1t is so clear and concise
So convincing and stimulating To recede
now from the advanced position we took
then, would be disastrous to the cause of
sound money and stable CURRENCY There
must be no flirting with financial heresies
no casting of side glances in the direction
or cheap and dirty financial methods and
measures, no coquetting with economic va
garies. We must renew, or rather continue
the fight for an honest dollar and refuse TO
accept any substitute. When the integrity
or the Nation is assailed, the time has
passed for concession or compromise There
is nothing left to surrender then but honor
and when national honor is gone, national
greatness is simply memory, instead of a
live vital fact All the experiments in fl
nance on Mr.. Bryan's theory of securing a
tolerably honest currency have miserably
failed. In the early history of this country
the merchants of New England preferred to
close their shops rather than accept pay
ment for their goods in deprecated cur
rency. The most severe penalties, in the
way of fines and Imprisonment, could not
induce them to take down their shutters
persuaded or coerced to give something for
nothing. This is not bankrupt nation,
seeking to effect compromise with its
creditors, but a solvent nation, able to pay
its obligations in full.
II do not believe that all the intelli-
gence and wisdom and honesty of the conn
try is to be found In the Republican party.
but do say that when Republicans and
sound-money Democrats, actuated by the
highest patriotic motives, march side by
side, for the accomplishment of Il common
end, the residuum of conscience and honesty
to be found in the opposition is at least mi
croScop1c. We have Is President q man of
clear vision and fine courage, of earnest
purpose and stalwart conviction, who thinks
it would be shameless for his party to lower
its standard or abate its ardor when battle
is being waged for that most priceless of all
national possessions, the national honor.
His brave and ringing message to the peo-
pie, recently delivered in New York, shows
him to be the worthy leader of a worthy
cause believe that the Republican party
will win because it deserves to win, repre-
senting as 1t does now and has for more
than forty years of its splendid history. the
truest and therefore the safest principle i'm
government With wheat going up and sill
yer going down, with business improving
and bank clearances increasing, with the
army Of the unemployed steadily diminish
ing, with old industries reviving and new i'm
dustries springing up, with a deficit grad
ually changing into surplus. with q general
restoration of confidence with enough can
celed mortgages in Mr.. Bryans own State
since President McKinleys inauguration to
fill passenger coach, with the Republican
party in the lower house of Congress stand
ing as a unit against reputation. and in ia
vor of the honest fultillment of the Nations
obligations, the prospect Is not only encour-
aging but reassuring-
standing in the forefront OF the battle for
honest money. Within q little over a year
three conventions have met on our soil rep
resenting the largest business interests in
the country, and each in turn has declared
that gold standard must be maintained
for on the other side lies chaos. j, for one
believe that the State of Harrison and Nor
ton. the State which generously SO resound-
ed to the calls for men and money from
81 TO '65 will remain true to Republican
principles and that it will be known in
November from Maine to California that
we have fought Il good fight and kept the
faith and have still old-fashioned notions OF
honesty which have not been disturbed in
the least by rhetorical appeals to crowns
of thorns and crosses of gold.
I'VE want to carry Indiana by such a de-
cisve plurality that we viii place in the
United States Senate beside our present
able representative another senator whose
voice will ring out equally clear and sure in
defense of the Nations honor"
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Frequently throughout the delivery OF the
speech the delegates broke into applause.
Before the speech motion was made that