The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-23
PLATFORM AND TICKET.
DIR. III. III. Morrison, of GreencastIe, for
Secretary of State.

DIR. III. III. Morrison, of GreencastIe, for
Secretary of State.
The fight between the fusionsts and the
middle-of-the-roader eliminated at the
night session, resulting in the triumph of
Motsinger and the routing of the Bryan
ties. For four hours the convention was in
an almost continuous turmoil, and at times
it looked as if it might break up in row
or result in a bolt of the fusionists. But
neither Of these things occurred, although
the fusionists were inclined to take their
medicine with a had grace. One of them,
as as the battle was lost. jumped up
and in loud voice exclaimed: Now, gem
tlemen, I want to say to you that your
action means goodbye to the Populist
party"
The subject before the convention until
IL o'clock was the adoption of the plat
form. The committee on resolutions had
wrestled with this interesting document all
the previous night and had arrived at the
following formulation of principles:
The committee on resolutions reported the
following platform:
No. l. We, the members of the Peoples party
of the State of Indiana, in convention assembled,
reaffirm our faith in the principles of the Omaha
and st. Louis platforms and hereby pledge our
serves anew to renew the hght with increased
vigor and courage until every principle therein
set forth shall be enacted into law and placed
of record upon statutes
No. 2. We demand the abolition of all issue of
money to national banks, and that the govern
ment shall issue money at per cent. interest on
pied lands, to the amount of one-third the actual
notes shall be legal tender for all debts, public
and private No farm mortgage notes shall be
issued on land owned by aliens.
No. 8. We reaffirm our faith in the people, and
powers from the consent Of the governed; that
voting
for rulers over whom there is no control except
that of defeat: that the people should have the
absolute power of initiating any legislation need
ed and of ratifying or rejecting any law enacted
,o,, 10 n,resr,-ed Ord The ,otar,1enf he rnads
81 government of the people, we declare for the
adoption of the initiative and referendum and
imperative mandate, by which the power of the
people can be exercised in government
We pledge ourselves, as a party, when placed
further pledge ourselves to present to the people
for adoption legislation covering the following
No. 4. We favor legislative regulation and rad
zeal reduction of telegraph and telephone tolls
No. 5. We favor legislative reduction of the
railroad passenger rates to cents per mile.
No. 8. We favor a reduction of the maximum
legal rate of interest on money in Indiana to s
per cent. per annum.
representations; therefore, we favor giving the
elective franchise to
No. g. We favor abolishing the liquor traffic.
No. o. We opposed to government by in
junction as applied to labor disturbances.
law whereby we will be enabled to protect the
people from incompetent druggists
No. IL. We favor the election OF the county
school superintendent by popular vote instead
of by vote of trustees.
:, Resolved Ihat we faVor the just admlnistra-
soldiers the difference between the deprecated
currency in which they were paid and coin; and
we favor a service pension law.
Resolved, That we denounce the Indifference of
the nresent administration toward the citizens of
Cuba in their struggles for liberty and we en-
phasize our previous demand for the immediate
recognition of the independence of Cuba
ANTI-FUSION PLANK ADOPTED.
During the session of the committee the
question of adding an anti-fusion plank
was fought to what thought to be
finish, but after the committee adjourned,
Motsinger and e. A Harmon, two MEM
bers of the committee drew up minority
report which was as follows:
Since Indiana has not spoken before in state
convention since the campaign of 1896 and the
report of the majority has not spoken in the
resolutions on the question Of fusion, which has
so demoralized ranks, We the minority of
the committee on resolutions. beg to submit the
following report:
I'VE view with deep regret the decentralization
of the Peoples party by fusion; therefore.
Resolved, That put straight Popust tick
cts in the state, thus carrying principles
with our own candidates under name
and emblem
The minority report was adopted in the
first hour after much combustion, but was
again taken up later on when the cOnVen-
ton resolved to consider each plank of the
platform seriatim. AS soon as 1T came up
the second time the oratory of the rural
statesmen was without bounds After a mo-
ton to adjourn, made by Charles Schofield,
was defeated and fifty delegates were at
tempting TO obtain the ear of the chairman
at one and the same time, 4. N. Left. who
distinguished himself as the self-made
chairman of the morning, begun the de-
livery OF a hery appeal to the mddle-of-the-
readers not to elect legislative members
that would vote for the gold standard. A.
F. Burkhardt and Editor Vincent made
similar appeals on behalf of fusion, stating
that they wanted home rule, and thought
the county, township and city organizations
should be allowed to proceed as their best
terse speech, saying that it was strange
thing that anyone should object to Popu-
and closed by saying: Men OF Indiana if
you love your country and your party, vote
for this resolution.
A. j. Padgett succeeded in getting the
resolution amended so that it should mot
be construed to prevent the people III coun-
ties cities and townships in uniting
with other persons in order to get rid of in
competent and dishonest public officials"
In place of the word persons he had in
serted parties. but the middle-of-the-road-
ers made the change and adopted the
amendment Allen Jennings stood up for
fusion and called loudly for the sergeant
alarms TO quell the disturbance. But final
ly the chairman managed to put the mo-
ton on the resolution and the middle-of-
the-roaders having the clear majority he
VI ~oAtASi cilillh Stedt CHEERING.
The Populist party had divorced itself from
Democracy and had decided to go II alone
with that independence which is the neces-
sary attribute of a genuine political or
ganization.
OTHER PLANKS PUT IN.
The rest OF the planks in the platform
underwent some alteration at the hands of
the convention. The second plank was made
to read: I'VE demand the abolition of all
issue of money by national banks. the rest
of the plank relating to government loaning
money for the payment of farm mort
cages being stricken out on the grounds