The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-02
IN FIGHTING SHAPE.



Seymour, secretary. Mr.. Montgomery. be-
fore assuming the duties of the chair adj
dressed the convention in brief speech.
After the appointment of committee on
credentials and resolutions, the convention
adjourned to meet at p. m. AT that hour
the committee on resolutions not being
ready to report, Governor Will CuInback
was called for and made a stirring speech.
Among other things, he said:
THE supreme purpose of the Republican
party is to conserve the best interests OF
the country. The Republican party has no
element of cowardicA In it's conservatism.
1t has always had clear convictions of pub
lie duty and has never heStated to main
tain and enforce what is best for the pro-
motion of the public welfare. 1t has never
allowed senseless prejudices or bsnighted
ignorance to dictate it's policy or shape its
platforms. 1t has always scorned to resort
to the clap-trap and flapdoodlelsm OF dema-
gogueS to secure votes 1t has boldly met
all its promises by writing every line of it's
platform in the statute books when 1t had
the power to do So 1t was called into ex-
istence to arrest the spread of slavery, and
it's first duty was to prevent the dissolu-
1t went, in the very beginning, to the field
of battle to fight for the enforcement OF
the sovereignty of the Nation, for the free
dom of man-to prove to the world that man
has the capacity to govern himself without
the Intervention of kings and despots. Its
education from the first was in the high
These great and distinguishing character
isticS of our party have rlpened and
strengened all the conflicts of the last half
of the expiring century, and to-day 1t is
the acknowledged leader of American civ
ilization. The rapid development Of the
country. the soundness of it's currency the
happiness and prosperity of the people, and
the respect paid to our flag by all the ma
tions of the world are the conclusive proofs
of the wisdom of Republican policy and
purposes. And yet the opposition political
parties have falsely assumed to be reform
ers. Reformation is glorious word. 1t has
been emblaZoned on the banners OF the
philanthropists and the patriots in all ages
of the world, and in every degree and con-
dition Of civilization II has been mad, made
human courage and the blood of the
martyr. But the base uses that the oppoSi-
less dissertation. Grover Cleveland came in
under the hue and cry of tariff reform.
When they secured Congress that would
do his bidding they reformed the tariff.
The ruin of the industries of the country,
the bankruptcies of it's enterprising citizens,
the closing of the doors of the banks. the
starvation of the laboring classes, the in
crease of the national debt by the hundreds
of millions, and destruction of confidence
were the evils that were let down on the
people. All of this was done in the sacred
name of reform. The only good things that
were left in the crash and ruin that came
upon us was the sound currency that the
Republican party had given the country.
and the unfailing courage this gave to
patriots and honest men to. preserve and
the fiasco of tariff reform. They then under
took to reform the currency. The fierce
campaign of 1896 is SO fresh in all our
minds that the failure of this miserable
piece of business need not to be retold. the
people rallied to our support, and the eI-
fort to induce enlightened Americans to
look to the Mexican greasers or the barbar-
ism of China for a fine ncial policy was
worse failure as a political venture than
any of the many reformatory schemes that
they had attempted. On this issue the Dem
ocrats and Populists united with
to hold themselves together, with
two candidates for Vice President.
These Siamese twins of modern politics who
were bound together by the hope Of public
their venality and rested this hope main
ly in the belief that they could unsettle
the faith of the people in the purity and
honesty of the government. that they could
shake their confidence in the Supreme
Court, that they could inculcate the poison
in the minds of men that all enforcement
Of laws to suppress riot and protect proper
ty is tyranny and oppression. This was the
umbilical chord that held them together
and made them vie with each order in
yelling for Bryan for President They so
moderated the intelligence of the people
that they imagined that the calamltles that
they themselves had brought upon the peo-
pie could be charged up to the sound cur
rency that we had given the country; that
the money we had issued to the people was
entirely too good. But the cheat was too
palpable. The people stood by the Repub-
lican party and gave us William Mckinley
tion to American industries. When the
smoke of the conflict cleared away with the
news of his election came hope and con-
us this gallant soldier in the time of war,
this great and accomplished statesman in
time of peace. but they gave us sound
money House of Representatives and pro-
tectiVe Congress.
'As soon as Mckinley was inaugurated
he called Congress together, and when the
House of Representatives met they put Tom
Reed in the chair and then business for the
people began. No time was wasted IN
passing a bill that would furnish the rev.
enue for q depleted treasury and put the
idle mills Of the country at work. The
turn of the spindles in the factory, the
music of the neglected hammer and saw of
the mechanic, and the song of the farmer
as he found a market and better prices for
his products, is Silencing the howl of this
dual prodigy of free trade and free silver.
Their chief source of consolation now is
that somebody has made an assignment;
some hands in some cotton mills or coal
mine have struck for higher wages. These
things are sweet morsels to the Democrat
and the Populst, proving that old adage
that What is sauce for the goose is sauce
for the gander.' When the country, weak
ened and Frustrated as 1t has been by Dem
ocratic reforms. shall have recovered its
old-time strength and vitality, and universal
prosperity comes to all classes of people
as all signs so clearly INDICATE, this oceu-
patton of the twins will be gone. The
remnant of this misfit as a political COM
bination can have plenty of time allotted
them to sort themselves out from each
other and indulge in mutual recrimination
as to the sources of the woes that have
come to them, assured that business men
will heartily accept as true all the accusa-
tions that they make each of the other"
Torty-four yeats ago Governor Cumback
was the successful candidate for Congress
against w. S. Holman and his speech of to-
day showed he had not lost his youthful
force and vigor. Frank Suits. of Aurora,
also spoke and then Hon. NJ. r. Sulzer, of
Madison chairman of the committee on res
olutions, reported as follows:
I'VE haye faith in the gold dollar as the
measure of value and the basis of our cur
rency We applaud the action OF the House
of Representatives and 0eplore the passage
by the Senate of the Teller resolution. we
ton of President Mckinley and point with
pcide to the Increasing usefulness and
craftsmanship of Senator G. w. FAIRBANKS ::
we commend the economic and busineSs-llke
administration of the affairs of the state OF
Indiana; we condemn the attempt of Grover
Cleveland in giving protection, through civ
il-service rules to the mass OF incompetent
officers and believe that President Mckln-
ley will correct the wrong and mel OF
natural ability, cduCs zion and chara ,ter,
competent to discharge the duties, APP
pointed to the positions preference being
given to the party in power.
The resolutions were quickly adopted, al
ter which Thomas McNutt, of Madison, the
present chairman OF Jefferson county. was
unanimously chosen committeeman OF this
congressional district
FIFTH DISTRICT.
committeeman FiIbecIS Neglected on
the SeVenty-FOurth ballot.
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