The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-19
REPUBLICANS ARRAIGNED
Effect of the Financial Bill, as
Viewed by SiIverites.


WASHINGTON, Dee. 1S.-After the pass
age to-day by the House Of the financial
bill. the silver Republican leaders in the
city held meeting and adopted an ad-
dress setting forth their views as to the
effect. over half of the address is devoted
to an arraignment of the Republican party
for alleged repudiation Of its st. Louis
platform, which, ii is charged, was framed
with intent TO deceive bimetallists. Re-
ferring to the bill just passed the address
says:
1.-The vast bonded debt of the country
now payable in COIN that Is, either In
gold ar silver, is TO be made payable in
gold alone. Nearly half a billion of stand
ard silver dollars, heretofore not redeem
able in anything, not a constitutional bur-
den on either the gold reserve or the credit
OF the government but forming large per-
centage of our basic money, are hereafter
to be redeemable in gold, thus increasing
tremendously the strain on that metal
and becoming endless chain with
which to pull gold from the treasury and
affording an excuse for the final destruc-
ton of the silver dollar as money and
their forced sale as bullion, after the man
ner of the German procedure in lSI2. The
greenbacks, the best paper the world ever
saw, the product of the patriotism and
craftsmanship of the Republican party In
the days of Abraham Lincoln are TO be
virtually destroyed by being changed into
gold certificates, to be locked up in the
treasury and paid out only for gold.
1.-The tax on the circulation of the nation
al banks is to be reduced and the amount
of the bank currency they may issue on
government bonds deposited Is to be in
creased from 80 per cent. TO par of the
bonds; thus making their business enor-
mously more profitable, opening the way
to an immediate possible imitation or the
bank notes. not legal tender, excellent for
getting into debt on, but unavailable for
getting out of debt with, to the extent of
$500. .00O0 900; and placing the regulation ofthe
volume of money and hence the determine
tion of prices and the burden of debts, alb
solutely in the power of the banks and the
creditor class. The inevitable tendency
among these banks will be toward uni
formity and cooperation of management,
the result of which will speedily be the
erection Of great bank money trust, more
powerful than all other trusts and COM
bines. and ultimately If the Republican
rarty should remain in power irrestible
and unresisted by the government itself.
THUS, fellow-citizens, the scheme We de-
nounced In 1894 is nearing consummation
The policy that was denied by the Repub-
lican party In that campaign stands now
confessed. Millions Of you who voted the
Republican ticket in 1896 would not have
done so had you believed your party des-
tined so soon to be the agent of the forces
that now dominate 1t. Millions or you were
bimetallists in 1896 and remain so to-day.
Now that the promises then made you are
that as a consequence Of the deception
your country is about to be handed to the
ownership and control of the great specu-
lative banks and their associated trusts
and commissions; may we not appeal to
you - come to the rescue of the liberties
of tile people and their imperiled institu-
tions? In the spring Of 1897 the undersigned
took the steps leading to the organization
of the silver Republican party. Against the
betrayers of the Republicanism of Abra-
ham Lincoln that party resolved to wage
unending war. To-day the necessity for
it's work is more evident than ever. Come
with us and help us. We believe that the
highest devotion to the Republicanism you
once venerated demands that you oppose
to the uttermost the present tendencies of
the party which still wears the name, but
has forsaken the principles Of its heroic
days"
The address is signed by Charles A.
Towne, Henry M. Teller. r. F. Pc -tigrew.
Frank ]. Cannon. Edgar Wilson, Charles
s. Hartman, John Shafroth and Fred T.
Dubois.