The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-08

Of birth or wealth, can be established or
maintained where the great masses are
prosperous and independent. 1t can exist
only amid cheap property, cheap labor and
are the soil in which 1t grows Then they
gave US a financial system which paraIyzed
our country, which cheapened property,
which crushed labor and which cheapened
manhood and destroyed Independence; thew
laid the first stone for American aristoe-
racy. II these conditions are to continue
then the star of the republic has set But
If we can overthrow this system, if we can
fe-cstablish bimetallism, If we can found
a scientific monetary system and restore
the price OF products and or property, II
We can raise the spirit OF labor and renew
the independence Of the masses then the
beginning or the next century viii crush this
aristOcracy TO atoms and caS ii to the fOlI
winds. and a liberated people. bowling only
10 the God who made them viii leap FOR
ward with a joy that shall gladden. the
earth. You see the money question con-
fronts US at the door 1t is not OF our choos-
ing. We cannot make issues. Issues grow
out Of wrongs-grow out or injustice, grow
out OF human suffering. CoWards and We X
lings evade them, but men must meet
What about IS to ]? Well. my friends. it
Is not in our power TO change this; 1t IS inn
possible to get anything along any other
line. Change the ratio and the whole case
dissolves. To be sure, theoretically this is
not so. but We have TO deal with fearfully
sad facts. For twenty years both OF the
great parties denounced the gold standard
and demanded the free coinage Of silver at
the old ratio. 1t looked if the question
would be settled in a week, but instead the
gold standard got more firmly seated In the
saddle how BY corruptly controlling the
government and manipulating Congress.
Open the question of ratio and you Will get
no action in century. TO crop the raJlo IS
to Detray the cause We are for the old
ratio because il is right, because it will I'M
do great crime because it will make
prosperity possible because we cannot sue
ceed in any other way, and because the sug-
sestions for a change come only from the
we are in a crisis The liberties of a
mighty people are at stake. There is no
neutral ground. Trimming and trading can
no longer be tolerated The world demands
earnestness and candor. | do not believe in
the black flag; give every honorable enemy
quarters. But we have sacred black
motto which we must keep to the front and
that is, Woe unto him who trifles with the
American democracy Grover Cleveland is
dead and he left no friends to whom to
send the obituary notices. Scores of Wab-
bling statesmen are to-day looking through
the fence into the graveyard for a burial
place because they were nit by the wrath
Of deceived people. Each age furnishes
weapon for the people. The weapon for
this age is initiative and referendum
through 1T we can restore democracy. Then
MI our people with the spirit of Andrew
jackson, and the corruption of Hamilton
ism, well as the hypocrisy of Mckinney
ism, will not longer threaten or disgrace
our land
Mr.. Stevenson's subject was The Demo-
TO history of the party and an argument
against expansion. Mr.. Suffers subject was
The Day We Celebrate" Mr.. Altgeld was
the only one of the speakers who made any
reference to free coinage, and he only
briefly. The subject did not receive much
attention from any OF the speakers. the
two or three references to W. j. Bryan as
the Democratic candidate in 1900 each ere
ated great enthusiasm. A letter from Mr.
ryan, expressing regret at his inability 10
De present, was nearlly cneered Wnen read.
In it Mr.. Bryan said
we are passing through a struggle SIM
liar TO that which the national bank forced
upon the Democratic party in the days OF
jackson, and the contest must end now as
Ii ended then unless our people have lost
interest in their own welfare. The increas-
ing brood of trusts, led by the money trust
the parent of all the others. will soon make
representative government a farce if they
continue 10 furnish the campaign contribu-
lions 10 elect omcials and then secure i'm
lnUnlty from punishment because of con-
tributIonS Two new Observation-Disclosures
and imperialism-haVe been thrust upon the
country as a result of the war; but they
can soon be removed from the arena OF
politics if met at once by the disciples OF
Jefferson and Jackson ana solved in accord
ance with Democratic principles. Those
who prize independence themselves are will
upon reason to advance their cause deny
the necessity for an increase in the perma-
nent military establishment Let those adj
vocate colonial policy who have lost faith
In self-goVernment; let those turn TO force
who discard Justice