Richmond daily palladium., 1900-04-25


dustrial trades. The products OF fiel
and farm find ready and prohtabl
market. More farm mortgages hav
been paid, or renewed at reduced rate
Of interest. within the last three year,
than In any other ike period in Amel
lean history.
Commercial failures have becom
nominal in number ana ia sum. Lake
river and railroad traffic Is enormous
Labor l. employed, wages are bein
increased daily, and hope and conf
dence dominate the entire busines
| world.
Three years have. gone by and tn
direful prophesies OF the wordy timer
ent of the Platte remain unfulfilled
His cries Of impending disaster are "A
loud as ever. but they are browne,
| amid the glad shouts of contente,
| women and children and the joyou
| laughter of his wellfed countrymen
His theories have been crushed. on,
by one. by the stern, unyielding fact.
OF actual experience, till he il lcf
without an affirmative issue for til,
approaching campaign. The cherishe,
dogma of "16 TO l." abandoned. II.
| come an apostle of negation-a de
stroyer of other mems politics, and d
builder of none for himself
Happy indeed are the conditions un
der which we are assembled The oc
casion is pregnant with hope and pur-
pose II stirs 10 life glorious memories
of splendid past, and inspires within
us a Just hope Of a yet more glorious
and resplendent future Think, n
minute. \ virgin territory, vast in
area: consisting Of prairies and for
ests. of alternating hills and valleys.
broken here and there by placid lakes
and rippling rivers. the waters of
which commerce had not yet vexed: :
territory wrested from the Lilies of
France by the Cross of ST. George.
tude; uninhabited save by wild beasts
and savage men: has been transformed
in the brief space OF 100 years into a
populons. nell-govcrncd and prosper
Gus commonwealth, the home of
2.JOO.Oo0 of people, occupied with ev-
cry form OF industrial and social life
incident to Il high and complex ciyili-
Zation: a commonwealth upon whose
rivers and railroads are borne each
year a traffic equal To that of an EN-
pire; commonwealth, rich in all
that goes to make up the power and
glory of Il great state, the sixth in
rank and influence, of Il YET greater
Union
In this marvellous transformation the
Republican party can justly claim the
larger share. Think. minute, while
| recall the names of some of those
whose lives run like entwined threads
of silk and gold through the pages of
the states first century of history
William Henry Harrison. Henry $.
Lane. and Oliver L. Morton. the most
intrepid. stalwart spirit of "A most
heroic age: Schuyler ColfaX, Alvin L.
Hovey and benjamin Harrison. Stop.
my countrymen. and think. Tears
should mingle with these cheers.
There is another, whom ii Republican
state convention cannot forget-one
whose name and fame is linked with
that of Indiana as is linked the name
and fame of Washington and Lincoln.
with that of the Union. We buried him
but a few weeks since on the banks
of the broad river he loved and beside
which he lived and died His loss to
us was great. and we are not yet com
forted Our hearts are still heavy
with grief. Fer the first time since
the birth of the Republican party we
are to go into a political contest with
out his inspiring eloqucnce and wise
We miss him. ah, sirs. we
miss him. And yer, TO Us. he is not
dead. His influence lives and will live
forever. His spirit pervadcS the hall
in which we sit. From these walls
there come To us echoes of his wit
reason. inyective and eloquence. until
for the moment we forget our loss
and seem to sit again under the spell
of his matchlcss oratory. applauding
his periods. and laughing and weep
ing with him as of yorc No. my coun-
trymen. Richard w. Thompson
- not dead.
Hes Just away
Here in this asSemblage on the
floor. there: yonder i'll the gallery: on
this stage, from which he 50 often
spoke to u>: let Us renew our faith in
the doctrines he proclaimed. and here.
make high resolve to perpetuate in
power the party he loved and served
1t is ii consolation to know that his
fame is secure His name is engraved
on the fore front of the centuries and
is not to be forgotten. He now be
longs to the immortalS. Peace be to
his ashes.
The management of state affairs un-
der the administration of Governor
Mount. has been ut all times honest
economical and intelligent and pre-
sents striking contrast TO that of
prior Democratic administrations
On the 9TH day of March. 1889. the
indianapolis Sentinel the state organ
of the Democratic party. contained
this caustic but just arraicument of
Democratic officials in reference to the
mana cement of the state Institutions
The men who were selected by the
Democratic party have brought ever
lasting disgrace To the party that has
honored them They have proved re
creant 10 the trust committed to them
and have robbed the state with a free
hand.
Under Republican administration
these institutions have been taken out
of the control of partisan politics and
placed under nonpartisan manage
ment with a result which is most
gratifying to every humane citizen in
the state.
Prudence. honesty and economy
have characterized every fiscal act OF
the state government. and under the
hiws enacted by the late general as
sembly. the same wise principles have