The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-19
Party Should Avoid Disaster by Keep
ing I'm Safe Course Under Guild
ance of True Democracy.
DELEGATES TO PHILADELPHIA
FOUR CHOSEN TO REPRESENT VER-
MONT REPUBLICANS.
Platform In Favor of Expansions
Dewey Nominated for President
by Carl Brown, the COxeyite.

Democratic Club gave a dinner tonight at
the Germania Club to commemorate the
157th anniversary of the birth of Thomas
Jefferson. About $50 persons were present.
At the guests table were Ex-Governor
James E. Campbell of Ohio. Joseph l..
Willett of Alabama, and other prominent
public men.
Former President Grover Cleveland sent
letter regretting his inability to be pres
ent and expressing his opinions on the
present Democracy. The letter follows:
Dear Sir-I regret that / am unable to
accept your invitation to attend the din
ner to be given by the Brooklyn Demo-
cratic Club on the 18th inst. to commem-
crate the birth of Thomas jefferson.
when those who profess the Democratic
faith meet TO celebrate the birth OF the
man who first gave that faith distinct
formulation their pride in the achieve
ments and triumphs Of the party which
he founded should not entirely displace all
thought of the present situation and the
conditions which, in the light of expert
ence, appear to be essential to its success.
Though the faults of the party in power
are many and though its offenses against
the political health and safety of the coun-
try are fragrant, these things should not
encourage us to base expectation of
success and hope for the restoration of
wholesome administration upon the short
comings of our adversaries. We should too
well understand their ability to attach to
their fortunes the powerful contingent of
selfish interests, to place confident reli-
ance on the weakness which ought to be
the penalty of their n1tsdeeds.
Besides, none of us can close our eyes
TO the fact that the Democratic party is
only formidable in its own strength. Its
power to win victories has always beer
found to depend on sturdy and consist
ent adherence TO it's time-honored princi-
pies, which have proved sufficient to meet
every emergency of our national life.
Whatever successes may have attended a
party of opportunity with sails spread for
every transient breeze of popular sentiment
or excitement, experience has abundantly
stituteG that 1t is only strong wnen
courageous in the right and only victorious
when it's forces are marshaled under its
old and well-organized standards.
Our principles simple and they
accord so we'll with the honest American
disposition which loves freedom and cares
for the public welfare that they are easily
understood by the Democratic masses. As
a result of this there has never been a
time when false leadership of party
and 4 departure from simple Democratic
faith have not been quickly discovered and
ruthlessly rebuked by listless support, pro-
rounced detection and bitter defeat These
consequences have thus far been so in
evitable that the lessons they teach cannot
be disregarded without inviting calamity.
1.-THE healthfulness of our party may we'll
be questioned when it shrinks from such IN
examination of its position as will enable
1t to avoid disaster by keeping in course
Of safety under the guidance of true
Democracy. Therefore those who claim to
&c followers of Thomas Jefferson will fail
TO discharge a solemn duty If in this time
of doubt and temptation they neglect such
an examination, and If this discloses ten
dency i'll party control TO subordinate the
principles of pure Democracy and to dis
trust their conquering power then condi-
tons should not continue without tSAvc
and early Democratic protest.
'I have addressed these words to Fellow
Democrats in the full consciousness that 1
am far removed from any influence in party
management. but love the old Democratic
party and 1 have written under the sane
tion of that freedom of speech which
Thomas Jefferson placed among the cardi-
nal factors of our Democratic creed.
GROVER CLEVELAND"
A letter was also read from Ex-Governor
Boies, of Iowa, in which he advocated the
freedom of Cuba and the giving up of the
Philippines. Gen. Joseph Wheeler and
Col. Norris G. Osborne, editor of the New
Haven Palladium, also sent letters of re-
gret. The latter was to have responded TO
the toast. Thomas Jefferson
Joseph ]. Willett responded to the toast.
"a Century of Democracy"
CAMPBELLS ADDRESS.
Ex-Governor Campbell followed with an
address on 1.-THE Restoration of Jeffer-
sonian Democracy" He said in part:
"The Chicago platform enunciated many
great and endearing truths. but II coupled
them to ct least one fatal error-the un-
Jeffersonian and. under existing mining
proposition of Is 10 l. A majority of the
electors of the country were bimetallists.
Forced to choose between the truth forms
of monometallism they chose gold By
lf- 49, 1lAI
the gold standard but also with financial
bill which creates that most powerful and
dangerous OF all trusts-a money trust. II
is sufficient to know that 1e to is dead and
that just so long as we proclaim our inten-
ton to resurrect ii just that long will our
resurrection be postponed.
Mr.. Campbell declared the army of vot-
ers had plenty of work at good wages.
Continuing, he said: 1T will be hard to en-
list their cooperation to destroy oppres-
sion in Porto Rico or stay imperialism in
the Philippines unless we first abandon the
menace 10 their own prosperity.
Eighty millions of people are crying for
relief against the plutocracy of wealth
which is about to enslave them, ard the
imminent nor dangerous than the monetary
Imperialism which mcnaces us at home
nor is government by injunction less plain
ly in evidence than government by syndi-
cate.
Labor is jailed or shot at Occur d'Alene:
treaties are made which barter away the
Monroe doctrine ard bind us captive 10
the chariots of European potentates; the
Constitution of the Ualted States is de-
bauched and reconstructed until We are
uncertain of our own rights-certain only
that our unhappy captive lands have no
rights That white nan Is hound 10 re-
spect: scandals in army contracts. pur-
chases CT ships, sales of custom, houses,
favored hank deposits and all other forms
CT money grabbing are rife on every hand:
great corporations alr reaoy glutted with
proflt are to be subsidized under the
specious pretext OF restoring our wasted
merchant marine.
This may be our last stand. Let the
party o. plutocracy once more succeed and