The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-15
UNDER REPUBLICAN RULE
HENRY COUNTY AN OBJECT LESSON
FOR TAx-RIDDEN COMMUNITIES.
Text Of Chairman Hernly's Speech at
Saturdays Convention-Work Of
Two Parties Reviewed.
;pecIal to the Indianapolis journal.

convention Saturday. All the party lead
ers were here, including State Chairman
Hernly and Senator L. p. Newly. During
| the convention II was said that Mr.. Hernly
| never felt the need of a telegraphic serv-
| ice to tell him the result of the elections
throughout the State, as it was his claim
he could tell the way the State was going
by the vote in his own precinct During
the speeches which followed the selection
Of delegates the statement was made that
Henry county furnished the best possible
argument in favor of continuous Repub-
| lican rule in local affairs, in that for forty
years not Democrat had been elected
to Office in Henry county. and that dur
| ing that time. dating back to the presi-
Dental campaign of John c. Fremont,
| there had never been a defalcation by an
| officeholder in the county Good roads
had been built and public buildings erected
and kept in good condition and at the pres
| ent time, Henry county is free from debts
| of all description and has cash balance
| of $4,000 in bank, with the lowest rate of
| taxation in the State. For the first time in
the history of any county, Henry county
| has a delinquent tax list too small to pay
the expense of publishing it and as a re-
suit there will be no sheriff's sales in that
| county.
| Aside from the smoothness of the pro-
ceedings, which made the convention re-
| scmble a lovefeast rather than a political
meeting, the most noticeable thing was the
| speech of Chairman Hernly prepared, as he
said. during the noon recess. 1t follows:
'My Fellow-citizens-I feel under more
| obligation than it is possible for me to
| express to my friends and neighbors in
| my home county. Whatever of success
| have attained, either in politics or bust
| ness,is due first to my friends and neigh
bors in Henry county; and / thank you
| most cordially for your friendship and con-
| fdence. To preside at a Republican mass
| convention in this grand old county of
Henry, where Republicans have met to
| make arrangements for the battle of
1905 is great honor, and re-
| turn to you my most cordial thanks for
| this recognition of your confidence. There
have been great political contests in the
| past between the two dominant parties
| for supremacy, and each campaign has
| been one of great Importance to the peo-
| pie, as well as to the welfare of our Re-
| public. And it is customary to say, as we
| approach each presidential election, that
| this is the most important one that we
| have ever confronted. But ] think the
| same is truer of the coming campaign than
| any we have entered upon since 1864. There
| are many new questions before us, and
| new era of things has dawned upon us.
| We shall end this old century and begin
| a new one with the greatest and most
| serious questions confronting us that have
| ever been presented to the people. Hence,
the Importance of this campaign cannot
| be overestimated. and our party should
| not be overconfident of success. 1t is a
| great undertaking to elect President,
| and only be successful by the
| active, harmonious and enthusiastic sup
| port of every Republican.
CAUSE FOR CONGRATULATIONS.
"The Republican party has cause to con-
| graduate herself upon her achievement.
both in the State and in the Nation. She
can be proud of her record of redeemed
promises which has been given through
her state and national platforms, and be-
| fore go farther want to call attention
| to some of the conditions of state
government. The passage by the last
Legislature of the county and township
| reform laws, at once places the great
| State of Indiana in the front rank of her
| sister States the question of local gov
| eminent, and Notwithstanding the oppos;-
| ton to these laws at the time they were
enacted, they have come to stay and the
principles of government contained in
| these laws will forever be a part of our
| local government and they will be fully
appreciated when once in full operation,
! in a wholesome reduction of taxation
which they will bring to the people, and
other States in the Union will follow In.
| diana in her lead in the management of
local government. Too much praise cam
not be given to the wise. prudent and eco
nomical management of all our state In
| stitntions under the Republican control Of
our state affairs. The State debt is being
paid off under this administration ind
| soon she will be free from debt; the bur-
| den of taxes to pay interest and principal
will be taken off the shoulders of the
| people and Indiana will be one of the
| States of the Union that can be looked to
with pride by all of her sister States.
THE magnificent victory for our party
| in 1888. amid so much apathy, shows what
can be done by thorough organization cf
the precincts, and / cannot let this oppor-
| tunity go by without expressing my SIN
cere and cordial thanks for the faithful
| and honest work done by the precinct COM
mitteemen throughout Indiana in that cam
| paign, and want to testify now that on
the integrity and activity of these men
| depends the success of the struggle we are
now entering upon, and bespeak for them
| the assistance and cooperation and loyal
| support of all their fellow Republicans I
| want to insist on the point of the i'm
portance of this campaign, made so by the
4 many new questions / have before sug
| gested. which call for the careful and
thorough consideration of every voter
Among the many new questions which
confront us in this campaign none Is more
| important than that of expansion. Since
| the last presidential campaign we have
| acquired vast area of new territory and
|
| on the large expanse of rich and produc-
| tive islands of both hemispheres These
islands are now part of the United
States as much as this State of Indiana
| is part of our own great country. In
| part of this new territory there is now
| going on a rebellion against the United
States to govern her own territory The
| inhabitants of these islands who are ia
| rebellion traitors to the flag and the
residents of this county who are in
| sympathy with them and who are aiding
and abetting them in this rebellion are
conspirators in this rebellion and are guilty
of treason and when apprehended should
be dealt with by the strong arm of our
government such.
INSULAR PROBLEMS.
Another of the great questions will be
the formulating of a stable and free gov
eminent for the islands of Porto Rico and
the Philippines and the settlement of the
Cuban question. The Republican party is
best fitted by her experience to carry to
those poor benighted people a government
| which will guarantee to them absolute free
dom and liberty and protect them from the
greed Of other nations of the world
Another question is the construction of
the Nicaraguan canal so that the two
oceans may be joined together and the dis
lance in passing from one part of our Re-
public TO another be shortened that
time will scarcely be estimated in the pas