The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-07
THE DEMOCRATIC STATE CON-
VENTyOy


The Democratic State convention yester-
day was less demonstrative than that of
four years ago, though composed very
largely OF the same men, except that the
delegates from this county were known
friends of Mr. Taggart, whereas most of
the delegation four years ago was made up
of his enemies. In fact. the Taggart ele-
ment seemed to dominate the convention
through the influence of the state commit
tee. No distinct avowal was made in favor
Of 16 to /, but the Chicago platform was
Endorsed, and with that Endorsement the
following Endorsement of is to / was re-
affirmed by the Democratic convention:
We demand the free and unlimited COIN
age of both gold and silver at the present
legal ratio of 10 to I, without waiting for
the aid or consent of any other nation. We
demand that the standard silver dollar
shall be full legal tender, equally with
gold, for all debts, public and private. and
we favor such legislation as will prevent
for the future the decentralization of any
kind of legal-tender money by private con-
tract
The foregoing is what the Democratic
convention adopted yesterday as much as
if it had been put into a separate resolu-
ton. as a large part of the convention
desired.
For the most part the ticket is the ticket
of Mr.. Taggart and the state committee.
Mr.. Kern is the nominee for Governor, but
it was evident that If Mr.. Shively had not
been so nagged by combination of leaders
about the state committee as TO retire from
the field three weeks ago he would have
been nominated by reclamation. Even if he
had declared on Tuesday that he had been
tricled and would now accept the nominal
ton IL it should be given him. 1t is possible
that he would have been nominated. Ger
tainly Mr.. Kern would not have been nomi-
mated on the first ballot If Mr.. Shively had
not presented and had read note declar-
ing that he could not accept the nomination
If il were rendered him. The convention
wanted Mr.. Shively: it was forced to take
Mr.. Kern. AS to Mr.. Kern, it can be said
of him that personally he is an agreeable
gentleman who has many friends in In
dianapol.s. and some enemies in his own
party. He is bitter partisan wherever
partisanship can be brought in. With the
exception of his luminous speech during
the spring of 1896 against Is to l. his plat
form utterances are largely class appeals.
The rest of the ticket is made up of men,
so far as they are known. who well
thought of in the communities where they
live. The nominees, after Mr.. Kern, are
not so we'll known as were Mr. Ralston
who headed the ticket in 1898. and Mr..
Dougherty, who was candidate for state
treasurer. The delegates at large to the
national convention, selected by the state
committee. are all opposed to Is to 1, but
the silverites had not the courage to make
a protest with an opposing ticket. Shank
lin, Overmyer, Clark and others Of the
silver push are of the past.
The managers hurried the business
through, evidently fearful that some ultra
silverite would create disturbance by
dragging his out-of-date 16-to-1 heresy bod
lily before the convention, but silverites, for
once, had the sense to see that the organi-
zation was prepared to suppress them.