The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-18

vague and concrete, can hardly be said TO
know what they really do believe, because
the principles they profess, if put forth
markedly, revolving TO their own
followers that they like at least 10 try 10
wrap the mantle OF hypocrisy about them.
They rant about trusts. but they have
nothing practicable 10 advance in the way
of remedy: nor is this TO be wondered at,
when one of the makers of their platform,
the representative from New York, and
Inc leader OF thelr organization III New
York are both themselves among the most
prominent stockholders in the worst trust
10 be found to-day in the United States-the
ice trust-which had justly exposed itself 10
the criticism which our opponents often
unjustly apply 10 every form of industrial
effort. They have invented the imaginary
danger of Imperialism, and about that they
also rave. Yet so conscious are they OF the
hollowness of their attack. so we'll aware
that to follow out their professions would
mean TO trail the American flag in the dust,
that they are obliged TO pretend that really,
after all. they are for expansion. After
| infinite labor they finally did decide that
| they still believed in free silver. This deci-
| sion was reached i'm their committee by d
vote of 20 10 "a, so that IL appears that they
| oriy have 81 per cent. of faith in their ~
cent dollar, after all. Even this amount or
| faith they were able to reach purely by the
| aid of Hawaii and yet four years ago they
objected much TO our expansion over
Hawaii as they now object TO our expansion
| over the hilippines. There is an element
of grim comedy IN these builders ao,ns; hanins
stone to make out of it the foundation OF
| their new platform.
ONE UNEQCWOCAL TENET.
"Their only unequivocal position is that
| I'm favor of free silver at ratio of 10 10 /,
for they have sought at least to make the
pretense of qualifying. or at least of cloud
| ing, what they mean when they ask for the
| relaxation of the bonds of justice and order
! and the abandonment OF our position as
great nation, manfully doing its part in the
| worlds work that must be done by all
| great nations True to their nature, they
| have sought to subordinate the one issue on
which they take a decisive stand, and they
| declare that they have subordinated the
| question of free silver to other questions.
| Now, as a matter OF fact, they cannot
decide which one of their various heresies
the people shall regard as the most I'M
| portant. The decision rests with the peo-
pie themselves, and those who are primar-
| lily interested in our financial honesty and
| industrial well-beinS cannot ana VIII not
| admit that any possible difference is caused
| by putting the free silver plank in one
| ather than another portion of the plat
| form. If man announces that he DeheVes
| i'm the doctrine of cowardly surrender and
| also in the doctrine of the reputation or
| debts. il makes not the slightest dinerence
as to the order in which he puts those two
| policies Neither does IL make any diff
| ference whether the Populistic Democracy,
| TO which we are now opposed, lays most
stress upon its determination TO debase the
| currency or upon its determination TO de-
| grade the flag. We are opposed TO both
propositions, and no self-respecting citizen,
| in making up his decision, can AFFORD 10
| neglect either.
silver now What need we say against
doctrine which would work "A sweeping ana
| destructive revolution in our financial sys-
tenn, and yet which is advanced by party
l ..,Ixr .afs. inln EST
| ly half of that party has opposed II! Al
| Kansas City it took the Democrats two
| days to determine upon the free-sllVer
| plank in their platform. The rest Oh the
| blanks did not need an hours work. And
| yet they solemnly ask that the two days
! plank shall be relegated 10 secondary
| position Indeed. If their attitude on TINS
| question were not full OF such terrible pos
sibilities of tragedy TO the Nation it would
| amount 10 a farce. My felow-townsman,
! Mr.. Richard Croker, the arbiter OF the des-
TIMES of the New York Democracy, mas
| recently evolved theory which Is entlrely
| worthy of serious consideration by men
| who are willing TO take the Kansas city
convention itself seriously. Mr.. Croker
| has announced that he thinks Congress
should change the ratio every four years
so that the only thing certain about our
| dollar would be that no one could ever
| prophesy more than that length OF time IN
| advance what il would amount to. Mr..
Croker's party associates appear inclined,
il is true, to treat his views on finance
! with levity. But in reality he Is Just as
much entitled to serious treatment from
| them as they are entitled to serious treat
| ment from MS. Ii is hardly necessary 10
| say that not merely free silver but the
| very threat of free silver would paralyze
| our whole industrial life. The election or
| Mr.. Bryan would cause such economic and
financial chaos as to reduce this whole
country TO condition of fearful and acute
| distress that cannot be imagined even by
| those who keep fresh in mind the dark days
| of
| sentatives of the populistic Democracy, as
at present imposed whom Mr.. Bryan could
| appoint as secretaries of state and OF the
| treasury would inevitably bring the coun-
| try to the brink of ruin; they would do far
| more TO harm ii now than they could have
| done four years ago.
| Now, as TO expansion. 1t hardly seems
| worth while to waste any time upon what
the Kansas City people call Imperialism
| and militarism. The dominant note of the
| Kansas City convention was insincer1ty.
| The convention which nominated Mr.. Bryan
in 1900 was, i'm character, infinitely below
| that which nominated him in 1896. In 1876,
| for all their wild and dangerous folly. his
| advocates had at least the merit OF slncer-
ity in their bitter fanaticism. However
| wrong headed. they knew what they be-
lieved, and they stated 1t without fear. In
| 1900 their actions were determined purely
by policy, and the pandering TO the worst
| and most degraded passions in our national
life bad enough in itself. was rendered in
| finitely worse because robbed of every YES
tige of honesty and sincerity.
DOCTRINES OF ANARCHY.
"They reasserted the doctrines of anarchy
which they preached in 1885, not because
they longer believed in them, but because
they hoped, by announcing them, to attract
to themselves all men of unsound and vio-
lent mind. When it came to dealing with
our foreign policy they deliberately strove
TO foster resistance to the national flag
where such resistance already exists, and
to call ii into being where il does not ex-
ist, with the hope of gaining some petty
party advantage, at no matter what cost
of ruin TO the Nation. They mouth about
imperialism and militarism, knowing that
there Is not one shred of truth in what
they say; knowing, if they know anything.
that their words are putting a premium on
trouble in every island from which the
Spaniards have been driven; and caring
nothing, because they wish 10 purchase
party success. even at the cost of dishonor
TO the flag; of death and suffering 10 the
men who fight under the flag. Bitter in
deed is the cup they hold out to the Ma
ton TO drink and thrice bitter ii will be
for the Nation If II does not spurn IT,
What they say about Cuba and Porto
Rico need not detain us for a moment In
Porto Rico we now have Governor Allen in
charge We have established a system
under which the island is advancing by
leaps and bounds 10 prosperity. In Cuba
1--we have put General Leonard Wood in
charge and all the preliminary steps have
been taken TO give to the people of the
=.