The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-29
THE HICKORY ELM CLUB.
The President on the Dickinson Let.
ter-CleveIand's Attitude.

The president opened by announcing that
Organism had received another fatal blow
from an unexpected source.
How many fatal blows can a party
stand and still live?" inquired Colonel
Garlic. 'T was under the impression that
when living thing had been struck one
fatal blow that that was the end of it,"
You are raising a nice question there.
colonel replied the president, land your
impression is no doubt correct in a certain
sense, but you must know that death does
not always Immediately follow a fatal
blow. For instance, a man may be wounded
in two or three different places, each
wound certain to prove fatal and yet
under careful surgical torture. manipula-
ton and treatment, the mans life may be
prolonged until the election day. when he
will suddenly expire the result OF his
wounds. The surgeon in charge may not
be able to say which wound is entitled to
the distinct honor of producing death and
depriving him of a profitable patient but
he knows from the failures he has enjoyed
in his practice that either wound would
have brought that result But I am not
here TO discuss questions belonging TO the
know as much as / do
1.-THE blow at Organism to which L was
about to call the attention of the club
when 1 was interrupted moment ago
seemed to have the force of a forty-ton
tilt-hammer in an iron mill. / refer TO a
recent letter from Don NJ. Dickinson, ex-
postmaster general under Mr.. Cleveland
addressed to the Hickory Elm Club and TO
all whom Ii might concern. The gist of the
letter that in the opinion of the writer
MIR. Bryan is not a Democrat but a pessi-
mist and Populist with big p The let
ter says that Bryan is preaching the COS
pei of hate; appealing TO the enyious. the
disconnected. the improvident the incom-
petent and the unworthy. And worse still
he tries TO set friend against friend, neigh
Dor against neighbor, family against fam
lily. section against section and nation
against nation, making the ALWAYS danger
Gus appeal TO the evil in human nafnre
L am sorry that / cannot remember AN tia (,
Mr.. Dickinson said about Mr.. Bryan but I
can testify under oath that what he said
was aplenty. He even went so far As TO
announce that he would not only not vote for
Bryan, but, as an act of patriotism he
would vote for Mckinley Now. What do
you think of that? 1 do not know what
action the club ought to take on this re-
markable and dangerous letter, but I do
know that If this sort of thing is nor
checked and muzzle put on some OF orr
leading Democrats. that Mr. Bryan might
as well go home and go TO spadng up his
onion Deds Tor early setting. in the spring -
Cleveland is all right FOR Bryan vet.
isn't hep inquired Colonel Snort.
Il think Mr.. Cleveland would siipport
Mr.. Bryan If he would agree to do so AT
least the chances are SO TO 100 that ne
would, for / believe that that is the per
cent of promises which the politicians saw
may be relied on 10 be fulfilled In sucn
cases. But the trouble is that Mr. Cleve-
land has not said that he would or that
he would not vote for Bryan. To the Tren-
ton Free American the other day he said:
4 am not aware of having made any state
ment that would justify the assertion thai
L going 10 support Mr.. Mckinley but
he is careful not TO say whom he INTENDS
TO support. Now. suppose there was a
doubt i'm the mind of member of this club
as TO how General Muckle was going to
vote and the member with that fearful
doubt IN his mind should say TO Genera
Muckle: General. L understand that you
are going to vote for Mckinley what
would General Muckles answer be- after he
had recovered from the shock sufficiently
&c make answer? He would say with
out he slightest hesitation, or moment s
reflection upon the wisdom OF the declara-
ton; No. sir, I intend 10 support and vote
for William Jennings Bryan, the regular
nominee Of all the parties on earth but