The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-17
THE HICKORY ELM CLUB
GEN. MUCKLE SAYS REPUBLICAN
MILITARIsM Is NOT NEW,
And Col. Snort Talks interestingly of
the Science of Political Prophecy
and the Basis Thereof.

"You will all bear witness with me that
I have had very little to say in this club
other evening. 81 have heard members talk
on the issues of the campaign and p%articu-
larly on the issue which Colonel Bryan has
made paramount. 1 have reached certain
conclusions from the arguments / have
heard, which 1 would be pleased to emu
merate if there shall be no objection from
any of the more respectable members"
The chair. hearing no objection. directed
the old general to proceed and be brief.
I'm the first place, them he said. 'the
charge of miitarism against the Republican
party is no new thing. If you will look
back over the political history of the coun-
try. you will find that we were fully ap-
rrised of the damnable intent of the Repub-
lican party to subvert our American free
institutions as early as 1868. The Demo-
the dangerous tendency of Republican poll
cies, and with unusual accuracy ~prophesied
the immediate destruction of our form of
government, If we remained under Repub-
lican rule, as we afterwards did. The plat
form arraigned the radical party, as we
called it then. for it's disregard of light,
and the unparalleled oppression and
tyranny which had marked it's career. I
have a copy of the platform in my pocket
which 1 will read in order to show that
Democratic foresight was as keen, If not
keener. then than it is now, and 10 show
that the conspiracy against liberty and
constitutional government was Matched
more than thirty-two years ago. and has
been growing ever since. Listen to the lam
guage of the Democratic platform in 1868:
After the most solemn and unanimous
pledge of both houses of Congress to prose-
cute the war exclusively for the mainte-
nance of the government and the p~reserva-
ton of the Union under the Con-
stitution, 1T has repeatedly violated the
most sacred pledge under which alone was
rallied the noble volunteer army which
carried our flag to victory. Instead of re-
storing the Union, it has, so far as in it's
power, dissolved IT. and subjected ten
States, in time of profound peace, to mill
tary despotism.' There was no prophecy
about that. 1t was an emphatic statement
OF conditions existing under a despotism
that had bucked Andy Johnson off the track
and had taken full control of everything
in sight. Many of the older members of
the Hickory Elm Club remember how the
fabric OF our institutions began to fray and
unravel until 1t looked as il Ii had been
on the shelves of some effete monarchical
dry goods store for a thousand years.
Again, the PLATFORM, referring to the scan
dalous conduct of a Republican Congress,
said in language that could not be misun-
derstood: Under its repeated assaults the
pillars of the government are rocking on
their base; and should 1T succeed in No
vember next, n inaugurate its President
lGeneral Grant, We will meet, as a SUBJ
jected and conquered people, amid the ruins
OF liberty and the scattered fragramentS of
the Constitution You will notice that this
clause of the platform contains a definite
prediction of what was to happen, which
only partially came to pass, owing to some
misunderstanding among leading citizens
who were depended on to keep up the agi-
tation after the election. Similar language
has been employed in all our platforms
since we first began 20 warn the people of
the impending doom of free institutions.
That the country has withstood the as
saults OF the conspirators up to this time
Is the wonder of all ordinary Democrats
everywhere
COL. SNORT ON PROPHECY.
How do you account for the ignominious
failure of so many of the ~prophesies con-
stance, that which predicted that the coun-
dy Jul NC uiIic ny Tic clcClIOU VI
General Grant?' inquired Colonel Snort.
II have just said that the failure of full
6llment of the prophecy of 1865 was owing
to a misunderstanding whereby the work of
ruin was unavoidably postponed. AS a
Democrat / am not compelled to account
for, or apologize for these failures, but be-
tween ourselves l will say that we have
as much right to impose on the credulity
IF tho nann1n a C tho f0rtrrno fo1lorc xrh@ N ~
getting rich In the large cities at a dollar
a head. Prophecies are based on real or
imaginary existing conditions, and they
are logical deductions therefrom. In 1868
the conditions were all right until the cleo
ton was over, when they suddenly
changed and did not arise again until the
convention met four years later. We rea-
son from a state of facts that a thing is
certain to transpire, thus and so: but if
the least thing should subsequently hap
pen to disturb the arrangement of the facts,
in the very nature of things there must be
a disappointment. You wind a clock at
minute hand will point to the figure 6
In thirty minutes, but If the baby in the
meantime should climb up on the mantel
and knock il off and break a cog, the min
think the Democratic party should be held
responsible for the failure of all its
prophecies and the continuance of free gov
eminent. 1t has done all II could 10 prepare
the people for a calamity, which IL had a
right to believe, from the conditions pres
cnt. would befall them. That a cog had
been slipping somewhere in the machine
that was to hurl the Nation to destruction
and mix us up with the scattered frag-
ments of the Constitution, is not our fault.
1t is our business to prophesy and take the
chances on fulfllment."
Your explanation is very satisfactory
said Colonel Snort. but don't you think
Colonel Bryan carried the joke a little toe
far when he predicted that If William Nc
fGur years, that wages would decrease,
hard times would come upon us and over
the land, the price of wheat go down, the
price OF gold go up. mortgages would be
foreclosed by the money lenders and
sharks, factories and mills would close,
that we would export no goods. but would
import from foreign lands all the goods we
uesd; that want and misery would be with
us, winding up with that memorable in
junction-'remember what / say?'
II do not admit that he ever went toe
far. As he said, we had come to the part
ing of the ways, as we are right at the
forks of the road. just as we are every four
| years. We had been travelling on two roads
one n little more uncertain than the Other
and liable to frequen washouts and other
Instructions. taking twice as much time
and sixteen times as much pulling to get
there by the other road. Mr.. Bryan simply
wanted the supervisor to keep up the ole
road, and was opposed TO having IL vacated
for a single gold standard highway, ever
If there were no bridges to wash out anC
no variation of length, or time necessary
10 get over it,
BRYAN ON THE DIRT ROAD.
"If Colonel Bryan was in error in I'm,