The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-18

strumentaliues OF government. A corpora
ton II rot organized for political purposes.
and should be compelled to confine itself to
the business described in It's charter. Hon.
est corporations engaged IN an honest bust
ness will find IL 70 their advantage to aid
in the enactment Of such legislation as Will
protect them from the undeserved odium
which viii be brought upon them by those
corporations which enter the political
arena.
The Republican party has persistently
refused 10 comply with the urgent request
of the Interstate-cofnmerce Commission Tor
such an enlargement OF the scope or the
interstate-commerce law as will enable the
commission 20 realize the hopes aroused by
its creation. The Democratic party Is
pledged 20 legislation which Will empower
TIE commission 10 protect INDIVIDUALS ana
communities from discrimination and the
public at large from unjust and unfair
transportation rates.
The platform reiterates the demand
contained in the Chicago platform for an
American financial system made BY the
American people for themselves. The pur-
pose OF such a system - to restore and
maintain a bimetanfc level OF prices and
in orce- that there may be no uncertainty
as 10 the method Of restoring bimetallism,
the specific declaration in favor OF free and
coinage at the existing ratio or
10 10 i. independent OF the action OF other
nations. Is repeated. In 1896 the Republican
party recognized the necessity for bimet-
8ltA'ah " IAtdbAt6 lIE PdllJ " oil CO AtS
effort 10 secure an international agreement
Tor the free coinage Of silver, and the
President, Immediately after his Inaugural
ton, by authority Of Congress, appointed
a commission composed of distinguished
citizens 10 visit Europe and solicit foreign
aid Secretary Hay, In a letter written to
afterwards published in England, declared
that at that time the President and a ma
5ority of his Cabinet still believed In the
great desirability OF an international agree
mCnI for the restoration of The double
standard. but that II did not seem Oppor-
tune TO reopen the negotiations just then.
The financial law enacted less than a year
ago contains a concluding section declar-
ing that the measure was not intended to
stand In the way of the restoration OF BIZ
metallism, whenever IL could be done by
cooperation with other nations. The plat
form submitted to the last Republican
convention with the Endorsement of the adj
mlnistration again suggested the posi-
bility OF securing foreign aid in restoring
silver.
STANDS BY 16 TO 1.
Now the Republican party, for the first
time. openly abandons its advocacy OF
the double standard, and Endorses the mon
etary system which il has so often and
so emphatically condemned. The Demo-
cratic party. on the contrary. remains the
steadfast advocate of the gold and silver
coinage OF the Constitution. and is not
me- ONANA ~ S@1AA sehES
for US the time and manner OF restoring
silver to its ancient place as a standard
money. The ratio Of 1e to / is not only
the ratio now existing between all the
gold and silver dollars In circulation in
this country. a ratio which even (he Re-
publican administration has not attempted
10 change, but 1t is the only ratio adj
vOcated by those who are seeking to re-
open the minis Whether the Senate, now
hostile TO bimetaNism, can be changed dur
Ing this campaign or the campaign of 1902
can only be determined after the votes are
counted, but neither the present nor the
future political complexion of Congress
has prevented or should prevent an an
nouncement of the party's position on this
subject In uneQuivocaI terms.
THE currency bill, which received the
sanction Of the Executive and the Repub-
iican members of the House and Senate.
J~ustihes the warning given by the Demo-
cratic party in 1896. II was then predicted
that the Republican party would attempt
&c retire the greenbacks, although the par
~ and Its leaders studiOusly concealed their
the people must choose between the reten-
ton OF the greenbacks, issued and con-
trolled In volume By the government. and
a national bank-note currency issued by
banks and controlled in their own inter-
ests. Ii the national bank notes are to
be secured by bonds, the currency system
now supported by the Republican party
involves a permanent and increasing debt,
alAaT ~ AOA6 10 Ills - lalAG liA0
financial classes will be tempted TO throw
their powerful influence upon the side of
any measure which will contribute to the
size and permaneRcy Of a national debt
II IS hardly conceivable that the American
people will deliberately turn from the debt
paying policy of the past, TO the danger
Gus doctrine OF perpetual bonds.
ELECTION OF SENATORS.
"The demand for a constitutional amend
ment providing for the election of senators
BY direct vote Of the people. appears for
the first time In a Democratic national plat
form, but a resolution proposing such a
amendment, has three times passed the
House OF Representatives. and that, too.
practically without opposition. Whatever
may have been the reasons which secured
the adoption of the present plan, a CEN
tury ago. new conditions have made it i'm
perative hat the people be per-
mitted TO speak directly in the selection
OF their representatives in the Senate. A
senator Is no less the representative of the
state because he receives his commission
from the people themselves, rather than
from the members of the State legislature.
IL a voter IL competent TO vote for a mem
Der OF Congress, for State officers and for
President. he is competent to choose his
representative In the Senate. A system
which makes the senator responsible for
his election 70 the people. as a whole, and
amenable 10 them IL he misrepresents them,