The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-21

statesman, who is now President, and who
is soon to enter upon his second term. Since
so crowded with great events as that
which is now drawing to a close. They
have been four memorable years. To Re-
publicans they show a record of promises
kept, of work done, of unforeseen ques-
tons met n answered. To the Democrats
they have been generous in the exhibition
of unfulfilled predictions, in the ruin OF
their hopes of calamity and in futile OPP
position to the forces of times and the
aspirations of the American people / wish
/ could add that they had been equally In
structive to our opponents. but while IL
is not true that the Democrats, like the
Bourbons, learn nothing. il is only too
evident that the familiar comparison can
not be completed, for they forget a great
deal which 1t would be we'll for them to
remember.
In 1897 we took the government and the
country from the hand of President Cleve-
land. His party had abandoned him and
were joined to their idols, of which he was
no longer one. During the last years OF his
term we had presented US the melancholy
spectacle of a President trying TO govern
without a party. The result was that his
policies were in ruin. legislation was at a
standstill, and public affairs were in a
perlious and incoherent condition. Party
responsibilities had vanished and with it
all possibility of intelligent action de-
manded by the country at home and
abroad. 1t was an interesting. but by no
iAtCahS QldI ulSpldy VI VII
fitness for the practical work of govern
ment. To the political student it was in
structive; to the country it was extremely
painful, to business disastrous.
REPUBLICANS KEPT PROMISE.
We replaced this political chaos with a
President in thorough accord with his
party and the machinery of government be-
gan again to move smoothly and effectively.
Thus, we kept at once our promise of bet
ter and more efficient administration. In
four months after the Inauguration Of
President Mckinley we had passed a tariff
bill. For ten years the artificial agitation
in behalf of what was humcrously called
tariff reform, and of what was really free
trade, had kept business in a ferment and
had brought a treasury deficit. paralyzed
industries, depression, panic and finally.
continuous bad times to a degree never
before imagined. Would you know the re-
suit Of our tariff legislation. look about
you. Would you measure it's success, recol-
lect that it is no longer an issue, that our
opponents, free-traders as they are, do not
dare to make IL an issue. that there is not
a State in the Union to-day which could be
carried for free trade against protection.
Never was a policy more fully justified by
It's works, never was a promise made by
any party more absolutely fulfilled.
Dominant among the issues of four years
ago was that of our monetary and financial
system. The Republican party promised to
uphold our credit, to protect our currency
from revolution. and to maintain the
gold standard. We have done SO. We have
done more. We have been better than our
promise. Failing to secure. after honest
effort, any encouragement for international
bimetallism, we have passed a law
strengthening the gold standard and plant
ing 1t more firmly than ever in our financial
system, improving our banking laws, but
tressing our credit and refunding the public
debt at 2 per cent. interest, the lowest rate
in the world. 1t was a great work well
done. The only argument the Democrats
can advance to-day in their own behalf on
the money question is that a Republican
Senate. in the event of Democratic sue
cess wouid not permit the repeal of a Re-
publican law This is a precious argument
when looked at with considerate eyes, and
quite worthy of the intellects which pro-
duced it. Apply 1T generally Upon this
theory because we ave defeated the SOL
diers of Spain and SUM her ships we can
with safety dispense with the army and
the navy which did the work. Take another
example: There has been a fire in a great
city, it has been checked and ~extinguished:
therefore,, let us abolish the fire department
and cease TO insure our homes
Distrust in our currency, the dread of
change, the deadly fear of a debased stand
ard were raging four years ago and busi-
ness lay PROSTATE before them. Republican
supremacy and Republican legislation have
~extinguished the fires of doubt and fear,
and business has risen triumphant from
the ashes. Therefore abolish your fire de-
partment, turn "a the Republicans and
put in power the incendiaries who lighted
the flames and trust to what remains OF
Republican control to avert fresh disaster.
The proposition is its own refutation. The
supremacy of the party that has saved the
standard of sound money and guarded IL
by law is as necessary for its security and
for the existence of honest wages and of
hfICinaCC rnnG1nnnn rnuv nc 10 mo a., -fCOc
The moment the Republican party passes
from power, and the party of free silver
and fiat paper comes in, stable currency
and the gold standard, the standard of the
peril. Sound currency and a steady stand
ard of values are to-day safe only i'm Re-
publican hands.
OTHER QUESTIONS SETTLED.
But there were still other questions I'm
1896. We had already thwarted the efforts
of the Cleveland administration to throw
the Hawaiian islands pack to their de-
throned Queen and to give England a foot
hold for her cables in the group. We then
said that We would settle finally the Ha-
waiian question. We have done so. The
traditional American policy has been car
ried out. The flag of the Union floats to-
day over the crossroads of the Pacific.
We promised to deal with the Cuban
question. Again comes the reply, we have
done so. The long agony of the island is
over. Cuba is free. But this great work
brought with Ii events and issues which no
man had foreseen, for which no party
creed had provided a policy. The crisis
came, bringing war in its train. The Re-
publican President and the Republican
Congress met the new trial In the old
spirit. We fought the war with Spain.
Inc result Is history known of all men.
We nave the perspective now of only a
short two years, and yet how clear and
bright the great facts stand out. like
mountain peaks against the sky, while the
gathering darkness of a just oblivion is
creeping fast over the low grounds where
lie forgotten the trivial and unimportant
things, the criticisms and the fault-fndings
which seemed so huge when we still lin
gered among them.
Here they are, these great facts: A war
OF a hundred days, with many victories
and no defeats, with no prisoners taken
from us and no advance stayed, with a.
triumphant outcome startling in its COM
pleteness and in its worldwide meaning.
was ever a war more justly entered upon.
more quickly fought, more fully won,
more thorough in its results? Cuba is free.
Spain has been driven from the western
hemisphere. Fresh glory has come to our
arms and crowned our flag. 1t was the
work of the American people, but the Re-
publican party was the instrument. Have
we not the right to say that here. too,
even as in the days of Abraham Lincoln,
we have fought a good fight. we nave kept
the faith, we have finished the work.
War, however. is ever like the sword of
Alexander. 1t cuts the knots. 1t is a great
solvent and brings many results not to be
foreseen. The world forces unclaimed in
war perform in hours the work of years Of