The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-26
CHAIRMAN HANLY,S SPEECH.
1t ArOuses the Convention to a High
Pitch of Enthusiasm.

The speech of Hon. j. Frank Hanly, per-
manent chairman Of the convention, was
received with great applause and aroused
the convention to high enthusiasm. The
speech in full follows
"Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Conventional am not insensible to the dis
tinction you have conferred on me by Sc
lecting me to preside over the deliberations
of this convention. 1t is an honor 1 have
not sought, but obey your wish in this,
as in all other things, and accept the re-
sponsibility, feeling that your patience
and forbearance will aid me in the proper
discharge of the delicate duties of the
position, and that your partiality will
excuse any errors into which L may fall.
Through your charity and indulgence
alone may I hope to succeed in a po-
sition filled hitherto by men of great ex-
perience and capacity, and of acknowl-
edged leadership in the party.
I'VE are met in the closing hours of the
worlds greatest century to write another
page of Hoosier history. For in what we
do here We must needs make history.
recognize in the delegates before me the
bone and sinew of Republicanism in In
diana. For the purposes of this day you
are the Republican party. You have au-
thority to declare it's creed and make its
ticket. The ticket you name will be elect
ed in November, and the men whose
names you place upon 1t viii be respon-
sible for the state government for an
other period of four years.
II congratulate you on the greatness
of this assemblage. in numbers. in char
1 congratulate you on the auspicious cir
cumstances under which you have con-
vened.
when we assembled in convention in
1896 the Democratic party was intrenched
in power I'm the State and in the Nation
Gold was being exported at the rate of
more than $5O,000,0OO a year in excess of
importations Only IL. per cent of Gus
toms duties were being paid in gold. The
gold reserve was exhausted. and the
'endless-chain' process was in effective op-
Grafton. Favorable trade balances were
either small or had entirely ceased to exist
Farm products had dropped in price below
the cost of production. Confidence had dis
appeared from the business world. Com
mercial failures had multiplied beyond pre-
cedent in either number or sum. and money
was unobtainable save at exorbitant rates
of interest.
want, disaster and gloom, the ever
attending and triple concomitants of
Democracy, were everywhere. Industries
were paralyzed, commerce was at a stand
still. cars designed for the transportation
of freight were rotting on sidetracks, thrift
was manned, enterprise strangled. employe
and employer debtor and creditor were
engulfed in universal disaster. a million
unemployed and helpless workingmen were
upon the streets and highways Of the coun-
try asking for bread, and women and chill
dren were hungry and were without food
The situation was heartrending as pes
thence.
These conditions still obtained on the
18th Of March, 1897. when the Republican
party was restored TO power. Charged
with administering the government dur
ing one of the most trying periods In the
Nations history. the administration at
Washington submits TO the loyal people
of the country the record OF the last three
years without hesitation or fear, conf
dent that Ii will receive their approving
judgment at the polls in November
Through the efforts OF President McKin-
CONTINUED ON SEVENTH PAGE.J