The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-28
THE HICKORY ELM CLUB.
Complaint that the Paramount Issue
Is Changed Too often.

after the members had come to order. that
the political kaleidoscope was shifting so
rapidly in the hands of Colonel Bryan in
the present campaign that it was difficult
for the ordinary Democrat to keep up with
1t. For nearly two weeks after Colonel
Bryan started the exhibition" said he,
looked upon a beautiful arrangement of
variegated colors rejecting those tails
manic figures, 1e to l, which bore us on TO
defeat and humiliation four years ago
Later he gave the apparatus another twist.
and in brilliant colors intermingled with
blood red, with geometric precision ap-
peared that startling and dangerous poly
syllable Imperialism From Chicago TO
West Virginia he exposed it to the gaze
of thousands of astonished Democrats from
the rear end of a palace car at 50 cents a
peep Again he let her roll. and the broken
fragments of cheap window glass that by
it's peculiar arrangement had presented the
terrible polysyllable mixed up once more.
combined, rearranged, and behold! the
simple but dangerously Insignificant little
word trusts fell upon the view. The old
combinations have disappeared, to return
no more to confound and confuse the mind
of the timid citizen during the rest of the
campaign
Captain Skidmonk arose 10 inquire what
the president was driving at. saying that
he didn't understand a thing he said.
II beg your pardon, captain said the
president. I'm order TO make myself more
clear / will state that it appears TO me
that Colonel Bryan has funked on i'm
perialism' and '16 to l. and has selected
the trust as a final paramount issue, with
which he proposes to fight TO the last ditch.
AS a Democrat of the old school, l do not
object TO giving our candidate Tor Presioent
my cordial support, even though do not
agree entirely with him on all the cues
tons. and / intend to do SO II i can keep
UP with the changes. Heretofore. about the
time i have got my shoulder In position 10
shove, / have been informed that / was at
the wrong wheel. If Colonel Bryan has
finally decided to make a stand on the
trust issue he can count on me doing wnat
/ can in a Democratic way 10 show that the
trusts are the creatures OF Republican
legislation and policies, without regard 10
our own record when We controlled potn
houses of Congress about six years ago ana
allowed the sugar and whisky trusts TO BUY
up some of the best men we ever nad In the
United States Senate"
II see now what you mean said Captain
Skidmonk, but why didn't the Hickory
Elm Club ketch on before and go 70 nam
merin' the trusts without waitin on Bryan
TO settle down on somethin
Colonel Snort asked the same question.
Said ne: 1T seems 10 me that the Demo.
Il a 4 has
the right to freely think and act on all
political questions to one man, VINO Is act
ing as the guardian paramount OF all our
| consciences. This may explain. why II
| was necessary for Mr.. Bryan TO let up on
| Imperialism, temporarily, lest the people
might begin TO suspect that ne was the
biggest imperiallst in the lot ana that II
he was the whole thing now, he would De
the sole and only thing In IL when he be-
| came President. | do not want 10 be un-
| derstood as going back on my party or
A4,-A h.. a4rA
here tonight, which. If true, will cause
no end of trouble before the battle Is half
over. Already Republicans are saying that
| Bryan is the Democratic party. and tnat
the only danger TO the Republic Is that II
he becomes President he will run the coun-
try with the same iron hand that he used
on the party at the Kansas City conven-
ton. They claim that he made our plat
form and literally drove the convention 10
adopt il, which il did against the wishes OF
a large majority of the delegates on a
fair count. They say that the COMMITTEES
on resolutions was about evenly divided or
the free silver proposition. and that the
casting vote was given by a native OF the
Hawaiian islands. down under the equator
in the Pacific ocean, who was acting under
sealed instructions from the Emperor 81
the Platte. II these things are true. and
l nave no reason TO doubt that they are
ii Is highly necessary that we should dror
the issue of imperialism and take up the
ice trust"
Colonel Garlic said the discussion had
opened his eyes on a good many things
that ne didn't know before concernins
the movements of Colonel Bryan on tn.
issues. Said he: II now see why tbs
trusts were NOT made the issus
In the first place, and J give Colonel Bry'
an credit for more political sagacity thar
l ever thought he possessed. If he had
jumped on to the trusts in the start hs
would have -antagonized 4 great man,
Democratic stockholders, who have since
had time TO sound the candidate on hi:
sincerity. and have found him satisfactor
lily Democratic on all things. trusts in
cluded. II has been "A question with som,
of our most prominent Democratic trus
magnates whether a Bryan administratio
would be more profitable 10 them thai
trust stock. Ii for any reason the stool
had to be sacrificed to elect "A President
Richard Croker is said 10 be- the mrs
prominent trust man 10 reach the conclu
sion that he had nothing 10 lose by Col
Bryan's agitation of the trust question. !
tronage OF a State like New York wouit
be worth as much to him as the suprem,
boss of the commonwealth as the presi
dental Office itself. with several block
of ice trust thrown in. When he got q
linking about IL he no doubt said TO him
self. If Bryan Il elected. I'll see 10 II tina
he keeps hands of all trusts with which
am connected, and don't you forget IL
Ne and Bourke Cochran was afraid OF hin
AT first, but we have seen him. and it's al
light, you can bet your life. ! authorizes
him TO go ahead and give the trusts H.
and / would do the same. Bryan know
that II he monkeys win me, I viii swa
him IN New York / think CONTINUES