The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-27

What happened next year? Same Demo-
cratic cry of delay. of representation, OF
the pressure OF more important business, OF
too great expense. with which the country
is so familiar Another year they defied the
law, and in December, 1895, the postmaster
general reported that of the $4,000 appro-
prlated by Congress to test the feasibility
OF establishing rural free delivery, not
dollar was expended. and therefore the
was nothing 10 report. He further SAFE
Il know no reason 10 change my views on
this subject expressed in my reports of 1898
and 1884, After three years of idleness,
three years of disobedience of the plain
mandate of the law, three years of defiance,
the Democratic party said the whole plan
was impracticable. And during all OF the
year 1895. when the Democrats were refus-
ing to do anything with this question, there
was an available appropriation OF Si0,coO
ready for their action.
1t was reserved for the Republican party
with its progressive methods. to adopt this
system. TO put ii into practice, 10 make il
effective. until to-day 1900 men are carry
ing the mail to the farmers of the country.
adding TO the spread of intelligence and
making happier the lives OF the people who
dig our wealth out of the soil and lay the
foundation of our prosperity.
And so, what will the issue be? Who
knows? My friends. isn't it true that the
Democratic party is utterly without an is
sue In this year OF our Lord nineteen-hun-
dred-and-four? Without a platform, with
out n principle. without an issue, without
leader! Such is the present sad estate
OF the once great Democratic party. And
that is the penalty they pay for always
being wrong That will disntegrate any
institution on earth. Permanent organiza-
ton can be effected only about the standard
of the The Right. Why. gentlemen. the
vital issue ii has had in any platform in
the last eight years. And when they hold
convention it is their principal business
to dodge the issues and the candidates they
last had. When they come to write a
plat the first thing they discard will
be the last thing they adopted. Why in
1900 they did not dare to reaffirm the plat
form of 1896 without such complete modifi-
cation as to show they didn't mean il. In
1902 they didn't dare reaffirm the platform
of 1900
In 1904 they will not dare reaffirm a single
vital issue contained in any previous plat
FORM they ever adopted. They will not dare
TO renominate the only man they have ever
been able to elect President since the civil
war They will not dare renominate the
candidate they had in the last two presi-
Dental campaigns. And they are now en-
gagged In doing their level best to find some
one for a candidate who has never ex-
pressed the faintest opinion on any ques-
ton that is now or has been before the
people of this country for the last quarter
or century. All its past platforms dis
nOnored by the very men who adopted them.
all Its past leaders repudiated by the very
men who nominated them. they are adrift
as 10 issues and are seeking some voceless
nero to lead them on to victory. From hav
ing candidate who did nothing but talk,
they are about TO nominate a man who
never talks at ALL Who is Parker? Doubt
less an upright man and an honorable gen.
tieman. But what does he believe? What
are ms views on the tariff? Is he a free
trader, arif,for-revenue advocate. re-
visionist or high protectionist? How does
he stand on 16 to l? 1t is said that he
If he did. he ought not be President If
he did II without believing in it. he ought
not be President. Where is he on expan-
opinion on any living question? Can any
oouy tell! DO We propose to elevate a man
10 the loftiest station in the world that has
no views on any of the vital questions he
will be called on at once to deal with? He
reminds me of photograph into which no
sound mas ever been uttered. When you
start the machine to grinding it gives OF
absolutely nothing And yet they say he Is
emlnently safe. / deny il. 1t is a travesty
on our government to so assert DENY that
any idealess, viewless, opinionless man is to
De trusted at all in that exalted place. The
mere fact that the Democratic party, in
sheer desperation, is forced to take him or
do worse is no reason why our people
Snould accept their reason for so doing
Ihey want man without a record. They
| know that, if a Democrat has a record at
all. II Is bad one. and they are forced to
| take man without past; but the country
can ana VIII be spared that infiction.
Leaders and Principles.
Thank God. we are not so impoverished.
We know what our principles are. We know
what our platform will be. We know what
| candidate we will nominate. We are not
engaged in any device of "now-you-see-it
anG now-you-don't' with past problems.
| There is not a man in this presence to-day
who would be willing to change a single
plank in any platform ever adopted by the
Republican party in all the years Of its
| history; in all the years since these patriots
| or other days, whose presence SO inspires
US here were aroused to heroic action Ven
| cradle fathers, you builded even better than
you knew, for you planted your feet upon
| the enduring rock of human liberty. and.
with the accumulated results of fifty years
all ABOUT you, undreamed of then, are you
not to-day filled with pride because Won
aided In the organization of a party deVot-
| ed to the freedom of man and to the fullest
possible development of our land? Would
you to-day, as you survey the past.
! change one line in any platform utterance
ever made by our party? Is there any man
| here OF succeeding genera tons who would
alter one Stable OF our party's past? Where
| are the platforms of this organization to-
| day? Search the statute books of the Ma
| tion-they are all there. This party comes
to you to-day with record of having given
the energizing vitality of law to every es-
sential plank in every platform adopted in
all its history. Would you learn the
progress of your country in the last fifty
you will find it. Her platforms have been
| the finger-boards that pointed the way OF
progress, and her principles have been the
| enduring highway upon which we have
| marched. And we are not compelled to
| wait until after our national convention
| meets, as do the Democrats of Indiana be-
fore adopting a platform.
Roosevelt a Leader.
What of our leaders, And leaders are
necessary. No revolution no forward
movement, no historic uplift of people, nc
renaissance, has ever been possible with.
out the dominating influence of lofty lead.
ership. The red lines that run zigzae
across the map of the world but show how
the people on opposite sides of those lines
| think. and think because upon their ma.
| tional life has been left the mighty impress
| of dominant leadership. Who is our lead.
| err Is he a political mummy? Is he ar
| economic parrot TO mechanically repeat an
cient platitudes and exploded formula? /.
he but the echo of voice long stilled? No
he is original, and in many respects
unique. He is bold, manly and energetic
They say that he is too impetous. l deny
ii, but. II IL We're true. L would rather be
impetuously right than be doggedly wrong
They say that he is too impulsive l den,
| il. But, even If II were true, l would rather
ride a spirited free horse that goes some
where and makes constant Roadway thar
TO be booted and spurred and secured,
seated upon a hobby-horse. We know
where he stands. He has spoken, he viii
speak, he can speak for himself His rec
ord is his defense. If any defense wer,
needed.
He came to the presidency under peculiar
stress OF conditions. Mckinley was tn,
idol of the Nation. He had been long triet
and rose superior to every trial. The PEG
pie loved him. believed in him, trusted him