The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-26
FAIRBANKS SAYS NO.
Declines Endorsement of His State for
Vice Presidency.

Indianapolis. Ind, April 26.-The Indiana
Republican convention met here today
The convention will complete it's work to-
morrow after having nominated a state
ticket, adopted a platform and named
delegates and alternates at large to TIE
national convention and presidential cleo
tors at large. The platform is being con-
sidered by the resolutions committee,
which will report tomorrow. There will
be a vigorous Endorsement of President
Roosevelts administration and the dele
gates at large will be Senators Fairbanks
and Beverage, Governor Durbin and
State Chairman Goodrich, who will be in
structed.
The presidential electors at large agreed
upon are George A. Cunningham of
Evansville and Joseph D Oliver of South
Bend. The convention, at the request OF
Senator Fairbanks, will not indorse him
for the vice presidential nomination, as
the senator has, since coming here for the
| convention, reiterated his former state
ment that he is in no sense a candidate
for the nomination.
Congressman Watson, temporary
chairman, on calling the convention to
order said in part:
What will the issue be? Who
knows? Isn't it true that the Demo-
cratic party is utterly without an is
sue in this year of Our Lord, 1904?
Without a platform, without a prin-
ciple, without an issue, without lead
er. 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 diSintegrate
any institution on earth. Permanent
organization can be effected only by
I the standard of the right. The Demo-
cratic party dare not Teaffirm a single
vital issue 1t has had in any platform
in the last eight years. And when
they hold a convention it is their prin-
cipal business to dodge the issues and
the candidates they last had When
they come to write a platform the first
thing they discard will be the last thing
they 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 renomtnate
\ the candidate they had In the last two
| presidential campaigns. And they are
/ now engaged in doing their level best
to find some one for a candidate who
/ has never expressed the fafntest opin-
/ ion on any question that is now or has
been before the people OF this country
| for the last quarter of a century. All
| it's past platforms dishonored by the
very men who adopted them, all Its
1 past leaders repudiated by the very
men who nominated them, they are
| adrift as to issues and are seeking
\ some vOiceless hero to lead them on to
/ victory.
From having a candidate who did
nothing but talk, they are about to
| nominate a man who never talks at
all Who is Parker? Doubtless an
/ upright man and an honorable gen
| tleman. But what does he believe
| What are his views on the tariff? Is
he a free trader, a tariff for revenue
advocate, a revisionist or a high pro-
tectionist? How does he stand on 16
/ to 1t is said that he voted for 1t.
IF so, did he believe in it? If he
| did he ought not to be president, if he
! did 1t without believing in it, he ought
not to be president. Where is ne or
le,xry CT, farhr1xv lrT1n
What is his opinion on any living ques-
tion2 Can ANYBODY te1l2 Do wa pro-
pose to elevate q man to- the Hottest
station In the world that has no views
! be called on at once to deal with? lie
reminds me of photograph into
| which no sound has ever been uttered.
/ When YOU start the machine to grin1-
| ing it gives off absolutely nothing, AM
yet they say he is emfnently safe. 1
| deny 1t. 1t is a travesty on our gov
/ eminent to so assert. / deny that any
| idleneSS, ViewleSs, opiniOnleSs man is
| to be trusted at all in that exalted
place. The mere fact that the Demo-
! cratic party in sheer desperation IS
| forced to take him or do worse is no
reason why our people should accept
| their reason for so doing. They want
! a man without a record. They know
that If a Democrat has a record at all,
it is a bad one, and they are forced to
take a man without a past; but the
| country can and will be spared that in
Fiction.
Thank God, we are not so impov-
| erished. 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 TOW you see it and now you
don't with past problems. There is
not a man here today who would be
| willing to change a single plank in
any platform ever adopted by the Re-
publican party in all the years of its
| history; in all the years since the pa
triots of other days, whose presence
so inspires us here, were aroused to
heroic action. Venerable fathers, you
builded better than you knew, for you
planted your feet on the enduring