The Indianapolis journal., 1904-04-27

We are on the eve OF a great political
struggle. Vital issues are at stake, stu
pendous interests are involved, the couh-
try will be thoroughly aroused and we
shall be expected to prove our right TO win
When each party presents itself to the
electorate anu seeks support the questions
that viii naturally arise in the mind OF
each intelligent voter are: Upon what 90
you base your claims? what nave YOU
done to deserve recognition? What nave
you achieved to merit success? Tor answer
TO these question the Republican party
gladly appeals to the past and challenges
the Democracy to meet IL on that issue
And that is the only rational way In Wlch
for .'by their fruits ye shall know them
The Biblical standard of merit apples Win
equal force TO parties and to men. An or, or
ganization, like and individual must eitner Inc,
stand or fall by its record. Inc
only just way of judging the future
Of party is by its past. The only real aa
way to tell what party Will DO Is 10 see
what that party has done promises lor
the future amount to nothing unless prom
1ses In the past have been redeemed, unless
they are backed up by a record OF falthiui
performance And how PROUD we are "
meet this test.
Standing amidst its unparalleled achieve
,ments of half century, the Republican
party triumphantly surveys the past ana
courageously faces the future Upon lls
waving banners are Inscribed the most
splendid victories OF civilization, ana there
are also recorded there resolutions OF heIoIc
pages of human history were written py
the hands of it's votaries, and we nnd 1ull
Inspiration for the conflicts OF the future
by a review of it's marvellous past. There-
fore we this day triumphantly. aye, de-
fantly, invoke the truth OF history, Know
ing full well what the inevitable answer
viii be-
Gentlemen, a governmental policy cannot
do everything that needs must be done to
make a country great, but it can do much
1t can do much to develop its natural re-
sources, to diversity it's industries, to stim-
uIate genius, TO give profitable investment
TO capital, to fully and remuneratvely
employ labor, to more equally distribute
the fruits of toll, to fix the stand
ard of citizenship. TO more generally
disseminate happiness among the people,
TO incorporate the highest ideals In It's
institutions and embody the dearest prin-
cfples In It's laws. These things this
party OF ours has ever done. While IL may
not be responsible for all the marvellous
achievements of the last four and forty
years, achievements that challenge histori-
cal parallel, yet it is nevertheless true that
ali that progress has occurred under the
banefcent operation of its policies ana the
fearless application of its principles to gov
ornment-
The only time that triumphal procession
down the years has been suspended was
when the operations of those policies were
different people intrusted the machinery OF
government to the nerveless and incompe-
tent hands Of a helpless Democracy.
And every presidential campaign we are
compelled to temporarily abandon this
great work of commercial conquest and
Industrial achievement and overcome the
Democratic party, in order that We may
continue uninterruptedly this work OF
progress and patriotism for the next four
years. And that is the great enterprise
upon which we are embarking here to-day.
And, gentlemen. IL may be remarked at
the outset. as reason for the uniform
success of its policies. that the RepuD-
lican party has always had the courage to
do right, the courage or a sublime convic-
don. the courage TO incorporate the highest
ideals in its platforms and apply the loft-
lest principles in its laws.
When the reinS OF government were
.rasped by the kindly and patient hand ,, OF
tice that inspired him to heroic action.
Then in the shadow of our flag, there were
100000 of our fellow-men in chains, 4.0O0.-
Oo0 of human beings with manacles upon
their minds and with fetters upon their
feet. and they cried out for freedom The
and had the moral courage to face that
awful problem. Upon a thousand CORY
fields of strife, slavery was shot to death
by the million guns of the Union, and that
question was forever settled in our land
The flag went down at Sumter, but 1t rose
again at Appomattox, uplifting in its rise
3 race from bondage and nation to trl-
umphant hope
1t was also believed by a hostile party
eracy, rope of sand. that it might be
dissolved at the pleasure of any one OF
its members. and that neither the Con.
stitution the laws had any binding
force upon any State that did not willingly
consent to obey them. The Republican
party heroically met and solved that prob
lem. State sovereignty was pierced tC
death by million bayonets of the Repub
lie. and that question. too, was settled for
ever because Ii was settled right. AnC
to-day. because of that blood-bought sou
ton we have forty-five free and equa
setates stretching away to the two oceans
one government the supremacy of on,
Constitution and the dominion of one flag
Nations Honor Upheld.
Affer that war of liberty the public deb
occasioned by it piled mountain high AM
was grim with terror for the tinid.
hostile party proposed repudiation. Blu
Grant was there. the boys who had rushe'
to rescue the imperiled Union were there
the Republican party was there. The.
knew that just beyond Reputation lay tn
rayless abyss of bankruptcy and disaster
and to this dishonorable demand they an
eWered: mo; every dollar OF that deb
every penny of it shall be paid. and paid
too. in the best money known to the ma
qons of the earth That nat party party sc settle ie
Nation. and settled IL forever.
hostile party opposed the resumption
OF specie payments, Sdlu tndt green
backs never could be redeemed in gold
said that IL would bankrupt the Nation I
establish and maintain parity. But tn
Republican party had promised that
should be done: promised while the coun
try was slowly bleeding to death in tn
midst of awful war; promised in orde
&c make it possible TO keep the boys i
blue at the front and the old flag in IL
place in the heavens; and, ever mindfJ
Of that sacred obligation, 1t needed no
the evil prophecies of the foes of our In
fegrfty and IL did resume, and did
.,oiselessly, so imperceptibly that there wa
neither jar nor shock TO any institutio
IN the land
= In 1896 the national honor again as
nailed. the national integrity agai
alta cked. The Bryanized Democracy pro
posed TO force us 10 a silver basis, TO sin
Us TO the level of Mexico and China,
half repudiate our outstanding obligation
and thus ruin credit abroad,
bring upon US the obloquy and contemI
of the civilized nations of the world. an
plunge us into unutterable disaster
home What power stood between tn
country and financial ruin? The Repul
l1can party. What force withstood the OF
elal,ght of a needless and turbulent Den
ocracv? The Republican party. What o
Ganization had the courage to array II
{orces around the gold standard, at a tin
Shen that term grated harshly on III
oubIic ear; at a time when financial frenz
Sbounded. distress was everywhere write
upon the stern faces of men, and hung,
upon the pallid cheeks OF women; when
IL