People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1894 — INDIANA TICKET [ARTICLE]

INDIANA TICKET

Doings of the Democratic State Convention at Indianapolis. Reinhard and Dailey Nominated for Supreme Court Judges. Secretary of State, Wm. R. Meyer*—Auditor, Joseph X. Faulting—Treasurer, Morgan Chandler—Attorney General, Francis 31. Griffith. Indianapolis, Ind., Aug-. IG.— At 10 o'clock Wednesday morning- the democratic state convention met in Tomlinson hall with a full representation numbering over 1,700. At 9 o'clock Wednesday morning the resolutions committee was still at work in a room at the Grand hotel. The inability to reach a satisfactory conclusion on all the questions to be touched upon caused a great deal of discussion. Gov. Claude Matthews, the presiding officer, spoke at length. He held republican legislation and extravagance responsible for the business depression, and, referring to congress, he said: “One by one these pledges are being redeemed through the heroic efforts of our representatives in congress. The iniquitous and unjust federal election law has fallen beneath our steady blows; the promise to repeal the purchasing clause of the Sherman act has been fulfilled and the belief enacted into law that no special class of property shall escape its just share of the burden of tax, even though it be the silver to bo hoarded or the sacred greenback of national currency. The struggles must be brought and earnest is the opposition to be encountered all along the line. Siege has been laid -to the stronghold of republicanism, its protective tariff, and the day of a broad .commercial freedom is surely dawning upon us. Step by step we fight our way, camping on every vantage ground, until we shall stand upon the purpling heights of victory amid success achieved. Wc will not he content to rest upon the mountain and look into the promised land, but will enter iu and take full possession.” Speaking further he said; "The line marked out by President Cleveland in his message of 1887, his recent letter to Congressman Wilson, the platform in 1892 will be strictly adhered to and followed until complete revision and reform in national taxation are attained.” The governor then pointed out the fact that the democratic party had always been the faithful friend of silver, and said: “I believe now that in the repeal of the silver purchasing clause there should have been some measure adopted that would have relieved the doubt and the anxiety of the people as to the future of silver as a medium of value and exchange.” After declaring for free silver coinage the governor took up the labor question, and pointed out the fact that the Indiana democracy had passed a number of excellent laws for the benefit of the laboring men. Continuing he said:

“We have watched with satisfaction the good results accomplished with labor organized. Where its motives are to be served, its highest end will be perfected when it shall realize that peaceful measures under the law must remedy wrongs rather than force, when peaceful intervention shall settle differences. The recent disturbances through which we have passed with their scenes of violence, destruction and bloodshed, conditions which, if allowed to continue, will have passed into rampant anarchy and ruin, destructive of all government and society as organized for public good, in the name of the sacred cause of labor more than any other demand immediate suppression However earnest and sincere the effort to redress grievances, and however just the causo of honest labor, just so soon as other means beyond those provided by law are resorted to. does a vicious element seize upon it to give vent to their lawless passions, and place honest workingmen through their acts in the attitude of law breakers.” The governor, in conclusion, appealed for stronger immigration laws. Chairman li. C. Bell, of Ft. Wayne, of the committee on resolutions, read the report of the committee, made up of state issues and record of the democratic party in the legislature in reference to labor and economic reforms. When the chairman came to the denunciation clause “of a small coterie of senators” there was protracted applause interspersed with loud cries of “Name ’em!” and shout “Gorman!” “Smith!” THE PLATFORM. The democratic party of Indiana takes just pride in the strength of the record it has made in the legislative and executive departments of this commonwealth by the enactment and enforcement of wise and beneficent laws in the interest of the people, and in the fulfillment of its pledges. It passed the mechanics’ lien laws and the law giving laborers a lien upon the product of their labor for wages and materials furnished; the law protecting labor organizations: the law providing for the safety of miners, and the proper ventilation of mines; constituting eight hours a day’s labor in public employment; prohibiting the blacklisting of employes: prohibiting “pluck me” stores; the employes’ liability law: forbidding the employment and importation of Pinkerton detectives; against importation of alien or foreign labor: it enacted the school hook law, ! saving large sums to the people, breaking ! down an oppressive monopoly, and placing the instruments of education within the reach of ■ the poorest and humblest citizens: it enacted our existing laws purifying the elections, giv- ; ing an untrammeled ballot to the voter, and by the Australian ballot successfully prevent- i ing fraud'and the intimidation of employes and others at the polls: it framed and passed our present tax law, thus adding many millions of property to our tax duplicates; it passed the present fee and salary law: it enacted the Barrett improvement law, which has proven a blessing wherever used; it also passed the state hoard of charities law T , which has insured honest, humane and intelligent administration of our public institutions. All this has been accomplished, almost in every instance, in spite of the determined ob- i jection and opposition of the republican party. I By this course of legislation, in fulfillment of pledges to the people. Indiana has been piaoed at the forefront of all the states in the matter of this kind and kindred reform legislation, and we pledge ourselves to the maintenance and enforcement of these measures, while the republican party stands pledged, at the first opportunity, to destroy, either by repeal or amendment, the most important of these ■wise laws. : We congratulate the people of Indiana upon the upholding of the tax law of 1891, under which more than a hundred millions of dollars or corpora ted property has been added to the tax duplicate. And we especially commend the action of the state officers in charge In prosecuting and enforcing to a successful conclusion the provisions of said law. We reaffirm our opposition to the vicious system of class legislation, miscalled protection. and pledge ourselves to continue the battle against it until every species of extortion ard robbery fostered by the McKinley ar.i shall be obliterated from our revenue system ana the people enjoy all the blessings of commercial liberty. The protective system has built up the great monopolies and trusts which control absolutely so many industries and have done so much to debauch the politics of the country and corrupt the legislative department of the government. We denounce tariff protection of every kind as a fraud and a robbery of the great majority of the American people lor the benefit of a lew. J

We ma’rtain that no tariff taxes should be levied except for the purpose of revenue only, and that ;uch taxes should be limited to the necessities of the government, when honestly and economically administered. We denounce the McKinley tariff law enacted by the Fifty-first congress as the culminating atrocity of class legislation. We approve the efforts of President Cleveland and his administration, and of the democratic house of representatives, and of the large majority of the democratic senators, and particularly our distinguished senators from Indiana. Hon. Daniel W. Voorhees and Hon. David Turpie, and our entire democratic delegation in congress, to redeem the pledges made to the country by the last democratic national convention, and to execute the will of the American people, as expressed so emphaticr-liy at the ballot-box in November, 1893. We condemn the republican party for its persistent efforts to prevent the execution of this unmistakable popular verdict, and we especially condemn a small coterie of senators who, masquerading as democrats, by threats to defeat all tariff legislation, have temporarily prevented the democratic party from carrying out all of its pledges to the people for tariff reform as announced in the democratic national platform of 1892. We congratulate the democratic party and the country upon the fact that, notwithstanding the open opposition of the republican party and the conduct of a few pretended democrats, a substantial measu™ of reform has been enacted; that many important raw mate • rials in our industries have been placed upon the free list; that material reduction has beet made in the duties on iron ore and coal, and that the tariff tax on nearly all classes of manufactured goods, including woolens, and on the necessities of daily life, have been very largely reduced. We approve the action of the house of representatives in following the enactment of this law with the passage of separate acts placing sugar, coal, iron ore and barbed wire on the free list, and we demand that the senate shall concur in these righteous measures at the earliest possible moment. We especially indorse the income tax as u wise and equitable measure, designed to place a fair share of the burdens of the government upon the property of the country, for the benefit of which the expenses of the government are so largely incurred. We indorse the law passed by a democratic congress authorizing tho taxation of greenbacks as other money is taxed as a great measure of reform, ami we take pride in the fact that tho demand for such reform was first formulated by the democracy of Indiana, and that it is due to the persistent and intelligent efforts of a democratic representative from Indiana that this reform has been carried. We favor the prompt enactment of a law by our next legislature for the taxation of that class of money. We also most heartily indorse the action of the democratic congress in repealing the odious election law. We are in favor of a constitutional amendment provided for the election of United State s senators by a direet voth of the people. We are also in favor of constitutional and other changes as may bo necessary in order that congress may assemble as soon after its election as is practicable, and to the end that tho will of tho people as expressed at the potls may receive prompt aud full legislative expression. We believe and declare that the policy and principles of what is called the American Protective association are illiberal, unwise, unpatriotic, undemocratic and un-American. In the spirit of that religious freedom which characterizes our constitution and laws, and the spirit of that wise toleration and generous statesmanship which seeks to accord to all the rights and privileges of American citizenship, we call upon every man to do battle against such an organization. The democratic party of Indiana is. as it always has been, the friend of the laboring man, of whom fts membership is largely composed. It is in hearty sympany with every lawful effort to secure for those who earn their livelihood by their daily toil full protection in all their rights as American citizens to better the condition of their lives, to secure for them full and fair compensation for their labor and to afford them every possible opportunity for moral, social and material advancement. We condemn the efforts that have been made, whethor by the professed friends or the avow r ed enemies of our wage workers, to identify their cause with the infamous conspiracies of lawlessness and anarchy which threatens the very foundation of social order and civilization. We are opposed to every manifestation of violence and mob spirit, and stand squarely for tho maintenance of law and order upon all occasions and under all circumstances. We favor the enactment and enforcement of such laws regulating immigration from other countries as shall exclude the pauper and vicious classes, who are unfitted to become American citizens, and whose presence in this country will furnish a standing menace to the order and prosperity of our land. We denounce tho unprincipled and cowardly efforts of the republican party to escape the responsibility for the existing depressed condition of the business affairs of the country. This condition is natural, logical and invariable result of the infamously corrupt system of taxation known as McKinleyism. combined with the vicious financial legislation and the proliigate extravagance of the republican party. We favor the establishment of a tribunal of arbitration, in which there may he secured a peaceful settlement of all disturbances between employers and employes. The democratic party is. as it has ever been, opposed to all sumptuary laws as contrary to the principles of free government, and favQr the largest individual liberty of the citizens consonant with good government. Wc indorse the repeal of the purchasing clause of that cowardly republican makeshift, known as the hherman silver act of IS9O. We reaffirm our belief that both gold and silver should be used as the standard money of the country, and that both should be coined without discriminating against either metal, and without charge for mintage. We believe it absolutely necessary to the welfare and prosperity of the great producing masses that silver should be restored to the place it occupied in the cuerency systems of the world ;i quarter of a century ago. and we hail with delight the many signs of a revolution in public opinion in the great commercial nations in favor of a restoration of the bimetallic system. We pledge our hearty efforts to secure tho adoption of every measure for the complete restoration of silver to its proper place in our monet iry system, either through international agreement or by such safeguards of legislation as shall insure the maintenance of the parity of the two metals and equal power of every dollar at all times in the markets and in the payment of debt; and we demand that all paper currency shall be kept at par and redeemable in such coin. Wo declare that the present national administration has acted wisely and honorably in permitting the people of Hawaii, unawed by our naval or military forces, to manage their own domestic concerns and to place their country in the family of republics. We heartily indorse the able, fearless and patriotic administration of Grover Cleveland, and especially his course in maintaining law and order. We hearfly indorse the w<se and patriotic administration of Gov. Matthews, whose conduct as a public servant has called forth the commendation of the people of every state in the union, and placed our state in the foremost rank for good government, and cordially commend the action and conduct of our several state officers. We remember with gratitude the patriotic services of the soldiers and sailors of the late war, and recognize the fact that, after the lapse of thirty years, by reason of hardships, privation and exposure of army life, many passing away, and others becoming more helpless. We, therefore, demand that congress, in the matter of pensions, shall not only deal generously, but bountifully with these aged veter ans. We also reiterate the declaration of our convention in D 92 that the state should provide by liberal appropriation for the support of a home where our disabled veterans, with their wives, may be supported without sendijg them to th 6 alms-houses. The convention then took up the or-

der of nominations, those of supreme court judges being first. Two candidates for this position were to be placed on the ticket. George J. Rheinhard, of Spencer, now of the appellate bench, and Jos. L. Dailey, of Wells, now one of the supreme judges, were nominated by acclamation. The same was done with the nomination of Wm. It. Wayne, of Madison county, for secretary of state. He now holds that office, and the nomination was attended with considerable enthusiasm. Each of these gentlemen responded with brief speeches. The nomination of Joseph T. Fanning, of Marion county, for auditor of state, was made with unanimity, he coming into the convention with the solid democratic delegation of Indianapolis at his back. The nominee made a felicitous speech of thanks, expressing confidence in democratic success. The first contest of the day was for treasurer of state, for which Morgan Chandler, of Hancock; Frank A. Mull, of Rush, and John L. Gobin, of Montgomery were named. Pending tho call of counties, R. C. Bell moved that the emblem of the party be as it always has been, ‘‘the historical and victorious rooster.” This prevailed, and then the voting began. After the call was closed and before the footings were made Gobin was withdrawn. This led to several changes for Chandler, which were followed by Mull announcing his withdrawal. The nomination of Mr. Chandler was then made by acclamation. This was one of the unexpected events, as tho nominee had not been thought of as a candidate until the convention assembled.

Francis M. Griffith, of Switzerland, was nominated for attorney general by acclamation. There was a contest for clerk of the supreme court, Alvin Avery, of Clinton, and C. W. Wellman, of Sullivan, being named. The balloting resulted: Wellman, 1,017)*; Avery, Mr. Wellman was declared the nominee, he receiving 243 more votes than the requisite number. For superintendent of public instruction the voting was on the names of Charles W. Thomas, of Harrison; and J. A. Gardner, of Cass, the ballot resulting: Thomas, 901; Gardner, 840. Mr. Thomas was declared the nominee, that act being unanimously indorsed by the convention, on motion of his competitor, Mr. Gardner. There were four candidates for state statistician, Wm. A. Hamilton, of Union; J. O. Laughlin, of Bartholomew; Alex. Fulton, of Wabash, and F. S. Thornton, of Clay. The ballot was: Hamilton, 381; Laughlin, 309; Fulton, 810; Thornton, 847. While the footings were in progress a representation of a half dozen colored men from the national colored democratic league, in session here, appeared with C. H. J. Taylor at their head. The delegation was introduced by Gov. Matthews to tho convention. They were cordially received, and the speech of Taylor was often applauded by a portion of the convention. Taylor gave way to Milton Turner, of St. Louis, “as tho most eloquent Negro in the world.” He spoke on the lines of the purposes of the Negro democratic league, which were the elevation of political purity through the democratic party, and the laudation of Grover Cleveland. The delegation then retired. The vote for statistician showed no nomination, and the second luillot was called, Laughlin withdrawing. The vote was: Hamilton, 425; Fulson, 1,132; Thornton, 200. Mr. Fulton was declared the nominee, and responded with a brief speech, at the close of which Gov. Matthews read a telegram from Congressman Cooper, stating that the President had signed the greenback tax bill, and that he had the pen with which it was done. The convention was highly pleased at the information, particularly the fact of Cooper's getting hold of the presidential pen before any one else got with it. The last nomination was tr.»n made, the balloting being called (or state geologist, with George S. &aney, of Montgomery, and Eli P. Jg.fdan, of Shelby, as the candidates. The vote resulted in the nomination a 7 Jordan, as follows: Harney, 725; Jordon, 1,022. Mr. Jordan was declared toe nominee, and after a short speech of thanks from him the convention adjourned.