Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1890 — IN STATE CONVENTION. [ARTICLE]

IN STATE CONVENTION.

THIRTEEN HUNDRED DEMOCRATS NOMINATE A TICKETProe««(Uncs of Indiana Democratic Convention—Th« Platform and Full Details •* the Proceeding,—Oov. Gray Presides, The Democrats pf Indiana met in State convention at Indianapolis on the 38th.. There were 1,308 delegates present, and a very large number of prominent party workers from everjr county in the State. The District meetings were held the evening previous and resultedin’the following appointments on the various committees:

Vice-presidents—First district, W N Underwood, Perry: Second, Elijah Sandford. Knox: Third, J A Cravens, Washington; Fourth, E G Nicklaus, Jefferson Fifth, J J Smiley, Putnam; Sixth, George W Goodwin, Henry; Seventh, C A Henderson, Madison; Eighth, C W Ward, Vermillion • Ninth, Henry K Harris, Benton; Tenth, Judge Pollard, Carroll; Eleventh, J C Branyon, Huntington; Twelfth W F MeNagny, Whitley; Thirteenth, A G Wood, Kosciusko. Assistant Secretaries First district, Leroy M Wade, Posey; Second, John Johnson, Lawrence; Third, JosiahGwinn, Floyd; Fourth, M W Fisk, Ohio; Fifth, J W Cravens, Monroe; Sixth, D W McKee; Fayette; Seventh, S L Majors. Shelby: Eighth, William Tiptou, Parke; Ninth, J M Whistler, Hamilton; Tenth, J A Rothrock; Eleventh, W J Houck, Grant; T welfth, W-W Rookbill,Allen vThirteenth, J C Fletcher, Starke. Permanent Organization -First district, W B McDonald, Gibson; Second, W A Traylor, Dubois: Third, C L Jewett, Floyd; Fourth, S S Harrell, Franklin; Fifth, John Dolan, Monroe; Sixth, C W Buchanan, Randolph; Seventh, Charles G Off us, Hancock: Eighth. Isaac M Schoover, Fountain; Ninth, John F McHugh, Tippecanoe; Tenth, Patrick Keefe, Casa; Eleventh, H B Smith, Blackford; Twelfth, N B Newman, Noble; Thirteeth, DL Miller, Elkhart. Credentials—First district. William H Story, Warrick: Second, w S Mavity, Orange; Third, Prof Thomas, Harrison; Fourth, S Gleason, Decatur; Fifth, M Waterman, Brown; Sixth, Charles W Gilfore, Delaware; Seventh, Leon Bailey, larion: Eighth, Thomas J Mann, Sullivan; Ninth, James 1 Parker, Tipton; Tenth, Engelbert Zimmermann, Porter; Eleventh, N Blackburn, Adams; Twelfth' J E McDonald, Noble; Thirteenth, Adolph Gints, LaPorte. Resolutions—First district, J G Shanklin. Vanderburg; Second, Lycurgus Dalton, Lawrence; Third, Jason B Brown, Jackson; Fourth, Charles A Corbaley, Jefferson; Fifth, Eb Henderson, Morgan: Sixth, Robert Dora, Rush; Seventh, S E Mores, Marion; Eighth, John E’. Lamb, Vigo; Ninth, Thomas J Terhune, Boone; Tenth, JM Hums tan, Newton; Eleventh, J M Smith, Jay; Twelfth, D A Fawcett, LaGrange; Thirteenth, David Leeper, St. Joseph. State Central Committee—First district, Anthony Stephenson, Spencer; Second, James Andrews, Orange: Third, A E Smith, Harrison,; Fourth, W H O’Brien, Dearborn; Fifth, J W Ragsdale, Johnson; Sixth, Thomas G Study, Wayne; Seventh, D. N. Berg, Madison; Eighth, James M Haskins, Clay; Ninth, David F Allen, Clinton; Tenth, B F Louthain, Cass; Eleventh, Jerome Herff, Miami: Twelfth, Henry Freygang, Noble; Thirteenth, Mar tin Kreuger, LaPorte.

The convention was called to order at 10 o’clock by Chairman Charles L. Jewett. State Senator J. H. Smith of Blnffton, offered prayer. His prayer was of a “popular” turn, as may be seen. He said: “Our Father who art in heaven, we confess that Thou dost hold our destinies as well as the destinies of nations in Thine own hands. One of the great political parties of the State and nation has assembled here to select men to be voted for at the coming election, and believing that a Christian land Buch as ours should have honest, God»fearing, liberty loving men to represent it in the various departments, we ask Thee, to inspire this convention to give us such men. Believing, also, that the men nominated here to-day will be elected, we ask Thee to enablo us to make the wisest selection. Help the presiding officer in his work. Help the defeated brethren to take their defeat philosophically, and may peace and harmony prevail and brotherly love continue in the party that has withstood tbe storms of a hundred years, and is to-day the party of the people. Smile graoiously upon onr beloved State, and bless the Governor and all the State offioers. Guide us by Tby unswerving counsel and in all the walks of life, and may victory be ours in November. Amen.”

The prayer seemed to be taken as a joke by some of the delegates, who gleefully applauded at its close. The committee on credentials submitted a report which was unanimously adopted. The chairman then introduced Hon. Isaac P. Grey as chairman of the convention, and he was loudly applauded as he came forward. He devoted a part of his speech to national affairs. Of the State debt he said:

“The Republicans of this State are trying to divert public attention from the reckless and indefensible administration of national affairs under Harrison by talking about tbe State debt and say that they intend to make it an issue in the coming campaign. Now it seems to me that if there is a question that the Republicans of Indiana should desire not to be made an issue in the coming canvass it is the question of the State debt. The Indianapolis Journal, in its issue of November 21,1887, says that ‘when the Republicans went out of office in 1883 they left the State- debt at 14,876,608.34,’ which statement is correct, as shown by the report of the Auditor of State of that year. Yes, and every dollar of the indebtedness, except *22,852.12 of old internal improvement bonds, was made by the Republican party. * * “Thepresent foreign debtor tbe State, as shown by the last report of the Auditor of State, is 58,056,615.12. The non-nego-tiable bonds held by Purdue University and the State University at Bloomington, amounting to $484,006, are what is called our domestic debt. Now deduct the $4,853.783.12 —that portion of the debt made by the Republicans—from the present foreign debt of $8,053,615.18, leaves $3,202,852 of the debt made by the Democrats, but the most important question to be considered by this people in connection with the State debt is: ‘what caused it to be created, and what whs done with the money it represents?’ people well know what waa done with the proceeds of that portion of the State debt created under Democratic rule, and the Democratic party can point with pride tb its expenditure in the construction of the many much needed public buildings and improvements erected .under its management of State affairs, among which can be named the new State House, into the construction of which went the proceeds of the $500,000 State House loan, dated May 1,1885, and In ad diti on thereto $300,000 from the general fund of the treasury 4 making $700,020 expended.on the construes tion of the State House over and above tbe amount raised by the State House tax. Then there are the three new hospitals for tbe insane, located respectively at Evansville, Richmond and Logansport, costing in the aggregate ll.SOO.O'W; the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphans’ Home at Knightsdown, which has been rebuilt on a plan commensurate with the wants and in keep ivg with the dignity and patriotism of tho State; the new building at Port Wayne for Itho Institution for Feeble-minded Youth; the new Normal School building at Terre Haute; the new additional building for the Institute for the Blind; the new school

building for the Deaf nod Dumb, end the soldiers’ monument in this city. The new institutions established sad the new build- | ings erected, of which the State may Justly feel proud, are living and monumental evidence of the wise and Judicious expenditure of the money borrowed under Democratic rulel The Democrats crested a little over throe millions of the State debt, and they point with pride to the new charitable institutions established and new buildings constructed as an equivalent for that portion of toe debt created by them’. “The Republicans created nearly five millions of toe present State debt of eight millions, and what can they point to in the way of institutions established and buildings constructed under their rale as an equivalent for that portion of the debt made by them! * * But as soon as the Democrats created a debt of a little over three millions, caused by the construction of public buildings which were absolutely needed by:the State, the Republicans immediately set up a great clamor about the State debt. » The Democratic party is the author of nearly every public institution in the State and it is the authsr of every law on the statute books of the State enacted in the interest of the laboring classes. The band of the ReDublican party is not impressed upon tbe development of the State alt any stage of its progress. Every time it has had legislative control it has utterly failed to enact any legislation calculated to advance the prosperity of tbe people or the welfare of the State.

The State will not need to engage in the construction of costly buildings for many years to come. The new institutions, now about completed, will, in connection with the old ones, give the State a charity system not excelled by any State hi the Union, and will afford ample accommodations for thacaraand custody of her unfortunate classes. The Democratic party, if it is continued in legislative control of the State, will make proper provision for the gradual extinguishment of the State debt. Its extinguishment ought to be gradual, at least until the farmers shall have better crops and the grasp of the gormorant tariff is loosened from the throats of the people. The platform was then read and unanimously adopted. It reads as follows:

-•Thecommittee on resolutions, through 8. E. Morse, editor, of the Sentinel, submitted the following: We. the Democracy of Indiana, In convention assembled for the first time since the memorable contest in 18h8, when we went down In defeat, bnt not in dishonor, overcome by the shameless methods oi Dudleyism and the “blocks of five," do solemnly dec.are: That the electoral tote of Indiana was obtained for Harrisen and Morton by the most flagrant crime* against the ballot-box ever perpetrated in an American commonwealth; that these crimes were committed nnder the direct auspices of William Wade Dudley, then and now Treasurer of the National Repub.lean committee, and by the procurement and conhivance of Republican leaders in tbis State and in the Nation; that the administration of Benjamin Harrison has made itself an accessory after the fact to these crimes by shielding tbe criminals from punishment and even by rewarding them for their knavery: and that the braxen prostitution of the machinery of the Federal Conrt for the District of Indiana, by its Judge and aitorlornev, to the protection of thee conspirators against the suffrage, constitutes the most infamous chapter in the judicial annals of the Republic. The Federal Court of Indiana has decided that advising and organising bribery is not a crime. We appeal from this decision to the people of Indiana, and we demand a verdict against William A. Woods and the miscreants whom he saved from legal punishment. We denounce the administration of Benjamin Harrison for its deliberate abandonment of civil service reform; for its use of cabinet positions and high stations in payment of financial campaign debts; for treating the public patronage as a family appendage instead of a public trust, and quartenug a host of relatives, % blood and by marriage, upon the National Treasury; for dismissing honest and competent public servants, in violation of solemn pledges, because of their political opinions, and filling their places with men devoid of character or capacity, and whose only title to preferment rested upon disreputable partisan work; for Its dalliance with questionable gift enterprises; for its complete subservience to Wall street and the money power, and its undisguised hostility or Indifference to the rights and interests of the producing and laboring mas es. to . We denounce the tariff monopolists for their efforts to perpetuate tnemselvea in power by measures inconsistent with free institutions and contrary to good morals. We find in the Force Election BilT, the bills breating rotten borough states and tbe McKinley tariff bill tbe open manifestations of a gigantic conspiracy of the minority to oppress a groaning people with additional hardens of taxation for private benefits, and to fasten it on tile suoh a way that the people con not free themselves from the galling load. We condemn the Repnbliban party for the deliberate theft of two seatoin the Senate of the United States from the people of Montana; for degrading the House of Representatives from a deliberative body into a one man despotism under tbe false and bypooiltical pretense of expediting the public business- for (instating legally elected representatives of tbe people in order to strengthen a partisan majority which was originally the product of fraud: for trampling upon the rights of the minority in disregard as well of justice and decency as of parliamentary usage and the plain requirement# of the Constitution, and for reckless prodigality in appropriations, which, has converted the surplus accumulated under thfc wise, frugal and statesmanlike administration of Grover Cleveland into a deficit of alarming dimensions, involving l£„the near future a farther heavy increase of Sale’s business. enounoe the foree citation bill, which IM passed the House and has the active support oFfhe administration, os revolutionary and unconstitutional. It strikes down home rule and local self-government; suggests and encourages fraudulent elections, and provides the machinery to accomplish dishonest returns and Stilt certificates of election; fosters sectionalism and bayonet rale where every interest of the people invites to peace, fraternity and unity; outrages the traditions and customs of a oentury by giving life tenure to psrtisan returning hoards; makes the legislative and executive branches dependent np jn the judiciary, and converts the judiciary into an instrument of oppression and corruption: involve* the nnneceasary expenditure of millions of the people’s money, and in Indiana nullifies the Andrews election law, passed by the last Legislature over the determined opposition of the Republicans We declare that interference of any kind by the Federal government with State elections is a dangerous menace to the form of goveinment bequeathed us by the framers of the constitution, and that the Intelligence and patriotism of the American people may safely be trusted to remedy any evils that may exist in onr elections. We denounce the McKinley tariff bill as the most outrage* us measure of taxation ever proposed In the American Congress. It Will increase taxes upon the necessaries of life and reduce taxes upon tbe luxuries. It will make life harder for every farmer and wage earner in the land in order that the profits of monopolies and trusts may be swelled. It affords no relief whatever to tbe agricultural interests of the country, already staggering under tbe heavy burdens oi protection; in the words of James 0. Blaine, “it will not open a market for another bnshel of wheat or another barrel of pork.’’ We are opposed to legislation which compels Indiana formers to pay bounties to the sngar planters and silk growers of other States. We are opposed to class legislation of every kind; to subsidies and bounties of every description and in every disguise. We are in favor of that wide measure of commercial freedom proposed by Grover Cleveland, which would benefit the farmers and laborers of the .entire country, In stead of that limited measure of so-called reciprocity offered by Mr. Blaine, which would benefit only a few eastern manufacturers. So long os the government depends for support in on, degree upon a tariff we demand that it be levied for revenue only and, so far as possible, upon the luxuries of the rich, instead of the necessaries of the masses. We denounce the silver bill, so-rolled, recently enacted, as an ignominious surrender to the money power. It perpetuates the demonetization of sliver end tile single gold standard, whereas the interests of the people require the complete remonetization of silver and its restoration to perfect equality with gold in our coinage. We demand the lies and unrestricted coinage of silver upon the basis existing prior We are in favor, as we always have been of a just and liberal pension system. We denounce tbe Republican party for making pledges to the veterans in IMS which have not been redeemed and even not Intended to be redeemed, and we warn them against farther attempts at deception from the same quarter. *We are rejoiced at the evidences cAan awakening of the farmers of the neces slty for organized efforts own emit!.ti n and protect unjust Irgialatfon an t • pp.-v-lvo >n. We invite ir-nu n to the fort ,• 'iik: Mlilgiilite to

lire olr public lands dov hold mt ihtn, *■. j , T v* We fsvor tiie election of United States Senators by the people. We indt.r.e most heartily (be legislation at the General Asembly of 18M. We applaud the election reform laws and pledge ourselves to the r support and fall enforcement- We applaud the schooi text-bo k laws, by which the people are given school books at one-half their former price. We favor such additional legislation as will give full effect to the objects of this set, and will extend its scope as far as practicable. We pledge ourselves to resist every attempt of tbe School Book Trust to regain its old control over our township trustees and county superintendents, and the duties as will increase their efficiency and decrease the expenses, and favor such simplification of the several laws in regard to the public school system. We applaud the bill for County Farmers’ Institute*, and pledge ourselves to coun-enance and extend that valuable means of universal Instruction in acricaltural science. We applaud tbe State Board of Charities law and commend the exce lent work done by that Board in improving the condition and methods of our benevolent reformatory Institutions. Tbe crestioh Of oar splendid system of public charities, and their hon st and efficient management constitutes one oi the strongest tides of the Indiana Democracy to popular confidence and support. we applaud tbe law for funding tbe school debt, by which the State is saved snnnaDy 1120,OCOin interest, and nearly *4,(*0,000 has keen distributed to the counties to be :osned to the people at 6 per cent, interest. We denounce the conspiracy oi certain Republican State officials ana newspaper* to destroy the State’s credit for partisan purposes by disseminating false statements os to her financial condition and resources, Indiana is not bankrupt Her taxes ore low and her debt is not oppressive, and for every dollar of It »he bos more than value received in great public institutions —a fact which speaks volumes for Democratic integrity, economy aoa efficiency. The State debt obligations should not be hawked over tbe conntry, bat should be mode a popular domestic security, issued direct to the people of the State in bonds of small denominations, drawing a low rate of interest and nontaxable, that the interest paid may remain at home and the securities may be a safe investment for trust fnads and the people’s savings. We demand the adoption of a system of equalizing the appraisement of real and personal property In this State, to the end that an equal and proper uniformity In such assessments wall be secured, for the reason that under existing regulations manycounties are compelled to pay an-’-unjust proportion of the State’s expeusee, which otheis as unjustly escape. JS/* applaud tbe eigbt-uour law, the law to prevent “black-listing,” the law prohibiting “pluck-me” stores, the laws for the protection: of coal miners, the law proven ing the lmporta-i tion of Pinkerton detectives, and the repeal of the Republican intimidation law of MM. as manifestations of tbe steadfast friendship of the! Demoetatic party to the workingmen. We point to these laws as evidence that oar friendship to American labor is not confined to words alone. We denounce the employment of the Pinker-* tons by a railroad corporation in New York Ini the pending contest with its employes, and hold' it to be the dnty of State and local officials everywhere to prevent such an usurpation by capital of the police powers of the State. We are' in favor of arbitration as the only just and fair method of settling labor controversies, and we demand of the next Legislature the passage of a law creating a permanent tribunal of arbitration for that purpose. We Insist that labor has as good a right to organize In eeif protection as’ capital, and that labor organizations should be placed on a perfect equality before the law with: organizations of capital, known as corporations., We lavor the Just and equitable apportionment of of the school revenues of the State. I We favor the total abandonmen t of the system i of fees and perquisite* in the payment oi State! and county offices, and we demand tbe enact-l of a law by tbe next Legist*tore fixing fair saVa-l ries for oil public officials, the same to go into' effects* soon as practicable. JndgeaCoffee, Berkshire and Olds, Republican, members oi the Supreme Bench, deserve the contempt of the people of Indiana for their action in', overturning the settled construction of the constitution, reversing all legal precedents snd con- 1 tradicting their own ruling! lor the sake of slew petty office* and at the dictarion of unscrupulons political tricksters. While we heartily indorse, and shall always uphold, maintain and fosier, at any cost, onr! system of public schools for the free instruction' of all who choose to make use of them, we ore! unalterably oppesed to all attempts to regulate,! by law. the course of study in anv pablle or pri-i v*te school, and we deprecate and denounce any j interference on thepsrt of tbe State in tbe man-' agementof schools, maintained by citizens at their own expense ss an arbitrary, despotic and! intolerable encroachment upon private-rights. ) We favor legislation for establishing ana pre*J serving the township libraries of tbe State oi In-! diana os invaluable adjuncts of onr common' school system. < We heartily Indorse the course of Daniel W, | Voorhees and David Tarple In the United States) Senate, and commend them for their able and) brilliant advocacy of Democratic principles, andj their vigilant defense of the public interests' against tbe assaults of plutocracy and monop-i oiy. We also indorse the coarse of Indians? ten Democratic Representatives in Congress f

Nominations then proceeded. } Judge Joseph A. S. Mitchell was unani-. mously renominated for judge of the Susj preme Court He cordially thanked the 1 convention. For Secretary of State, Claude B. Matthews, of Vermillion; James B. Clark of Monroe, W. J. Hilligoss of Delaware and John Lee of Montgomery. The first vote resulted: Matthews, 583; Clark, 182)4;; Hilligoss, 337.; Lee, 218)4, *nd W. E. Mc-I Lean of Vigo, 12. The second ballot re-j suited in tbe nomination of Matthews, hel, receiving 889 votes. Hilligoss 890 and Lee' 133. His address thanking tbe convention* was short but eloquent. ‘ Tho following gentlemen were named for Treasurer: P. H. McCormick, Barthol-. omew; Albert Gall, Marion; Tboftias B. Byrnes, Vanderburg: James R. Slack, Huntington, and H. C. Berghoff, Aliens The first ballot resulted; McCormick 206, Gall 342, Byrnes 295, Slack 158, Berghoff 305. The second ballot resulted: Gall 468,' Berghoff 289, Slack 127, Byrnes 804, Mo-' Cormack 117. Tbe fourth ballot resulted in Gail’s nomination by the following vote: Gall 688, Byrnes 476, Berghoff 184, Slack %.\ Green Smith of Jennings and J. McCabe of Warren were balloted for Attorney-: General. Tbe result was Smith’s nomina t tion. he receiving 787)4 votes to McCabe 515)4. For Auditor George 8. Green of Posey,! James C. Lavell of Dubois and John 0.1 Henderson of Grant werepresented. The; vote resulted in Henderson’s nomination! on the first ballot, he receiving 675, Green 253 and Lavell 375. Andrew M. Sweeney of Dubois, George; S. Pleasants of Switzerland, Nelson G.. Hunter of Wabash, Daniel McDonald of Marshall and Joseph T. Fanning of Marion; were nominated for Clerk of the Supreme! Court. Mr. Sweeney was nominated the! first ballot, receiving 450 votes, Pleasants 1 205, Hunter 213, McDonald 261 and Fan-; ning 174. t* For Superintendent of Public Instruction Henry D. Vories waa nominated. The first ballot resulted, Vories 425, B. F.( Wissler of Wayne ISO. J. A. Marlow ot Sullivan 346, and E. E. Griffith of Clinton 385. Prof. S. D. Gorby was unanimously nominated for State Geologist, as was W. A. Peelle, Jr., for Chief of the Bureau of Statistics. Tbe convention then adjourned, after a very harmonious session.