Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1900 — CALAMITY PLATFORM [ARTICLE]

CALAMITY PLATFORM

Indiana Democrats Excel In the Arraignment of Americanism. The Bryanites In a number of states have tried their hands at platform building, but there appears to be a general impression that the Indiana pronouncement has the right calamity ring to it. As a terse, compact and vigorous arraignment of the Americanism of the present administration It could not be Improved upon. Its doleful lamentations over “the corrupting influence of colonial dominion” are calculated to draw crocodile tears from the most pachyderm politician. The convention went into the deepest depths of despair, however, when it came to Cuba and the “broken pledges" of the Republican party. “No people can exist part free and part slave, part citizen and part subject, part republic and part empire,” says the Indiana platform. As a piece of clever and captivating buncombe for frightening the plain people regarding the policies of the administration this sentence leaves nothing to be desired, ft reveals the work of a master hand. No ordinary, commonplace juggler in calamity phrases built this platform. » While the platform is full of calamity and the red ravings at “imperialism,” it at the same time carefully refrains from advocating the confiscation of all the property that is now held by the corporations. It apparently does not contemplate the annihilation of all Individual and property rights. It does not demand the repeal of the law of gravitation and no attempt is made to convince the prosperous that they are in the throes of hard times. Altogether the Hoosier Democrats have constructed a characteristic platform. It is true that it makes no mention of the sacred'ratio of 1G to 1, but it reaffirms the Chicago platform and indorses its “distinguished statesman, sincere patriot and honest man, \\ 111iam J. Bryan. What more can the Bryanites ask? It doesn’t confiscate as much property as the Nebraska platform. It is not as long as the Kansas platform and not so short as the lowa platform, and incomparably superior to both ‘in terseness and vigor of expression. Considering the poverty of material it hasrrto work upon and the predicament of being compelled to i accept Bryan it is about as good a | calamity pronunciamento as could have been desired.