History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 51

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104

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James A. Mount, Republican 320,932

Benjamin F. Shively, Democrat. .294,855

Leander M. Crist, Prohibitionist. 2,997

Thomas Wadsworth, Populist. 8,626

James H. Kingsbury, Nat. Prohibitionist. 2,500 Philip H. Moore, Socialist 283

FOR LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.

William S. Haggard, Republican. 320,887

John C. Lawler, Democrat .. 294,717

William Edgerton, Phohibitionist 3,065

Adam P. Hanna, Populist 8,636 Sampson J. North, National Prohibitionist 2,485

Harry S. Sharp 296

The entire Republican State ticket was elected by something over 26,000 plurality.

To the General Assembly the Repub- licans did not elect as many of their can- didates as they had hoped. The Senate stood 33 Republicans, 14 Democrats, 3 Populists. The House: 52 Republicans, 39 Democrats, 9 Populists. This resulted in the election of Charles W. Fairbanks to the United States Senate, to succeed Daniel W. Voorhees-the first Republican Senator chosen since 1881, sixteen years.

The Democrats recovered four of the seats they had lost two years before. In- stead of a solid Republican delegation rep- resenting Indiana in the lower House of Congress, nine of that persuasion were chosen and four Democrats given creden- tials. In the Second district Robert W. Miers displaced Alexander M. Harvey, in the Third William T. Zenor got the better of Robert J. Tracewell, in the Fourth the faithful and ever-alert "watchdog of the Treasury," William S. Holman, came to his own again, and in the Twelfth (Fort Wayne) district James M. Robinson scored a victory over his Republican competitor. The Nation and State sustained an irrep- arable loss through the death of Judge Holman during the term. The vacancy was filled by the election of Francis M. Griffith, a very excellent representative of the younger element of the party.

THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AS DE- PICTED BY GENERAL T. E. POWELL.

In 1894 President Cleveland sent a mes- sage to Congress which dwelt particularly upon the tariff question. He believed that the election of 1892 was an endorsement of the Democratic ideas on the tariff, and he urged immediate action in the direction of a reduction. In accordance with his

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idea, Wilson of West Virginia introduced a tariff bill which provoked a long contest, but after much tinkering, changing and substitution, a bill denominated the Brice- Gorman-Wilson bill was finally passed. This general tariff bill became a law on August 27, 1894, without the President's signature. It did not suit him, but he would not veto it.

The campaign of 1896 brought forth the most remarkable Democratic leader the country has seen since Andrew Jackson. Like Jackson, he first attracted attention by unstable vagaries; like Jackson, he is guided more by animosities and prejudices than by patriotism, yet like "Old Hickory," he is not without statesmanlike qualities, and, moreover, he is so highly gifted as an orator that since he has ripened he is able to present his political beliefs in the most attractive form and even to garb revenge in the mantle of justice.

The Republican party began the Presi- dential campaign in 1895. The party was rich in Presidential timber and a full year before the national convention could be held the friends of several aspirants were busy in their behalf. The most prominent candidates were William Mckinley of Ohio, Thomas B. Reed of Maine, Levi P. Morton of New York and William B. Alli- son of Iowa. There seemed to be but one issue, the tariff, and toward that the minds of the people were constantly directed by the politicians.

The panic of 1893, for which there had been no political cause, having been pro- duced mainly through the disturbance of public confidence by the wanton clamor of the Republican press, had left the country with an impression that the Democratic party was responsible for the money strin- gency and the hard times. Cleveland's fair trade policy had been pictured like the seven lean kine of Egypt which followed and devoured the seven fat kine, and still remained lean. The protective tariff was lauded as the cure-all for every commercial and financial trouble. The Democrats attributed the hard times to the scarcity of gold, which, being the single and only standard of values for all other com- modities, paralyzed business because of its scarcity. To this they added the further arguments that Republican spell-binders disturbed the people and that the high tariff was oppressive to the workingman and the farmer. Because of Republican as-

saults the Democracy of the country allowed the Republicans to hold their na- tional conventions first and outline their policy to the country.

The Republican National Convention met at St. Louis June 16, 1896, and nom- inated William Mckinley for President by acclamation amid a scene of wild enthusi- asm. The nomination was announced to the world by a Presidential salute from a battery stationed outside the convention hall.

The Republican platform pledged the party to a gold standard, a high protective tariff and opposition to the free coinage of silver, except by international agreement with the leading commercial nations of the world. The platform assailed the Demo- cratic party in the following language:

For the first time since the Civil War the American people have witnessed the calamitous consequences of full and unrestricted Democratic control of the Government. It has been a record of unparalleled incapacity, dishonor and disaster. In administrative management it has ruthlessly sacrificed indispensable revenue, entailed an un- ceasing deficit, eked out ordinary current expenses with borrowed money, piled up the public debt by $262,000,000 in time of peace, forced an ad- verse balance of trade, kept a perpetual menace hanging over the redemption fund, pawned Amer- ican credit to alien syndicates and reversed all the measures and results of successful Republican rule.

This quotation illustrates the lamentable disregard of truth which politicians too often evince. Congress at the time that platform was written was constituted as follows: In the Senate there were 45 Re- publicans, 39 Democrats and 6 Populists ; in the House 246 Republicans, against 104 Democrats, a Republican majority of 147. Whatever that Congress had done could not be charged against the Democrats, and President Cleveland was one of the strong- est gold standard advocates in the country. Congress had been Democratic under the last half of President Harrison's regime, but he had the power of veto in his hands and was equally culpable with Congress for any unwise legislation. The truth is that neither Congress deserved reproba- tion. Also the repeal of the Bland-Allison bill had ended the coinage of silver and the gold standard was perfectly safe with Cleveland in the President's chair. The hard times and discontent were the result of wild assertions like the above made by the Republican party. To disturb public confidence is to disturb business.

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Garret A. Hobart of New Jersey was nominated for Vice-President on the ticket headed by William Mckinley.

The Democratic National Convention met at Chicago, June 7, 1896. It was called to order by Chairman Harrity of the Na- tional Committee, who pronounced the selection of David B. Hill of New York for temporary chairman. The Silverites ob- jected to Hill, believing him to be a rigid gold standard man, and this brought on a contest in which the silver forces put for- ward John W. Daniel of Virginia for tem- porary chairman, and he was elected. The Silverites also selected the permanent chairman, choosing Stephen M. White of California.

Almost as soon as the convention met it became apparent that the delegates favor- ing the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 were largely in the majority and they continued to increase in strength by the accession of gold stand- ard men who surrendered to them, think- ing it the only course to pursue. At first the Silverites had a majority, but not two- thirds of the convention. The defection of the sound money men increased the major- ity to more than two-thirds. Had it not been for this the two-thirds rule, which had been in force in Democratic National Conventions since the nomination of James K. Polk in 1844, would have prevented the nomination of an extreme advocate of the free coinage of silver. When the platform came up for consideration strong speeches were made against the adoption of the free coinage plank, but it was adopted by an overwhelming majority. The resolutions were read by James K. Jones of Arkansas, and a minority report was presented by David B. Hill of New York, William F. Vilas of Wisconsin and fourteen others. Hill, Vilas and Governor Russell of Massa- chusetts led in speeches in favor of the minority resolutions, while Benjamin R. Tillman of South Carolina and William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska spoke in favor of the silver plank. Bryan closed the de- bate in a speech which not only brought him the nomination for President, but made him the dictator of the Democratic party from that time to this. In his peroration he uttered that wonderful sentence which must always remain one of the gems of English metaphor: "You shall not press down upon the brow of la- bor this crown of thorns; you shall not

crucify mankind upon a cross of gold." The money plank in the platform read:

Recognizing that the money question is para- mount to all others at this time, we invite atten- tion to the fact that the Constitution names silver and gold together as the money metals of the United States, and that the first coinage law passed by Congress under the Constitution made the silver dollar the unit and admitted gold to free coinage at a ratio based upon the silver dol- lar unit.

We declare that the act of 1873 demonetizing silver without the knowledge or approval of the American people has resulted in the appreciation of gold, and a corresponding fall in the price of commodities produced by the people; a heavy in- crease in the burden of taxation and of all debts, public and private; the enrichment of the money- lending class at home and abroad; prostration of industry and the impoverishment of the people.

We demand the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1, without waiting for the aid or consent of any other nation. We demand that the stand- ard silver dollar shall be a full legal tender, equal- ly with gold, for all debts, public and private, and we favor such legislation as will prevent for the future the demonetization of any kind of legal tender money by private contract.

A resolution was presented to the con- vention endorsing the administration of President Cleveland in these words: "We commend the honesty, economy, courage and fidelity of the present Democratic na- tional administration." The report as a whole was rejected by 628 to 301, where- upon David B. Hill demanded a separate vote on the resolution of endorsement of the President. It was rejected by a vote of 564 to 357.

The candidates nominated for President were Richard P. Bland of Missouri, William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska, Claude Matthews of Indiana, Horace Boies of Iowa, Joseph C. S. Blackburn of Kentucky and John R. McLean of Ohio. Besides these the following were also voted for: Robert E. Pattison of Pennsylvania, Benja- min R. Tillman of South Carolina, Syl- vester Pennoyer of Oregon, Henry M. Teller of Colorado, Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois, William E. Russell of Massachu- setts, David B. Hill of New York and James E. Campbell of Ohio. Delegations from several of the States either wholly or in part refused to vote on the first ballot, and even on the last ballot there were 162 who refused to vote. The result of the first ballot was: Bland, 235; Bryan, 119; Pattison, 95; Matthews, 37; Boies, 85; Stevenson, 7; Blackburn, 83; McLean, 54; Pennoyer, 8; Teller, 8; Russell, 2; Hill, 1;

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Campbell, 1. Not voting, 178. Bryan showed a steady gain, and on the fifth ballot, when his vote had reached 500, delegations began to change their votes and turn to him, and he speedily passed the 512 required to nominate. Among the delegations which broke to him on the fifth ballot was that of Ohio, which had cast 46 votes for McLean on every ballot up to that time.

There were five ballots for a candidate for Vice-President, with the result that on the fifth ballot, of which no record was made, Arthur Sewall of Maine was unan- imously declared the nominee of those who still took part in the convention. John R. McLean of Ohio led on the fourth ballot with 296 votes, while Sewall had 262, Daniels of Virginia 54, Clark of North Carolina 46, Williams of Massachusetts 19, Harrity of Pennsylvania 11 and Patti- son of Pennsylvania 1.

On May 28th the Prohibitionists opened their national convention at Pittsburgh. Like the Democrats, they were divided into two sections. The majority declared for Prohibition as the sole issue in the cam- paign, while the minority, headed by John P. St. John of Kansas, demanded a free silver plank in the platform. The "Narrow Gauge," or strict Prohibitionists, controlled the convention and nominated Joshua Levering of Baltimore, Md., for President and Hale Johnson of Illinois for Vice- President. The minority then seceded, organized the National party and nom- inated Charles E. Bentley of Nebraska for President and James H. Southgate of North Carolina for Vice-President.

The Socialist Labor party held a national convention in New York City on July 9, 1896, and nominated Charles H. Matchett of New York and Matthew Maguire of New Jersey for President and Vice-Presi- dent.

On July 22 the Populists met in their national convention at St. Louis and de- cided by a vote of 785 to 615 to nominate their Vice-Presidential candidate, before considering a President. Accordingly they nomniated Thomas E. Watson of Georgia, over Arthur Sewall, after which they placed William Jennings Bryan at the head of their ticket. The Silver party also held a national convention at St. Louis on July 22 and endorsed Bryan and Sewall.

When all the nominations had been made by the conventions of the various parties

and the candidates squared away for the race it became apparent that the "silver question" was to be the main issue of the campaign. The Republicans had started out with tariff as their battle-cry, but they speedily discovered that the free coinage of silver was occupying the public mind to a great extent and they were compelled to substitute the slogan of sound money for that of high protection. After the pas- sage of the Wilson bill in 1893 a quiet cam- paign of education had been carried on throughout the South and West by the Silverites, vast amounts of literature being distributed advocating the free and un- limited coinage of silver. This phase of the campaign was accentuated when the Democrats of the country who were opposed to free silver formed an organi- zation called National Democrats. They were known at the time as Gold Democrats. They held a national convention at Indiana- polis on September 2 and 3, at which there were 888 delegates present, repre- senting forty-one States. In their plat- form they said we "insist upon the main- tenance of the gold standard and the parity therewith of every dollar issued by the Government, and are firmly opposed to the free and unlimited coinage of silver and to the compulsory purchase of silver bullion."

The convention nominated John M. Palmer of Illinois for President and Simon B. Buckner of Kentucky for Vice-Presi- dent.

Until about the end of September indi- cations pointed to a Democratic victory, but during the month of October sentiment veered rapidly in favor of the Republican party. Mark Hanna, probably the greatest campaign manager the country has ever seen, was made chairman of the Republican Committee, and under his direction a vigorous educational campaign was carried on to offset the popular sentiment for free silver. Bryan made a tremendous canvass, making speeches all over the country, win- ning laurels as an orator and exciting ad- miration by his wonderful physical endur- ance. Mckinley, on the other hand, remained at home in Canton, Ohio, where he received delegation after delegation throughout the campaign and made speeches from the front porch of his home. In this way he must have made hundreds of speeches during the campaign, and hun- dreds of thousands of people visited Can-

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ton to see him and hear his views on the money and tariff questions. The Demo- cratic press of the country turned against Bryan and the newspapers of Ohio, with a few exceptions, followed the general trend.

Political conditions throughout the coun- try were in a peculiar condition. Cleve- land's administration had been condemned and repudiated by a majority of his own party. It was a common saying that if his last term had been his first he never would have had his last. The Democratic party was making a fight for one idea and one great advocate of that idea. If Bryan had lost the support of the Gold Democrats he had the endorsement and practical support of the Populists and Prohibitionists with the addition of Silver Republicans, whose number it seemed would offset the Gold

Democrats who had broken away from the party. But as the day of election drew nearer and nearer the people of the East and North grew more and more fearful of placing the finances of the country upon a silver basis. They were told that Bryan was trying to Mexicanize the country and that if the free silver theory were endorsed in the United States the country would be dishonored and discredited with all Euro- pean nations.

The total vote of the United States at the Presidential election in 1896 was 13,- 926,757, of which Mckinley and Hobart received 7,104,779 and Bryan and Sewall 6,502,925. Palmer and Buckner received 133,148. In the electoral college Mckinley had 271 votes and Bryan 176.

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[CHAPTER XLVIII.] SPIRITED CONVENTION IN 1898

DEFEATS IN 1894 AND 1896 LEFT NO DEPRESSING EFFECTS

HOSE who were in attendance T at the State Convention of the Indiana Democracy for 1898, held June 22, were unable to espy any signs of dismay, dis- couragement or depression on the countenances of either dele- gates or spectators. A feeling of buoy- ancy and cheer was everywhere in evi- dence. And the eagerness with which nominations were sought afforded war- rant for the belief that hope, if not abso- lute confidence, dwelt within the bosoms of the various contestants for the honor implied in such recognition.

The convention was called to order by State Chairman Parks M. Martin. The report of the Committee on Permanent Organization designated Senator David Turpie as president and S. M. Briscoe of Blackford county as secretary. Report of committee unanimously adopted, followed by a characteristically incisive speech by the chosen presiding officer. Frequent ap- plause punctuated Senator Turpie's able and eloquent address.

VICE-PRESIDENTS.

1. James R. Wilson, Warrick county.

2. Judge W. H. DeWolf, Knox.

3. John Benz, Crawford.

4. S. Weber Smith, Bartholomew.

5. S. B. McFadden, Parke.

6. John S. Martin, Franklin.

7. Luther Short, Johnson.

8. Harry B. Smith, Blackford.

9. Michael E. Foley, Montgomery.

10. Mortimer Nye, Laporte.

11. M. W. Barnes, Howard.

12. Dr. W. H. Nusbaum, DeKalb.

13. A. P. Perly, St. Joseph.

ASSISTANT SECRETARIES.

1. W. W. Kellams, Spencer county.

2. John Johnson, Lawrence.

3. J. R. Simpson, Orange.

4. E. W. Kinney, Ohio.

5. W. A. King, Hendricks.

6. George L. Gray, Fayette.

7. S. V. Perrott, Marion.

8. Frank D. Haimbaugh, Delaware.

9. William Hatfield, Clinton.

10. Thomas E. Scanlin, Tippecanoe.

11. Peter Wallrath, Cass.

12. F. D. Dunten, Lagrange.

13. J. A. Beane, Elkhart.

COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS.

1. J. G. Shanklin, Vanderburg county.

2. C. K. Thorpe, Daviess.

3. M. Z. Stannard, Clark.

4. John Overmeyer, Jennings.

5. Ciaude Matthews, Vermilion.

6. Chas. D. Morgan, Henry.

7. Samuel E. Morss, Marion.

8. Richard K. Irvin, Adams.

9. G. H. Gifford, Tipton.

10. John S. Williams, Tippecanoe.

11. W. J. Houck, Grant.

12. A. J. Moynihan, Allen.

13. Daniel McDonald, Marshall.

THE TICKET AS NOMINATED.

Secretary of State-Samuel M. Ralston, Leb- anon.

Auditor-John W. Minor, Indianapolis.

Treasurer-Hugh Dougherty, Bluffton. Attorney-General-John G. McNutt, Terre Haute.

Clerk Supreme Court-Henry Warrum, Indian- apolis.

Supt. of Public Instruction-W. B. Sinclair, Starke county.

Judges Supreme Court-Leonard J. Hackney of Shelbyville; James McCabe of Warren county, and Timothy E. Howard of South Bend.

Appellate Judges (5)-Edwin Taylor, Carl J. Kollmeyer, Edgar A. Brown, William S. Diven, Johannes Kopelke.

Chief Bureau of Statistics-James S. Guthrie. State Geologist-Edward Barrett.

In recognition of the great service ren- dered the party from beginning to close of the '96 campaign, Samuel M. Ralston was re-nominated for Secretary of State by acclamation.

A spirited fight was put up for the nom-

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

ination to the office of Auditor of State. Indianapolis presented two candidates, both strong, popular men: John W. Minor and Joseph T. Fanning. Three other aspirants contested for the nomina- tion: Winfield Scott Johnson of Owen county, Jerome Herff of Peru and William H. Ernst of Bluffton.

On the fifth ballot the contest had nar- rowed down to Minor and Fanning. When the final ballot showed Minor to have re- ceived 807 votes to 721 for Fanning, the latter moved the nomination be made unanimous, which was done with a hearty good will.

Five candidates for State Treasurer sought the convention's favor. They were: Henry Stockfleth from the First district, Adam Heimberger from the Second, Wil- liam C. Wulber from the Fourth, John A. M. Adair from the Seventh, and Hugh Dougherty from the Eighth.

Mr. Dougherty having received 821 votes on the second ballot, a motion was offered by Mr. Adair, seconded by all the other aspirants, that the nomination be declared the unanimous action of the con- vention. It was so ordered.

On motion of ex-Congressman Court- land C. Matson a unanimous renomination for Attorney-General was accorded John G. McNutt of Terre Haute.

When nominations for Supreme Judges were announced to be in order it became apparent that the extreme free silverites who objected to the renomination of Judge Hackney because he was unable to accept 16 to 1 as a tenet of Democracy could not be reconciled to his renomination without first putting up a stiff fight. They brought out that widely known and justly popular wheelhorse of Democracy in Eastern In- diana, Hugh D. McMullen of Aurora, and backed him with all their might. But a large majority of the delegates reasoned that it would be bad party policy to dis- criminate against Judge Hackney for be- ing unable to view the financial question

from the same standpoint Mr. Bryan and others viewed it. So the convention voted by 1,269 to 297 that he merited a renomi- nation and thus accorded the same by overwhelming majority. The bitterest fight waged against the renomination of Judge Hackney was by the free coinage advocates in his own county, Shelby. Cir- culars were printed and scattered broad- cast in which Judge Hackney was accused of and denounced for having said some very ugly things about champions of the 16 to 1 idea. Thus the contest became one of intense bitterness, largely personal and freely interspersed with vindictiveness. Animosities thus engendered do not usual- ly pass out of memory quickly. They lin- ger. Such must have been the case in this particular instance. Whatever may have led to that step, Judge Hackney decided not to stay on the ticket for re-election. A short time after his triumphant renomina- tion he tendered his resignation to the State Central Committee, which filled the vacancy by substituting the name of Mechert Z. Stannard of Jeffersonville for that of Judge Hackney.

To save time and expedite proceedings, former U. S. District Attorney Frank B. Burke moved that the rules governing the convention be suspended and that Judges James McCabe and Timothy E. Howard be renominated by acclamation. The motion prevailed unanimously.

FOR JUDGES OF THE APPELLATE COURT. Edwin A. Taylor, First District. C. J. Kollmeyer, Second District. Edgar A. Brown, Third District. William S. Diven, Fourth District. Johannes Kopelke, Fifth District.

RINGING PLATFORM ADOPTED.

As customary, the platform committee immediately upon its selection by the sev- eral districts, met the night before the convention to perform the task assigned to it. Samuel E. Morss, editor of the In- dianapolis Sentinel, was made chairman, and Daniel McDonald, editor of the Plym-

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outh Democrat, secretary. The platform as formulated and adopted subsequently by the convention with spirited unanimity declared that the cause for which the United States is engaged in war with Spain is righteous, will demand the most vigorous prosecution of the war, the prompt recognition by our government of the independence of the Cuban republic, and the relinquishment by Spain of all her possessions in this hemisphere. A perma- nent strengthening of the navy and the improvement of our coast defenses is de- manded and a liberal pension policy as re- gards both the victims of the Civil war and the present war favored.

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History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 51

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926 Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104