Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-09-29
INDIANA.

in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. NO
thing can illustrate the rapid growth OF
the Democratic power since the nomina-
ton of TILDEN than the fact that to-day
there is very general expectation that
Indiana will vote for that party on Tues
day. The Democrats did not make it
battle-ground: that was done by the Re
publicans. In all the estimates of the
states TILDEN would carry, published for
weeks after his nomination, none contain
ed the name Of Indiana. 1t was claimed
then, as it is claimed to-day, that the fight
could be won without Indiana. The first
thing that directed attention to that State
was the efforts of the Republicans to
s'save" it. There was general going over
of the German vote to TILDEN, and the
most vigorous struggle was made to dam
the crevasse. 1t was useless. Then the
character of ORTIZ, the Republican cam
didate for Governor, was exposed by the
Democratic papers, and ringing assault
all along the line, made with that as a
battle-cry. Another crevasse was discover
ed-the American voters we're pouring over
to TILDEN. The ticket was changed in
the heat of the fight, and a respectable
ssunknown' put on to save the American
element, and CARL SCHURZ was called
for to save the Germans. 1t was too late
When the call was made. the number of
German papers, supporting HAYES, had
been reduced to two. CARL SCHURZ made
only one OF two speeches in the State, if he
made that, and left for Ohio. All kinds of
clap.trap is now being tried. A mass meet
ing of 'sBoys in Blue composed chiefly OF
men who never saw the stock of musk ct
or the lanyard of a gun; office holders from
Washington; bummers from everywhere,
was tried, but no enthusiasm was ava
kened, and now as last resort they have
come down to pure, unadulterated rascal
ity-colonizing negroes from Kentucky,
and repeaters from Illinois-there is no
registration law in Indiana.
And so the case stands to-day with the
Republicans. With the Democrats hope
seems to be IN the ascendant. They are
holding daily and nightly mass meetings.
BLUE JEANS WILLIAMS is canvaSSing the
state still. The Democratic clubs wear
ssblue iean'' scarfs; the women are making
"blue Jean" rosettes for their lovers, even
the wagon horses are decorated with blue
Jeans. The fight is worth making so lively.
If the Democrats carry Indiana, it is plain
sailing, and easy too, for TILDEN to the
Presidential char; if they don't, they have
got to do good deal of work over again
and the brief time to November will not
be more than sufficient for it. With the
Republicans, if they lose Indiana, after
having deliberately, and of their own mo-
ton. made it the test of the growing or
waning popularity of their cause, they are
lost. They have used within the limits Of
that State every argument on the stump
that is within their magazine; they have
begged forgiveness for the past, and made
promises for the future; they have stood
by GRANT on some platforms, and given
him a painful lack of support on others;
they have been the loudest Of hard money
men before some audiences. and soft enough
to suit anybody before others; they have
Haunted The bloody shirt, with MORTON at
the pole, and in another breath have cooed
softly about HAYES bringing peace to the
.country-in short, they have done all these
things they should have done, and all those
things they should not have done, as
party. to carry the election, and now they
are about to hand the matter over to the
people for verdict.
The fight, from our observation of it,
will be the people against the Administra
tion. the office-holders and the mana
gers of the Radical party. The voters do
mot seem to US to have been with the party
managers, and all the demonstrations on
the Republican side have forced, man.
aged look, which does not promise victory.
The real enthusiasm seems, as far as we
can Judge, to have been with the De-
mocrats.
Here, in Virginia, we look to the result
in Indiana rather as measure OF the
standard the Republicans have set up for
themselves, and we are curious to know
what it is, when they have done their very
best, as they are doing in Indiana to-day.
CERTAINLY we will be frank enough to
say that CARL SCHURz has not been with
drawn from the canvass in Ohio and In
diana. though we have seen no appoint