The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-06-23
LANnERs AND PORTER.

The State Conventions of the two leading
parties in Indiana have been held, nomlna
tons have been made, and the State cam
paign has begun in earnest. Diminishing for
the nonce special consideration of the quail
fications OF the candidates for the minor
offices, we propose some reflections upon the
qualifications of the candidates for Governor
-Landers and Porter. The Journal, il. its
yesterdays ISSUE after recapitulating, in its
peculiarly forid style, the qualifications OF
its candidate for Governor says that ''be-
tween him Porter and his opponent,
franklin Lsnders, there is no room for COM
parison. He ia as much superior to Landers
in all the points of ability, manhood, states
manship and leadership as daylight to dark
ness" The Sentinel is willing to admit
that Albert G.. Porter is ma
tive Hoosier," but is that any
good reason why Albert G. Porter
should be, or should have been, bla-
tant, narrow minded, prosecuting tanatical,
Know Nothing? Is that any reason why he
should have pursued our foreign born citi
zens with sleuth hound ferocity? Is that
any reason why be should have made relent-
less war upon Catholics and their religion?
Hon.. Franklin Lsnders is also a native
Hoosier, but his mind was never contamin-
ated by the malarial curse OF Know Nothing
ism. His head and his heart were too large
for the fanatical hates of the Know Nothing
ing to ostrsciss and degrade our German and
Irish fellow-citzsns, seeking to prevent
them from the enjoyment of the rights,
privileges and blessings OF citizenship,
Franklin Lsnders was using his influence
to beat down the infamous heresy and to
secure to our foreign>born citizens all the
blessings that flow from American citizsn-
ship. Albert G. Porter's Know Nothingism
shows him to be a marrow minded, bigoted,
fanatical prosecutor, native Hoosier"
though he be. The Journal prs,es of the
fact that Albert G. Porter is graduate 'of
en- Indiana College," as IL that fact made
him superior to Franklin Lsnders. We are
not disposed to undervalue high educational
attachments when they broaden a mans
views and elevate his ambitions. But it so
happens that too frequently college diplo
mas are bestowed upon individuals who use
them as pescocks use their tails, TO embellish
their strut and to adorn their vanity. And
is that sort Of man. His personal
vanity is boundless. His strut is OF the
Beau Brummsl type. He seems to think
that he, like General Ban Harrison, belongs
TO superior order of beings from the com
mon people. His high ambition is to wear
elegant etore clothes, faultless kid gloves.
His shirt bosom, collar and cravat, his hat
and boots are more to him than sll the in
terests of his fellow beings. As a result, he
is not credited with being in sympathy with
the people. He is everywhere recognized as
a snob who loves Office because it removes
him beyond the circle of common people,
and permits him to crafty his inordinate
aristocratio pride.
Hon. Franklin Landers is also q graduate.
He studied in the grandest school of the
State; took all the degrees known to
the farm-vith pillow and reaper,
amidst growing crops and lowing
herds he has grown to the full
hood. He has been always engaged
in devslopieg the resources Of the State. He
is familiar with its great industrial enter
prises. Hon. franklin Lsnders is a business
man by profession. There is not problem
relating to the welfare of the State that he
has not helped to solve, and we do not hest
tate to challenge the Journal to compare the
utterances of Hon. Franklin Landers, the
farmer and the practical business man, upon
public affairs, with any thing that Albert g.
Porter, the lawyer by profession" has ever
said or written upon similar topics. Albert
G. Porter may stand high, for aught we
know, 'in the bar OF the State" bat Frank
lin Lsnders, standing before the people of the
State, is vastly more commanding. Porter may
be an adept in manipulating legal bubbles
and technicslities; he may know how to tor
ture the life out of the truth, as also to vital
ize falsehood, and in good Republican style
gain his case and pocket his fee by such
practices franklin Landers' life has not
been spent in that way. His broad and fer
tile acres and his extensive business enter
prises point him out as a man of the people,
identified with their interests and In full
sympathy with every movement calculated
to add to the wealth and prosperity of the
State. Compared with such a character,
and with such q life, Albert G.. Porter
is dwsrfed to insignifcance. The law
yer is ovsrshadowed in the commanding
presence of the practical man of business,
and when the two men go forth before the
people. Porter's vanity and snobbishness