The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-07-31
THE FIRST GUNS.

THE FIRST GUNS.
The early elections occur this year
in Alabama, Arkansas and Maine in
the order named. Not much signifi-
cence attaches to the first two, for
they will undoubtedly 60 Democratic,
though the Greenbackers are making
a desperate effort to carry Alabama.
General Weaver, their candidate for
President, has taken the field in per-
son and is making vigorous canvass,
but it is idle to suppose that State
which has been so thoroughly Demo-
cratic as Alabama has been for the
past five years, is going to burst the
Solid South by elccting the Greenback
ticket right in the beginning OF the
canvass. Alabama votes Monday, and
Tuesday the Democracy will elevate
their ROSTERS. In Arkansas, so far
as we can learn, there is very little
organized effort to defeat the Demo
cratic ticket, and it will undoubtedly
be successful.
The most holly contested of all the
early voting States is Maine. There
the Greenbackers and Democrats ha We
united on State and electoral ticket,
and instead of the contest being tri-
angular one as it was last year,
the opposing hosts now divide upon
the line of Republican and anti,Re-
publican, or Fusionists, the latter
comprising the united Democrats and
Nationals. The campaign will be es-
pecially warm and interesting in
Maine, because last year the Repub-
licans lacked several votes of having
a majority over the combined vote of
the opposition candidates. The fact
that the State was so evenly divided
between the Republican and anti Re-
publican, thus disclosing a fighting
chance for the success of the latter, if
combined, no doubt led to the ANAL
gamation of the opposition ticket.
The Republicans will put forth un-
usual efforts to secure the few hun.
dred votes necessary to give them a
clear majority of all the votes cast,
thus securing the election of their
State and electoral ticket; while the
Fusionists will no doubt make super
human efforts to retain the small nu-
merical majority which their united
vote showed last year, which would
give to them the State and electoral
tickets, the latter to be divided be-
tween Hancock and Weaver by the
arithmetical character which desig-
mates two units.
The fact that Maine is the home of
the" Plumed K night, lends additional
interest to the contest. If anybody
makes the mistake of supposing that
James G. Blaine is going to allow the
State of Maine to be carried by the
Fusionists without making tremen-
dous effort to hold her to her ancient
Republican mornings, then that per-
son makes the egregious mistake OF
supposing that James g. Blaine is not
James g. Blaine, but somebody else,
a very absurd suppOsition, and Ger.
tainly one not safe to bet any money
On.
An impartial review of the situa-
ton in the Pine Tree State, seems to
indicate that the Republicans will be
successful there. They have the in
creasing prosperity of the times in
their favor, and then the opposition
must rest under the odium of having
made trade, which fact will cause
them to lose some votes. We know
the Fusionists are making an aggres-
sive fight, but We incline to the op;n-
ion that Maine will hold fast to her
Republican mornings.
But the first early contest of great
national significance comes to a con-
clusion in October, and the scene of
action is right here in our own State.
Indiana is the pivotal State. 1t is
really here that the Presidential con-
test is to be decided. Whichever
party carries Indiana, goes into the
November contest with decided ad-
vantage over the other. Both parties
recognize this fact, and we are now
on the eve of a tremendous contest,
| fruitful of momentous results.
WHAT THE LEADER THINKs.