The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-08-23
DEAO0RATIo DEYILTRY.

In the following the well posted In.
diAnapOlis correspondent of the Cincin-
natl Commercial Gazette, tells briefly
the touching story OF the failure OF the
democrats to carry Indiana in the cam
paign of 1880, and 1t will be read with
interest:
While Dorsey and his democratic
friends are trying TO staFtle the country
with stories of the big campaign fund
used by the republicans in this state in
1880, they are very careful not to confess
what the democrats did in that year. 1
have come in possession OF facts through
q democrat high in the councils of the
party during that campaign, which prove
conclusively that the presidential cleo
ton was lost through democratic mis-
management and stupidity. II has be-
come the democratic fashion TO abuse
Uncle William English for the adverse
result in Indiana, and TO pretend that
by reason of his stinginess there was no
campaign fund here to amount to any
thing.
Now, the fact Is, the Democrats had
enough money to buy every purchasable
vote in the state. and they would have
done so but for the Encouragement of
tuC LuCn VIM uuutIIOOk TIC IOD.
The Democrats organized their ma
tiOnal campaign in 1880, with the idea
of buying the election, as TiIden at
tempted to do in 1876. The national
committee was made up of millionaires.
Seven Mules Barnum, thrice a million
aire, WAS its chairman; VIM. J.. Scott, of
Erie, another believer in the use OF
money IN politics, and man abundant
ly able TO back his belief, was another
member; Abram s. Hewitt was another,
and several other members were more
conspicuous for cash balances than for
mental assets. Barnum and Scott were
really the two managers of the CAM
paign. They had the most money and
were bold, INSCRIPTIONS and shameless
in using 1t for party advantage. The
other members of the committee were
consulted less and less as the campaign
progressed, and, at last, their opinions
were not asked at all.
The Democrats bought the Maine
election IN September, 1880.
The idea was Barnum's. 1t was
thought that the Republicans would not
be expecting attack In that quarter, and
could be surprised. Barnun sent for
the leaders In Maine and learned that
they had enough money for ordinary
campaign purposes. He wanted to know
how much more it would take TO carry
the state. The Maine men thought
sixty thousand dollars added to what
they had, if judiciousiy used on the eve
of election, would carry the state. Be-
fore the Maine men went away they
pledged themselves to raise $40, 900
more at once. Barnum and Scott gave
them SO, 1000 from the national cam
paign fund.
They carried Maine by a scratch. 1t
was almost a draw. The Democrats all
over the country were wild with joy.
Barnum and Scott rubbed their hands
and smiled with the assurance of men
who had a sure thing. The money
barons had counted on reviving the
dropping Democratic cause all over the
country. They succeeded, but they al
so did something else they had not
counted on. They reused the Republi-
cans TO taking active steps TO prevent
the repetition of the Maine tactics in
Ohio and Indiana.
1t was not long before everybody
about the Democratic headquarters, ex-
cept Barnum s. Scott, saw that the Dem
ocrats had blundered In buying Maine.
The election was barren of results and
the Republicans had Fedophled their en-
ergies. That vas all. The two barons,
uOWcSCI1 WoIc 80 cldJou Will buCCoSS
that they were blinded to the true situa-
ton. They thought they could buy
Indiana as they had bought Maine. The
treasury of the national committee was
we'll provided with funds, and an APP
peal for more was promptly responded
to. In short time $250,0O0 was on
hand. It was believed that this sum
would insure Democratic majority in
this state of 10000 to 5000.
But BarQum and Scott listened to the
voice of the Ohio siren and were led to
destruction. Whether tho sirens name
was Thompson or Armstrong, or wheth-
er both had a hand in 1t is unknown.
But Barnum aud Scott proved to be ve-
ritable gudeOns. They swallowed the
Ohio story whole. In spite of protests
from the few sensible men about head
quarters, the sum intended for Indiana
was OWED into equal portions. 1t is
needless to dwell on what followed. II
is a well grounded belief that large
portion of the $115, 900 sent to this state
was stolen or perverted to the use Of To-
cal candidates. The $125, 600 sent to
Ohio resulted in Republican victory of
course, as every sane man had seen.
Barnum and Scott we're completely
crushed by their double defeat, and utter
decentralization struck the party. The
treasury had been emptled, and there
was nobody foolish enough to drop even
a nickel into it. Tho New York state
committee appealed franticallY for help.
The national committee hadn't dollar
for them. The New York election was
actually allowed to go by default. The
republicans needed no cash to fight the
enemy there.
l do not believe that Barnum and
Scott dare deny this story. Ii is sub
stantiated by too many witnesses for
that. My informant, who has talked
over the matter with many of the ablest
politicians in the party, says il is the
general opinion HAT these two men de-
feated the party in 1880. Had they car.
ried on a Il Ultimate Sight III Maine and
massed the quarter of a million in In
diana, they eQHld have carried that
state. New York would haye gone with
the tide, and Hancock would have been
president.