The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-09
Both Sides Confidently Claiming Success
but Very Chary of Substantiating
Their Claims by Figures.
The Second Amendment and the
Figure 1t Has Cut.
Expectation that the Republicans of Iowa
Will Have 20, 900 Majority Over the
Combined Opposition.
THE BUCKEYE STATE.

Both Sides Claiming Victory-The Second
Amendment in the Canvass.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
COLUMBUS, Oct. 8-The campaign closes
with both sides claiming assured success.
Chairmen Oglevee and Bargar are alike chary
of numerical predictions. They will be sur
prised should Tuesdays poll record an ex-
traordinary majority either way. Irrespon-
sible claims run up into reckless figures, pro-
portionate to the degree of ardor that incites
them. According to Democratic prophets,
Mr.. Hoadly's convalescence will be hastened
by from $4,000 to 10000 majority. Mr..
Foraker says the vote on the State ticket
will go the other way by 25,000. Chairman
Oglevee is prepared for Democratic majority
at Cincinnati on the State ticket of possibly
1000. He thinks the factional fight among
the Democrats there will elect the Repub-
lican candidates for the Legislature. AT
Cleyeland, he will look for close vote, but
a Republican majority for both the State
and Legislative tickets. The Republicans
elsewhere in the State will forge ahead, he is
confident, so far that even should Cincinnati
go Democratic for both tickets, the outside
majority will overcome it, electing Foraker
and giving both branches of the Legislature
to the Republicans. Chairman Bargar thinks
that Cincinnati and Cleveland will give Dem
ocratic maiorities on both the State and
Legislative tickets; that the Cleveland ma
jority for the State ticket may be less than
for the Legislative candidates, because of the
popularity of the Republican candidate for
Leutenant-governor, William G. Rose, who
lives there; that the Cincinnati Legislative
ticket may fall little short on the majqSsty
for the State ticket, by reason of the reform
movement, but that the difference will be
slight because the reformers will get for
their county slate nearly as many Repub-
lican as Democratic votes; and that the ag-
gregate vote of the interior is likely to record
at least a Democratic plurality, from the pros
pect that the Prohibition ticket will fare better
/ than ever before, drawing its increase from
sources heretofore Republican. His con-
clusions are that Hoadly will be Governor
and the Legislature Democratic in both
branches by a decided majority. Between
these claims speculation has wide range, but
since both of them are temperate and
plausible from their respective stand-polnts,
there is no occasion to go beyond their COM
mon premises for a fair view of the situa-
ton.
THE CAUSE OF UNCERTAINTY.
The prohibition movement has done more
to bring about the present state of uncer-
tainty than any other element of the cam
paign. 1t is based on a proposed amend
ment to the constitution by which the man
ufacture and sale of liquor as beverage is
forever prohibited within the State, the Leg
islature to provide by law for the enforce
ment of this provision. The proposition
comes before the people through the
Republican Legislature. 1t is pro-
fessedly non-partisan. Regardless of
what the Legislature might have done had it
supposed that the proposition could carry,
it is conceded that no one anticipated for it
much support outside the lines OF the prohi-
bition party whose largest poll has been
16, 000 in 1884, last years poll being ~, 0O0
An amendment to the constitution can be
adopted only by a majority vote of all the
electors voting. Tuesdays poll will certainly
not be less than 800, 900, so that to carry, over
300, 900 votes must be cast for the proposition.
Mr. Oglevee thinks that it will not carry, but
will poll an enormous vote Governor Fos-
ter, month ago. predicted 100000 votes for
it, The movement has undoubtedly gained
since then. Mr. Barger is in doubt about it's
votes for it.
AS soon as the campaign opened, the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union es-
tablished headquarters at Cleveland,
for the purpose of working the
State for the proposition jointly
with the Prohibitionsts. Temperance
speakers were secured from other States cir
culars were issued to the churches outlining
the plan of work and asking cooperation,
and a paper was started, the Amendment
Herald to be published weekly through the
campaign. No time was lost in getting at
work in the field, and almost before the cam
paign committees were organized Prohibit
ton speakers were among the people. By
the end of July nightly meetings were in
progress in every county in the State; the
churches were thrown open for it's advocacy,
and the pulpit in many places became its
rostrum on Sundays as we'll as on special
week-night occasions. The Cleveland paper
was prospering with circulation of 10000
copies, and money for the movement was
pouring in from all parts of the State, the
result of collections, without which no meet
ing was complete. This announcement
added to the vigor and enthusiasm of the
movement. Its strides in August brought to
it the serious attention of both campaign
committees. Mr.. Hoadly, on the stump,
had taken occasion several times to deuounce
it, but he was so severely criticised that
other Democratic speakers did not pattern
after him. Mr.. Sherman was declining to
talk publicly about it, saying that it had
been submitted as a non-partisan measure
for an expression from the people, and that
its discussion on the party stump was out of
place. Mr.. Foraker ventured to say that he
should not vote for it, and was roundly re-
buked. Both parties were opposed to it, but
afraid to attack it, Warnings issued occa-
sienally from the Republican organ at Gin
cinnati, that its adoption would undo the
tax law and restore a free liquor traffic, but
there were no arguments even from that
quarter. This general fear Of intermeddling