The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-18
CAMPAIGNING BY FIGURES
Harassing the Ohio Voter with Com
parative Election Tables.
An Exhaustive and Comprehensive Analysis
of the Vote OF the State in Previous
Elections for Ten Years.

and claims OF the TWO campaign committees.
The Republicans have scattered through the
State 10000 copies of a comparative state
ment of the vote of 1880 and 1882, while the
Democrats are retailing out reports to their
speakers and county managers showing that
while part of last years converts may back
slide, gains are assured that will offset the
loss and make victory certain by a majority
certainly not far short of last years, and
perhaps greatly exceeding it. The showing
by one side is about as d~isingenuous as by
the other. Perhaps the Republicans may
have a slight advantage in point of fairness,
for they actually submit on paper official
figures. But those who keep track of cleo
ton statistics know we'll enough that the
vote of 1880 was the largest ever cast in the
State by $4,000, and that the Republican vote
was larger by 40, 900 than at any other cleo
ton, while the Democratic increase over the
largest preceding vote was only II, 900 for
Hancock and 20, 900 for Lang, who ran for
Secretary of State at the October election of
that year. The Democratic style of making
claims by failing to commit anything to
paper escapes specific criticism but invites
attention to a state of affairs that
may we'll recall a few statistical facts,
The Democrats claim that in order to
carry the State, the Republicans must over
come a majority of $1,000. Mr.. Newman
was elected Secretary of State last year by
19.115 over the Republican nominee. His
actual majority over all candidates, how
ever, was but 1859. The total vote was
632, 139. 1t will be no more of a task, other
things being equal, for the Republicans To
overcome the majority of 10, 600 than it was
for tba Dap,aorot - 1act yoa 70 auaro tho
Republican majority of 1881, when Mr.. Fos-
ter received for Governor "a, 800 votes more
than Mr.. Bookwalter, and 1,344 majority
over all candidates, in a total vote of 624, 226.
Figures show that there is a good deal of in
dependence about the Ohio vote. Maiorities
are ordinarily so small that even u slight
issue may reverse them, and defeat certainly
awaits a party when the other has a pro-
nounced advantage on the stump. WHAT are
termed the old-time elements of both parties
partake in a measure of this feeling of indie
pendence. They will not shift allegiance,
but will stay at home on election day if is
sues displease or fail to interest them. so
that the aggregate vote from 1873 to 1880
varied from AIS, 900 to 724,000, representing
the difference between a diffident and en-
thusiastic campaign. Since 1873 the
Democrats have carried the State at
our State elections, and the Republicans at
six. The Republicans, also, of course car
TlSu Ill6 lMO PRESIDENTIAL tlSCblODS. IL MAY
be interesting to note the causes for the vari.
ance of the popular will for purposes of COM
parison with the present situation. The
Democrats elected Allen Governor, over
Noyes, in 1888, by a majority of 817. The
total vote was 48, 1878, and Allen fell short
1850 of the aggregate vote cast for the other
candidates. The aggregate vote at the State
election OF 1872 had been 519 900, and at the
presidential election 500, 900, the Re-
publican Secretary of State receiving
a net majority of 1900. The commer-
cial crisis and causes which operated gener-
ally through the country create dissatisfac-
ton with the party in power, helped the
Democrats here, and in 1874 they elected
their Secretary of State by a majority of
II. 900 over the Republican candidate and
1887 against all corners. The Republicans
in 1876 put up Mr.. Hayes for Governor and
in a total vote of $50, 700, against 467, 455 of
he preceding year, polled 5,444 more
votes than the Democrats, and
Mr.. Hayes became Governor by a majority
over all of 2, 934. Interest in the State con-
test of 1876 was stimulated by the fact that a
national cam paign was also in progress. The
total vote for Secretary of State was 633, 062,
of which the Republican nominee received
6.636 more votes than his principal oppo-
nent, and 4,773 over all. The presidential
vote was $50, III, and although Mr.. Hayes re-
ceived 1916 votes more than Mr.. Tilden, his
actual majority was but 1,625. The control
of the State during the four years thus
chronicled was equally divided between the
two parties. There were definite causes for
the election of Allen in 1878 and an increase
of the Democratic majority in 1874. Admin
istration and congressional scandal, general
dissatisfaction with the course of govern
ment, and financial stringencv contributed
alike 10 help the party out of power. 1t was
at the election of 1874 that the Democrats re-
gained control OF the House OF Representa-
tives.
RETURNING TO THE REPUBLICANS.
After this, by natural reaction, the State
returned to the Republican column,
and remained there for two years, when the
Democrats elected Bishop Governor, by rea-
son again of a definite and assignable cause.
Mr.. Hayes had then been in the White
House long enough to formulate and agitate
the country with his civil-service aud South
ern policies. General Beatty jumped the
party track and headed an anti-administra-
many Republicans. The result was that
at the election of 1877 the total
vote was but 557, SOB. a falling off from the
preceding State election OF nearly 80, 900, and
that Mr.. Bishop became Governor by a ma
jority OF %. 500 over the Republican nomi-
nee, but fell short II. III votes OF a majority
of all the votes cast. By reason, also, of
this Republican detection, the Democrats
carried the Legislature that year, ana elected
Mr.. Pendleton to the United States Senate.
They redistricted the State with the idea OF
giving the Republicans but six out of twenty
congressman. The anti-administration move
ment had accomplished its purpose by re-
buking the President through a party defeat
and the loss of a United States senator. Dis
affection was then not entirely removed, but
it ceased to be an Important faeto9 in party
calculations. Consed$ ently in 1878, although
an off year, the total vote increased to 591,-
OS8. and the Republicans elected a Secretary
of State by a majority of 1854 over the
Democrats. The Republicans, also, in spite
of the redistrictiug of the State, elected nine
out of the twenty congressman, and pushed
a surprisingly close race for Congress against
Generals Ewing and Warner. The State had