The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-05
THE OPENING CAMPAIGN.

The UPEN1NG CAMPAIGN.
The campaign of 1884 is opening. The
skirmishers are deploying, and here and there
there is heard shot from the outposts; soon
will come the heavy boom of the artillery and
the rattle of musketry from the two great
parties opposed to each other in such strug-
gle as will swallow up any possible side scrim-
mage with which political infants may amuse
themselves The columns of the journal are
sufficient evidence that the Indiana division of
the grand army of Republicans is mastering to
take the front rank again, as it has always
done. There can be no object in Republicans
misleading each other. Public and private re-
ports are in perfect harmony, and, therefore,
it may be accepted as true that in
the preliminary musterings the inspection
of the party ranks and equipment has been
such as to give hopeful warrant of success in
November. But this hopefulness may be
easily overdone, and prove a weakness instead
of an element of strength. No man nor no
army can fight well unless they have both
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best unless there is such stimulus as brings
every faculty and ability into the highest ac-
ton. Looking over the whole field, and cal
culating the chances carefully, while Repub-
licans have everything to encourage them, it
is nevertheless true that the contest will be no
child's play or dress parade.
knights those political feather-heads, who
affect to see nothing of supreme value in
volved in the struggle between the Republican
and the Democratic parties; who talk fippantly
and with persifage about the issues, or
rather the lack of issues, between the con
testants; who assert that there is nothing in
| Concedng the corrupting influence of
the thirst for official place. it still
remains true that ofice-hoders and office-ex-
pectants are the smallest possible per cent. of
the whole people, certainly of the Republican
party, while this evil influence is steadily de-
creasing under the wise operation of the civil
service act and the steadily increasing public
opinion favoring civil-service reform.
Whether wisely or foolshly, it is still the fact
that an overwhelming majority of the Repub-
lcan voters of the country are impressed with
the belief that there is more in Republicanism
than public place. and that Republican princ-
pies are not synonymous with postoffices
| roFAI
Republican party which believes there is
something vital and fundamental to national
ity and good government in the Republican
party, and for that they will contend in the
approaching election with as much zeal and
disintorested patriotism as they have ever
lone. Whenever the party loses the power to
thus vitalize the canvass with principles APP
pealing to the higher motives of intelligent,
moral and reasonable men, the party will have
passed into decadence, and its end will be
mere matter of time.
What is involved in the present struggle
between the parties? In the first place, the
blood of the Abel Of American citizenship
dubbed, whipped, scourged, shot to DEATH
the citizenship for which hundreds of thou
sands of men died lies prone in certain States
There is no use in trying to blink this fact
1t starts up with horrid front to confront those
who would drown its memory in forgetful
ness. Like Banquo's ghost, it will not down.
Coushatta, Colfax Grant parish, Mechanics
Hall, Ellenton, Hamburg, the Chisolm mas
sacre, Danville, Copiah county-these, and
scores of other names that could be called up
make broad path through dark and bloody
ground. Only yesterday the Supreme Court
of the United States, in an opinion concurred
in by all the judges, affirmed the constitution
atty of the power of Congress to protect
American citizenship wherever it was con
felred, and warned the American people
against the lesson of all republics in history
which had been overthrow by violence or
corruption Associated with this murderous
prostration of the ballot in Southern
States there is the power of corruption
which threatens like prostration in
other sections. What party stands for cor
caption in politics7 What party dominates
its candidates with sole reference to the
"barlr What party introduced Tildenism
into politics, attempted the corruption of