The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-07
HOW THE BOOMLET STARTED.
"reminiscences of the Recent Democratic
Editorial Convention.
Nample of Some of the Delicate Attentions
Paid Mr.. Mcdonald by Flattering Friends
The War Hoss' Whitney.

that the novel in which Charles Dickens intro
duces young Martin Chuzzlewit and that genial
philosopher, Mark Tapley, to American life and
manners, was written so early. 1t should have
had a chapter devoted to the beautiful domestic
picture of booming candidate as it was so
handsomely exemplifed on Thursday last at the
meeting of the Editorial Association and the
banquet that followed. What meat for the sa-
trist to delineate the painstaking way in which
the Mcdonald boom was worked on that event
full Thursday. They bungling lot of
boomers, and the grooming, ungainly machinery
was in full view all the time A more incongru-
Gus and ridiculous crowd never came together,
and the Mcdonald boom was not the only one
the editors who had been got together in order
to be worked the more effectually, were allowed
to gaze upon, for statesmen focked to the con
vention, each with his own private boom, which
were attached to the great boom like bangles to
a pinchbeck ring. There were Manson and
Bynum, who are booming for Governor
Cooper, who is booming for State Treas
urer; Rice, for State Auditor; Myers, for State
Secretary, Shoemaker and Reeve for anything
that may be lying around loose, and others of
minor rapacity Most of these modest, self-sac
rifcing worthless were spread upon the platform,
where their booms scarcely obscured by
that of Mr.. Mcdonald, who sat nearer the foot
lights. AS the cost of entertaining the editors
had doubtless been divided between these gentle
men and Mr.. Mcdonald, they were entitled to
all the prominence they appropriated, but it
really seemed, after all, that the editors had
very little to say and much less to do in the pow
wow, and when one of them did happen to pop
up, as did Mr.. Sparks on one occasion, and Mr..
Daily on another, they were kindly but firmly
sat down upon by the politicians.
One of the most delicate attentions paid to the
editors was the distributing among them of fifty
electrotypes of Mr. Mcdonald, with which they
may ornament their pages and save composition.
A donation of this kind, as coarse as any distri-
button of favors in ward politics. really did
bring a blush to the circular face of
Mr.. Mcdonald when he heard how it
had been done. A little further on in
the canvas for the nomination he will probably
have his servitors better drilled Mr. Tilden, if
he will, can give some points from his bureau
methods
A sample extract from Mr. Bynum's welcom-
ing address will show him to be a very thin
spread politician and an orator OF the Columbian
school: by your efforts tthe editorsl and
often to the sacrifice of private interests, the
camp-fires of Democracy have been kept brightly
burning, and as each successive campaign has
rolled around it has only been necessary to sound
the bugle to marshal the host" Yet Mr. B. was
among those who charged Republicans after the
Democratic host had been marshaled by these
bugers, with buying the gallant fellows as low as
two dollars a head.
One of the things done, and in the worst pos
sible taste, the reading to the association of
private letter from another favorite son,
Thomas A. Hendricks, who is now in London
gazing upon the rotting fabric of British despot
ism. The only remarkable thing in the letter
aOnpaPp1 to he that Mr. Hendricks hNardiOo
at the Royal Hotel, Blackfriars, and his feed
--eos5 HIN SO. Boarding at the Royal Hotel-with
the royal family, it may be supposed. Shades
of Jefferson and jackson, has it come to thisl
DR.. Hunter, as president of the association,
the beam in whose eye is diagnosed to be the
Lawrenceburg postofice, will take the cake
the champion taffy mixer and dispenser. He
rolled 1t thick and slab and laid the oblatiOn
right under Mr.. McDonalds nose. The saccha-
rine tribute beginning with "a man who" ran
and on while Mr.. McDonalds face glowed like
the harvest moon If Dr. Hunter is physician
he ought to know that so much tatfy, all az once,
isn't good for anybody, not even presidential
aspirant
The banquet was the capsheaf of the affair,
and the reception committee displayed a great
diversity of daisies, the bouquet containing all
varieties, from judges down to ward -strikers,
and vendors Of anti-temperance fluids. Two or
three of the speeches to the set toasts were
well enough; that of Hon. w. H. English was
admirable. 1t was addressed to thinking Demo
Gratis. and as none of that class were present eX-
cept those who were thinking about getting
offices, or how to hold on to those they now had,
his words of wisdom fell unheeding ears.
The speech of Judge Norton 1.-THE Young
Democracy and that of Rufus Magee on 1.-THE
Press as an Educator" were both better than
the company in which they were cast
General Mahlon d. Manson, the ''old war
hoss,' who shifts the governorship from affair off
responded to 1.-THE Citizen Soldier" He cited
the fact that while in other States the Demo
cratic party has made some of their soldiers
Governors, Indiana has never thought of doing
such foolish thing" This was considered
very loud Whitney on the part of the war hoss,"
but it is hardly likely that the Democratic party
will change her record. Bayless w. Hanna also
of Charlottesville recently imported from Terre
Haute, tickled the editors, and put them on the
very best possible terms with themselves G. Fl.
Reeve, ex-State senator, who occasionally writes
four or five7coumn paragraphs forthe Plymouth
Democrat, spoke to the toast. 1.-The Dorsey Ban
quet Belshazzeran Feast" His anecdotal il
lustrations sufficiently venerable to entitle
them to respect, but few young and injudicious
Democrats disturbed the solemnity of the occa-
sion by i'll timed laughter.
Ahery young orator, who showed the benefit of
two seasons soiourn with Kids elocution, spoke
to the toast ''Why the Republican Party must
Co." which subject, it is understood, he had in
hicted upon himself for having allowed so much
of that party to go in the unpleasant go-as-you-
please of 1882, when, instead of Shelby county
the vineyard in which this vigilant Democrat la
bors, going, as it had heretofore, 900 Democratic
portion OF the hepubllcan ticket was elected
including Congressman Peelle, which some of
the speakers co-workers thought was in the ma
ture of rebuke to the young orator. Hisspeech
was thick with infammatory interiecton and
epileptic wrath. He vocferously demanded
down with the crime-stained party" and pep
pered it with Southern groans, radical pollu-
tion," ''ncubus," ubiquitous load" assassina-
ton" 'bloody shirt and the bghting breath of
hate" The Republican party recognizing his
valuable services in Shelby county. will try to
borrow him for the State at large during the
coming campaign.
The most extraordinary feature Of the evening
was a speech by gentleman with military
title accumulated since the war and sore throat,
suggesting convivial commissary. He spoke to
the toast ''Ireands Woes and Americas Sym
pathies,' and although his utterance was like