The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-23
THE SITUATION IN INDIANA.
How Matters Look 10 an Outside Scribe
---Presidential Candidates.
The State Ready to Go SolidIy for Either
Harrison OF GreSham-Some Facts
and Some FancieS.
R. W. Ransom, in Chicago Tribune.

Indiana Is curlously troubled thls year WIN an
embarrassment of riches. She has two favorite
Republican sons-Scnator Ben Harrison and
Postmaster-general Gresham-and would gladly
see either of them take the presidential prize at
Chicago If there were any possible way by
which both could get it and both be President l
am inclined to think she would be perfectly
happy. AS IT is, she must choose between them
or let the convention do it for her. The friends
of both Harrison and Gresham vigorously claim
that each has a majority of the delegation, and
it is generally conceded that, however the ma
joritY may 60 the minority will acquiesce and
make the thing unanimous. 1t seems to be gen
orally accepted that the delegation will not pre-
sent either as a candidate-at least not at first.
The HOLSTERS, like the Badgers, will keep their
eyes on a possible opening. When thatcomes, as
they have the faith to believe it will they will be
ready, and the man and the occasion will meet,
provided it is left to the delegation to say who
the man shall be- If it is not-and this contin-
gency has not been overlooked in the politicians
calculations-and the representatives of the ad-
mittedly most doubtful State-New York
should express preference for either Harrison
or Gresham Indianas delight over the opportu-
nifty to furnish the next President would out
weigh the preferences of individual delegates,
who would vote to man for whom ever New
York wanted. When the preliminary furry is
over, and the attempt on the part of some zeal
partisans of each to rule the other out of the
race has run it's course the Indiana delegation
will solidify for the man who has the call. 1t
may never come, but you can't persuade the
average Indianian hereabouts that Providence
isn't arranging dispensatiOn of precisely that
sort and that the event will not come off on
schedule time
The natural starting point to the searcher af-
ter political information in indianapolis is John
c. New, who has been on the political turf in In
diana long enough to know most if not all of its
fine points. ''You won't find any antagonisms
among the Indiana delegation when they get to
the convention" said he, as we sat chatting in
his private Office THE delegates are going to
vote for the man who can be elected, whether he
comes from Indiana or some place else, though,
of course men believe there's frst-class chance
of his coming from Indiana"
''If the Indiana delegation is called upon to
name candidate, who will it beF
81 have no sort of doubt it will be Senator
Harrison Fully three fourths of the delegation
are for him, as happen to know
what about this Arthur movement to bring
out Gresham as the conventions dark horseF
Il don't believe Gresham, at least, has any
thing to do with it. | believe Gresham is sim
cerely for Arthur, but that his friends have got
his lightning rod up and spiked it on, goes with
out saying. Arthur has certain strength i'll
Indiana but he could no more transfer 1t to
Gresham than Blaine could transfer it to Har-
rison. The delegates from Indiana will vote for
Harrison or Gresham, but not at the dictation OF
Arthur or Blaine. If either Gresham OF Har-
rison should get pronounced vote outside the
State, either of them would get the entire dele
cation from the State, There is no disposition
among Indiana Republicans to crafty quarrels,
but every disposition toward harmony They
know it requires the united strength of the party
70 o,NA4I ,ax-o 70 xup
and that is the sentiment of all. whether Gresham,
Arthur. Harrison. or Blaine men, There never
has been a time when the question who should
be the man, far as Indiana Republicans are
concerned has been as little thought of as it has
this year 1t is the solid, conservative Repub
ican vote this year that will win. Indiana no
longer occupies that position she did when she
was an October State. Ohio alone occupies that
position now, and while defeat there in October
would make things look rather blue for us in
November that is a contingency that can hardly
arise under any nomination they are likely to
make at Chicago.
Even Blaine'sl" 1 suggested, knowing Mr..
News antiphathy to the man from Maine-an
inheritance from the Grant and anti-Grant
fight in 1880
T'Oh yes Blaine would carry Ohio; certainly
he would as well as anybody"
''And how would he run in lndianaF
''Well don't believe he would run as well in
Indiana / have no personal feeling at all
against Blaine. He has many warm personal
friends in Indiana, but Indiana Republicans
want man who is sure to VIM and | think
there are enough in the State who are afraid of
Blane'S high flying notions about u brilliant ad-
ministration and a vigorous foreign policy,
and all that to defeat his election if he We're
nominated
Mr. New stated some days ago that Blaine
would not get five votes from Indiana. Others
whose sympathies do not go out to Blaine, but
who have been studying the situation as closely
as Mr.. New and writing and seeing the delegates
and their friends. tell me that Blaine and Arthur
will each get about seven votes, Edmunds, the
Shermans and Logan the rest, and that the
policy of the Indiana delegates is to put their
voting eggs into several baskets for the very
purpose of cultivating a friendly feeling for an
Indiana man in the convention. This is good
politics. of course, but it plays the deuce with
the outside candidates respective booms,
The postmaster here, James A Wlidman, is
an avowed champion of Harrison. The United
States Marshal, General r, S. Foster, owes
his appointment to Harrison. but is generally
believed way down in his boots to be for Gresh-
am. Many a statesman has gone Oh the rocks
over this business of making appointments, and
the Indiana Senator can attribute some of the
opposition he has aroused to the manner in
which he has played with this dangerous
two-edged political sword. His dilatoriness
in suggesting somebody or anybody for Gar
fields cabinet-some people are unkind enough
to call it jealousy-resulted in Indiana being
left out in the cold. When Arthur came in and
got full swing, ne appointed Ufesham Wlthout
consulting Harrison, who had never been much
of an Arthur man anyway, and to whom the
President felt he was under no special obi
cations. Harrison, while he doesn't pose as
martyr has repeatedly said he had no influence
with this administration, leaving the plain in
ference that Gresham was the only Indiana man
who had The fool friend of each is abroad
in the land, and for whatever rivalry has grown
up between their supporters that rather too
numerous individual is largely responsible The
appointment of the postmaster and marshal
stirred up considerable trouble at the time, and
while nothing is said derogatory to the APP
pointees themselves who appear to be generally
acceptable officials some sores were left which
are long time in healing. Col, W. r. Hollo-
years and was a strong candidate,
with solid backing from the bust
ness element, for reappointment under
Garfield Foster, who is prominent business
man here, was also candidate. Garfield, con