The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-31
JOHN sHBRMAN's lBLoODY Shirt

A great deal Of interest has been felt in the
relative vote cast for Governor Foraker and
that for the Republican representatives in
Ohio, the apparent close vote in the coming
Legislature making it appear to some that,
while the former received a plurality of about
Is, 600, the latter, as an aggregate representing
Senator Sherman, barely pulled through.
Jumping at conclusions, certain Democratic
and Independent papers have argued that the
people of that State had thus rebuked Mr..
Sherman's 'bloody shirt" argument, with
which insulting term they were pleased to
designate his demand for free and fair cleo
tons. The Journal took the trouble to ascer-
tain the facts in the election, and from figures
received from Columbus is now able to show
just how the vote stood. Reference to our
news columns will show that Judge Foraker
received a total vote of $50, 1853, to Governor
Hoadly's 341, 196, giving Foraker a plurality
of 1867. The total vote for Re-
publican representatives was 361, 515, and
tiO StslloiOotCSb ctyCC q " Z
publican plurality of 49, 57, or {, $500 greater
than that Of Judge Foraker. A prominent
Republican at Columbus writes, in connection
with these figures: '"This ought to be sufi-
cient answer to the assertions of the Demo
cratic and independent press. There is no
doubt that the turn our campaign took in ia
vor of fair elections helped us. Besides this,
the business men of the State, as we'll as our
German people, have the most implicit conf
dence in Senator Sherman, and Judge Foraker
proved to be a very strong candidate"
It is absurd to think that sensible men,
with intelligence enough to read the papers
and enough spirit about them to keep from
going to sleep while a speech is being made,
should be deceived by the contemplate and
malicious cry of ''bloody shirt" as applied to
the demand for free and honest elections. By
Southern speakers the South was made solid
for a certain party, and the idea of elections
being allowed to interfere was ridi-
culed. The North stood this patiently
SO long as these desperate and Infamous prac-
tees affected only the States in which they
were perpetrated. The hope was that the
people there would soon tire of it, and compel
something like fairness in elections. But not
having done so, and the effort, by the aid of
a few cowardly men in the North, being felt
all over the Nation to the extent of stealing
the administration and threatening Congress,
it became the duty of leading newspapers
and men in the North to assail
this growing evil, and put an
end to it, if possible. With this object in
view, Senator Sherman took a bold and manly
stand in favor of free and honest elections
everywhere. He left no doubt of his mean
ing, and, as he doubtless expected, was as
sailed with vitureration by Democrats, and
cowardly and impudent slurs by certain pro-
fessedly independent papers. But he never
swerved, nor took back a word that he ut
tered. He made the fight on that issue, and
won. The people of Ohio, the first
to whom the appeal was made,
responded nobly, and have given
encouragement to the hope that all the
people will arouse to this present and living
necessity. Recent events emphasize the need
of free elections everywhere, and that the
machinery of politics be wrenched from the
grip of scoundrels and swindlers who manipu-
late things from the day the registry is
opened until long after the votes are polled
and counted. The people of Ohio have hon.