The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-31
THE HoosIER DEMOCRATS.
They Are Hopelessiy Lost Unless the Fool.
Killer is at Once Set To Work.

Killer is at Once Set To Work.
| Chicago Times fDem.)
There is q great field for the fool-kiIlsr among
the people of Indiana who call themselves Dem
ocrats. There was recently an election in that
State at which these people we're outvoted. They
were beaten on their State ticket. lost several
members of Congress. and narrowly escaped los
ing the Legislature. The latter they saved. how
lever. by the slender majority of two on joint
ballot. That they didn't lose the Legislature.
along with the other spoils captured by the enc
my, was due to the fact that of the twenty Eve
"hold-over Senators, sixteen were the Demo
cratic brand. giving them an advantage at the
outset which the opposition was not quite able
to overcome.
II appears, however. that the Democrats. not
satisfied with turning over the State Offices and
most of the congressional seats to the enemy.
are determined that ne shall nave the Legisla-
ture also, which carries with it q United States
Senatorship. At least that 10 the natural infer
ence from the qneer proceedings of the Demo
cratic bosses since the election. If the Republican
programme. which includes the CAPTURE OF the
Legislature, the re election of Senator Har-
rison to the United States Senate. aud the APP
preparation of all the other official spoils in sight,
Is successfully carried out, it will be solely due
to the phenomenal stupidity of the Bourbon
managers. The Democrats have the Legislature
on the face of the returns; they control the upper
chamber by a handsome majority: the Governor
is OF their sect; the Supreme Court, which ia
Indiana is. in practice, more Of a political than
a judicial institution, is theirs. With these adj
vatages it would seem to be impossible for them
to be worsted in the pending contest unless they
are really counting defeat. 1t Is not necessary
that they should display any superior general
ship, or resort to questionable methods, in order
to hold the fort" against its besiegers. If il
were, their case would DO obviously a hopeless
one. They have only one man In their ranks
with the slightest capacity for leadership, and
they are as loath to follow him as the per-
verse Israelites Of old were to follow Moses
when he was steering them straight for
the promised land. They will never suc-
coed by the employment of questionable
methods. not from want of a stomach for ras-
cality, but because of their lack of skill and
adroitness in its practice. Al a game of that
sort their opponents can outplay them every
time; but as the Democrats are not compelled,
in order to win, to steal anything, or to accom-
plish any feat of strategy or l~egerdemain. or TO
do anything else except to prevent the other fell
lows from taking what they already hare away
from them. it would seem that tTey Saght-%1
prove equal to the emergency, unless they are
afflicted with profound and incurable idiocy.
Their recent performances. however. are high
" symptomatic OF this condition. They have
done little else since election except 10 supply
the enemy with the ammunition he most needed
and squander their own resources in idle and
discreditable exploits. whose success would have
been scarcely less detrimental to their CAUSE
than their failure has been. In the first place,
they have permitted their organization to
become identified with certain clumsy election
| IraUQS AT indianapolis, which nave D6en BKllttufly
used by the Republican managers to confuse the
public mind as to the real issue at stake and to
divert public attention from their own skull
duCgery. In the next place, they have stood by,
consuming by their silence. while a little Great
ure. known as Green Smith, has attempted to
establish an absurd and preposterous Claim to
the MISUNDERSTANDING. to which a Repub-
lican. chosen at the recent election, holds an I'M
precnable title. In the third place, they have
practically ignored the only man In their ranka
whnSN nprS0nal character and htfainmAnfa rom.
mand the respect and confidence of the entire
State-ex- Senator McDonald-and have permit
ted themselves to be used as tools of a one-horse
| politician, named Isaac p. Gray. and an alleged
statesman, named William II. English pais
Of tricksters and demagogues whose ambition
is in inverse ratio to their merits, and whose
| purpose seems to be to wreck their party If they
cannot rule it.
But 1t is not yet too late for the Indiana Demo,
Gratis to retrieve their mistakes and save the sen.
atorship, which is justly and legally theirs. Lei
them wash their hands at once OF the Indianap0,
lis frauds and assist in the efforts to bring tha
guilty persons to justice. Let them r~epudlate
the action of Green Smith in regard to this lieu.
tenant goyernorship, and quietly acquiesce 10
the seating of Colonel Robertson, who has been
elected to that Office. Let them send the Grays,
and Enelishes, and others of that class to the
rear, and unite upon Mcdonald or some other
man of recognized ability and character as their
candidate for the senatorship. By doing these
things they will place themselves In tina only at
titude in which it is possible for them to COM
mand success or to deserve it. Having conceded
to the enemy all the rights that are his, they will
be in a position to insist upon their own rights
and to maintain them SUCCESSFULLY. Only by the
methods of chicanery and revolution can a Re.
publican Senator be elected. IL the fool killer
were to devote the next few days to the judic.ons
slaughter of Democratic politicians in Indiana.
these methods would not prevail. Unless his in-
valuable services are promptly secured, how
ever, the Republican conspiracy will doubtless
succeed.