The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-20
Harrison, of Indiana.

National Republican.
The victory achieved by Gen. Ben Harrison
in Indiana, in November 1886. was as calamity
fought for and as bravely won as that historic
victory which crowned the military fame of his
illustrious ancestor in November, 1911. The
leader in the political campaign which has
wrenched Indiana from the Democratic column
and placed her in the "doubtful' list Is a worthy
successor of 'Old Tippecanoe
We call it victory, for such it is, whether or
not the Legislature shall eventually be shown to
have Republican majority Two years ago the
State was carried by the Democrats. as it had
almost uniformly been for fifteen years more.
Probably there was not intelligent poll
tican OF any party outside of the State who
had a doubt of Democratic success this
year. Republicans had reluctantly abandoned
the State Of Morton and Lane to her seeming
destiny-to play the role of tail to the solid
South kite A Democratic Legislature had
fixed" the senatorial and legislative districts by
q gerrymander as infamous the congressional
gerrymander in Mississippi or South Carolina.
Nothing less than a landslide" they said, could
deprive them of Harrisons seat in the United
States Senate
When the Democratic administration came in
the Hoosier Democrats were fed full of federal
provender. There was never, in any State,
more shameful debauchery of the public patron
age than was witnessed In Indiana. Reputable
supporters of the administration were put to the
blush, but their indignant protests IN
needed. The genuine "unwashed" Democracy
laughed at every suggestion of possible defeat,
ana made their campaign campaign of insolent
swagger and blatant boasting. How the cam
paign carried on by the Republicans is we'll
told in tho Boston Advertiser of the 18th inst:
The Republicans organized. Senator Harrison
their champion. He made two speeches day through
all the counties for six weeks preceding the election.
This man who, at Washington. has the reputation of
being SO calm and judicial but at home, the of
great public advocate justified the latter reputation
by the exhaustive canvass that he made Defeated for
election In advance it seemed by the Democrat
description. 1t was home fight that he made. from
house to house and his vctory-for whether the Leg
islature is made Democratic or Republican by the
doubtful vote, it is yctory-marks him as of the
leading in the party.
He made the issue of civilservice reform which the
President has allowed to be shamefully set at
naught in Indiana. and for protection to American
labor. To both the answer quick and satisfac-
tory. Even Indiana, which the spoilsmen have
claimed as their showed its disapproval of the
spols practices that have prevailed there of late The
lesson in Indiana is encouraging 1t shows
that for clean government and protective tariff the
popular verdict can still be secured. IL harmonzes
with the Republican victories won in other Strtes
these issues the more welcome because they in
localities where least expected In Indiana it also
reveals a leader who has the courage to make
test and the power 70 put Indiana into the list of
doubtful States.
In so far as the President is in favor of honest
civil-service reform he may claim the Indiana
result 10 he a vndcaton of himself as against
the spoilsmen. The doctrine proclaimed by Har-