The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-08

naturally OrlgHteneut the same ~Inick CLOUD
Of doubt hung over the Legislature. Senator
Harrison was called to lead what the great
majority of his own party deemed forlorn
hope. But, with indomitable courage and
with high resolve, relying upon the sense of
jus ice in the people, and backed by his own
splendid personality and brilliant record of
senatorial service, he made campaign which
will ever be memorable in political history.
Intending to bury him out of sight,
Senator Harrison carried the State by
good, round plurality and though
there appears on the face of the returns the
slender Democratic legislative majority of
two on joint ballot, out of gerrymandered
seventy and out of forty -six in the last Gen
eral Assembly, there is not an honest man
in the State of Indiana who does not believe
that majority of Republicans were right
fully and lawfully elected to the next Legis
lature. The brilliance Of the victory cannot
be dimmed by any fraud or chicanery. The
fight was particularly Senator Harrisons, and
he accepted it, not for himself but for the
Republican party, whose representative he
was, and in the glory of the phenomenal
triumph to Senator Harrison rightfully be-
longs, and is given, the general acclaim. A
man of force, and ability and high character
always no man in the country has grown as
Re- LII
He is before the whole country as the leader
in the most remarkable political battle of the
time
AS to the general canvass, the Republicans
had the advantage from the first. The State
convention predicated the fight on living is
sues Il placed the party on higher ground
than it had ever occupied upon dominant. cur
rent questions, and the conscience and judg-
ment of the party and of the people responded
fully and freely. The Democracy attempted
to shift the battle, but were unable to divert
the Republicans a hairs breadth from the
lines of attack they had chosen. No agency
in the campaign was more persistent and in
fuential than the newspaper press of the
State. In every county, city and town the
newspapers of the party were at work. con-
stantly and intelligently hammering away at
the issues presented for consideration and de-
termination. In this work the Journal bore
its part, and, together with the entire Repub-
lican press, feels entitled to share in the sue
cess. Intelligent alert vigilant management
by State and local committees would have
been Of little avail but for the powerful
assistance rendered by the newspapers, which,
day by day and week by week, reached the
eyes and penetrated the judgment of the peo-
pie.
And last but not least, it was a peoples
victory. The Republican party pitched its
canvass on popular key. 1t appealed to the
people. 1t believed in the people. It trusted
the people. It's speakers could speak to the
people, its press could write for the people,
and its managers could appeal to the people
There was nothing to evade nothing to hide,
nothing to talk double over PLAIN, Straight
forward, emphatic, aggressive, the fight went
forward, and the people crowned it with
signal victory. Nothing can dim the tri-
umph. Despite the gerrymander, despite
every opposition, the people have triumphed
gloriously; the horse and his rider have they
cast into the sea.