The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-15

A New York View of the Remarkable Cam
paign In This State.

paign In This State.
Buffalo Commercial Advertiser.
The contest made by the Republican party IL
Indiana, on Tuesday last, deserves more thar
passing comment 1t was great struggle, and
as is already known. resulted in the election OF
the Republican State ticket by maiorlties rang
ing from 5000 to 1900. in a gain of three Con
gressmen and in securing seventy four out OF
100 members Of the General Assembly.
The better the situation Is understood the
more extraordinary this result appears Although
elections occur there bienniaIly, Republicans
have carried the State but twice since 1868. In
other words during the past eighteen years the
Democrats have swept the State six times while
Republicans have been able to carry it but twice.
This year Democrats regarded it as reliably Dem
ocratic. In numerous interviews Senator Voor-
hees and ex-senator Mcdonald, not to mention
lesser Democratic lights, secuted the idea
of Republican triumph. This confidence was
based not only upon the returns of former years,
but more especially upon the fact that in In
diana, in obedience to demands of party leaders,
civil-service reform had been wholly ignored,
every federal Office in the State, except about a
dozen beggerly postofices. having been filled by
Democratic strikers of the party's own Sc
lection. Great reliance was also placed
upon the gerrymandering scheme or the
last Democratic Legislature. SO shamelessly
had this been done that 1T was believed
impossible even for an anti-administration tidal
wave to reduce the Democratic majority below
forty joint ballot. To what extent this
Democratic infemy," as it has come to be
known, carried, is shown by the statement
that reliably Democratic county. with voting
population of only $3.50, was given share in
two joint Senators H. g. counted in two districts)
while reliably Republican counties. with voting
populations ranging from 6,283 to Clio, were al
lowed only representation of one joint Senator.
Against such tremendous odds the Republic
ans entered the fight led by Senator Harrison
and bearing at the head of their ticket for Lieu
tenat-governor the name of former citizen and
gallant soldier of the State of New York. They
asked no aid from the East, and received none.
While Mr. Blaine was arousing Pennsylvania
and encouraging the weak hearted in New DER
sey, the Indiana Republicans were fighting their
own battle. Senator Harrison opened the cam
paign with a speech at Indianapolis on the
evening of Sept Is, which, in its scathing
and effective arraignment of both the
State and national administrations, has been
compared with the great speech of Governor
Morton in 1868 speech which General Grant
and Mr. Conklng pronounced the masterpiece
of the campaign. From that night until election
day the Senator made from ten to twelve
speeches week, traversing the State from the
lake to the Ohio river, encouraging by his pres
ence, and urging every Republican TO do his
duty In this also he was ably sup
ported by his colleagues Perhaps a
more thorough and systematic canvass
was never made in a State noted for its
fierce and desperate struggles, and, although lit
tie has been said of it outside of Indiana, yet
more has really been achieved than ANY other
State. Considering the odds against Republican
success, the result in Maine even cannot be COM
pared with the achievement in the HooSier
State After such magnificent fight it is most
deeply to be regretted that an unrighteous gerry
mander should prevail by single vote. and thus
deprive the Republicans from reaping the re-
ward of their excellent work. In one district
a change of less than twenty-five votes would
have been sufficient to insure the election of a
Republican United States Senator, while
change of less than one hundred votes would
have given the Republicans clear majority of
two on joint vote of the two houses.
But enough was accomplished to prove that
the Cleveland administration is cordially hated
in State where it ought to have been strong.
For eighteen months the President has allowed
Indiana Democrats to have their own way.
Every class of bummers and strikers, including
one man fresh from the penitentiary has been
appointed to Office. Without exception, federal
officials used their places to perpetuate demo
cratic control They took part in caucuses and con-
ventions, they goaded their party on to the fight,
and on election day they took possession of the
polls. working from early morning until the last
ballot was deposited. Yet with all their exer-
tions they we're completely routed, only saving
the General Assembly by one majority-the re-
suit of gerrymander wicked and one sided
as the most skillful manipulators could make It.
1t is possible that such an endorsement, like the
one in this city, may please the President; but
the people know that Tyler and Johnson
land has been in this instance.