The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-14
THE INDIANA APPETITE.

The Chicago News prints an interview with
"a Democrat of national Importance name
not given, who expressed himself with con-
siderable frankness, not unmingled with dis
gust, concerning the Oliver Twist Democracy
of Indiana To a question as to Governor
Gray's candidacy for vice-president. he said:
II am becoming very tired of hearing it
everlastingly bawled into the party's ears that
if Indiana does not get place on the ticket
we shall lose her electoral vote. This thing
has done more than anything else to keep the
Democrats down in other States. For
quarter of a century Indiana has gone into
the Democratic national convention with
price or threat (call it what you willy. de-
handing place on the ticket and threatening
to go Republican if she doesn't get it. The
party has heretofore knelt TO that State but
1t is time to stop that. There are other States
in the Union that deserve as much as Indi-
ana, and there are others where a place on
the ticket might be as proftably bestowed"
That hits Indiana Democracy very we'll. Al
most as well as was done by Civil-service
Commissioner Edgerton, who compared them
to young robin that was all mouth. During
his life Mr.. Hendricks, man of ability and
a shrewd politician, was able to play Indiana
fully. In his hands it was always trump
card. Mr.. English played it once, and turned
the game into a ridiculous farce. Now Gov
ernor Gray is trying his hand. Tho Demo
crat of national importance" above referred to
said if Illir dis were given representation on
the national ticket it would be as apt to go
Democratic Indiana. Asked if Indiana
Democrats could be made to see this he said:
Eyes, great many of them do see it. I
have talked with some good men in that State
men with the general interest of the party
at heart-and they concede these things to be
true. Moreover, they say that there is
such unity in that State as existed there
when Thomas A. Hendricks was alive and at
the head of it. They say Governor Gray is a
new Democrat; that he never was Demo
crat until after the Greeley campaign, and
that he ought to be satisfied with what the
party has done for him since then; at least
that he ought not to let his nyerweening am
bition disrupt the party, many of them
think his nomination this year would do.
And he ought to see. too. that the little boom
he arranged for himself at indianapolis last
January has fallen fiat even in his own State
as well as in others. The press punctured
that, for it called attention to what the people
could see true-that the whole affair was
cut and dried, with its 800 men from one
county, $50 from another, and 20 from an
other, assembled for no earthly purpose but to
pass some resolutions in the name of the
Democrats of the entire State-resolutions
which had been prepared for them before they
came together / convinced-yes,
know-that many and many of the men who
pretending to be for him only lifting
him up where they can knock him down, and
Gray ought to be sharp enough to see this, for
he must know that men whom he has openly
tricked are not sincere in their protestations
of friendship for him."
Whoever this Democrat of national i'm
portance may be, he sizes up the situation in
Indiana very intelligently. The nomination
of Governor Gray would be the dearest victory
any politician ever won, and would split the
Democratic party in this State wide open.
But he has the whip hand at present, and
proposes to use it.