The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-08-15
A "FIuke"


Material contest is a "f1uke" ALVIN Z.
HovEY, the nominee, is candidate pos
sessing few elements of strength or popu-
larity, and his selection will provoke little
enthusiasm. His public record is exceed
ingly vulnerable, and his personality is
not attractive. The convention was so
thoroughly imbued with the idea that
PORTER was the only person mentioned
for the governorship who could hope to
carry the state that when his nomination
was seen to be impossible the feeling was
that it made little difference who was
placed at the head of the ticket. ROBERT
SON was rejected because the ma
chine was against him, and because
the PORTER-or-busters held him re-
sponsible for the miscarriage OF their
plans. There was also a decided
Discrimination to invite attention TO the
senatorial conspiracy OF 1887 in which
Ben HARRISON was the central figure, and
which RoBERTsoN's nomination would
have brought TO the front. CUMBACK was
not wanted because OF his offensive prom
inenCe as fanatic on the LIQUOR question,
IRA CHASE was unacceptable for SINH
lar reasons TO those which operated
against CUMBACK, and STEELE was obnox-
ious to the Porterites. So, by process
OF elimination, HovEY became the recipi-
ent of the empty honor. \ majority OF
the delegates seemed to know compare
lively little about him, but they knew all
about his competitors, and that was
enough. HovEY was taken in fit of des-
peratiOn as HARRISON was taken at Chi
cago.
Gen. HovEY is an old man, and has
been feedingat the public crib most of the
time since he attained maturity. Origin
ally a pro-slavery democrat, he was a
member OF the constitutional convention
OF 1851. In that body he opposed prop
.osition to incorporate in the constitution
a section providing a homestead eXemp-
ton and went on record as a rabid negro
hater. He was afterwards appointed
United States district attorney, from
which Office he was removed by Presi-
dent BUCHANAN, and was on the supreme
bench by appointment for year or
two. He supported DOUGLAS for
president in 1860, and entered the union
army as democrat. He changed his po-
litical coat, however, and after the war
President GRANT rewarded him with the
Peruvian mission, which he held several
years. He was defeated for Congress
many years ago by Judge NIBLAcK. and
the only elective Office he has ever held is
the congressional seat he now occupies by
virtue of democratic split in his district
two years ago.
Gen. HovEY is, like Ben HARRISON, an
aristocrat by nature. He is naughty, ex-
elusive and imperious. and except when
he is a candidate for office, holds himself
studiously aloof from those whom he re-
CARDS as the common people" He has
been for years an out and out free trader,
advocating the entire abolition OF custom
houses, and the raising of all revenue for
the government by direct taxation. He is
spokesman OF the most pronounced type
and in his letter accepting the congress
sional nomination two years ago, so
avowed himself. Altogether, HovEY has
little to recommend him to public favor
He is demogogue and political char
latan, and we know OF nothing that can be
urged in his behalf unless it is his ''war
record, and Col. MATsoN, the democratic
nominee, need fear no comparison of war
records with HovEY or anybody else.
CoURTLAND c.. MATsoN will be the next
governor of Indiana, and the electoral
vote of the state will be cast for CLEvE-
LAND and THURMAN.
Down with monopoly taxes!