The Brookhaven leader., 1888-08-23
POLITICS IN HooslERooM.
Why Harrison Is sure to lose His Own
State by Big Majority.

clans OF both parties tbs HOnslcr state
il the pivot on which the Presidential
contest will turn. The Democratic
managers were never surcr OF carry
ing the State than they are to-day.
They are not Mt all afraid of Candidate
Harrison's personal popularity. They
have met him before on the Indiana
battlefield, when his record was short
er, and consequently less Objectionable
than now. and whipped him in fair
fight. That was in 1876. when he ran
for Governor, md the Republicans had
Oliver r. Morton for leader, splen-
did organization and the Federal
Treasury to draw upon. The Repub-
licans have lost ground since they won
their scratch victory by the use of an
overwhelming corruption fund in 1880,
and the Democrats have steadily
gained on them. The young voters Of
the State to-day are Democrats and
tariff reformcrs. For the past eight
years the Democrats have had all the
hccretiUns and the Republicans all the
losses. TO form an opinion a5 to the
outcome OF the contest this year one
should go back and analyze the vote Of
1884 when both parties pOlled more
votes than they ever cast before.
Blaine had bigger majorities than Gar
field In sixty-four counties. He polled
in the State 23S.j1l votes as against
232, 164 for Garfield. Garfield ; ma
=
fore, should have had over 1900 ma
1Ority over Cleveland had the Demo
cratic vote stood where it was in 1880.
But what do the figures show? Why,
that Cleveland had nearly 10000 more
votes in the State than Hancock, or a
total of 245, ,042. as against 22j, ,j22 for
the Democratic candidate in 1880.
Cleveland defeated Blaine BY 6,j3l
plurality in the largest vote ever
polled in the State. These are figures
which the Republican managers can
not knock down or overcome. They
show Enthusiastically that the popular
tide is With the Democratic party, and
they can not turn it back
Do the two parties maintain their
relative strength this year? The Dem
ocratic campaign managers say yes.
They claim that their party was never
so thoroughly united and harmonious
as now. Indiana is a tariff reform
State. Every Democratic Representa-
tive in Congress tor years has won't to
Washington pledged to secure Il re-
vision OF Tic tarilf, and has fought and
won his tignt before the people OF his
district on that issue over and over
again. This is not an experimental
question In Indiana. No Democratic
Congressman who should cast his vote
against a measure like the Mills bill
could hope for 8 denomination at the
hands of his constituents, The drift
of popular sentiment in the State is 50
Enthusiastically toward tariff reform that
even the Republicans have become i'm
pressed with it. The HoesIer Repub-
iicans vert to Chicago and made
sturdy iigEt against the high tax and
free whisky platform tEat the party
adopted. When the conspiracy to
nominate Blaine was developed the
stoutest opponents of the movement
We're these same Indiana men-not be-
cause they were so devoted to Harri-
son, but Because, as they publicly de
clared, Blaine's nigh tariff notions
would make Republican defeat IN the
State a foregone conclusion. The In
iianapolis Nccs, Republican journal
with lhG lHrgest circulation in the
State, before the tlcmipatigrs were
made warned the Republicans over and |
over again that they would be beaten |
IN Indiana if the party adopted high |
tariff platform. Party esigAneies have |
compelled the EeeCS to place Harrison 3
name at the head of its columns, but !
it still rePdaietes the party platform,
and advocates tariff reSisiot directly |
in line with the Democratic platform
received at the National head |
quarter here from every part of the |
State show that the people are more |
logical than the newspaper, and are
accepting the Democratic platform
it. There is no organized detection
from the Democratic ranks anywhere
in the State. Here and there an over
fed manufacturer who does not want
to surrender any part of the wealth he
Is accommodating at other peoples eX-
pense has declared his intention to
vote for Harrison, but these are spor-
adic Gases, and have no significance
whatever.
On the other hand, there are acces-
sions to the Democratic party from the
bankcrs and lawyers in the
towns, and from the ovGftaxed farmer |
in the rural districts. A very close !
canvass of the State shows that at least !
2 per cent. of the Republicans who |
voted for Blaine will vote this year for
Cleveland on the tariff issue. The
Democrats who will vote for Harrison
by reason of State pride or for other
reasons do not number more than one
half of l per cent. There may be a
thousand or fifteen hundred such Dem
ocrats, but not more. The free whisky
platform of the Republicans will drive
from two to four thousand temperance
Republicans into the ranks of the Pro-
hibitionists. Making a due allowance,
therefore, for gains. and losses, the
Democratic managers assert with abso-
Lutte confidence in the correctness OF
their canvass that Indiana will give
larger majority for Cleveland this year