The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-04
Extenuating Circumstances.

The following observations OF the st.
Louis Republic are interesting:
Our republican contemporaries are putting
themselves to unnecessary trouble in explain
ing why President HARRIsON'S reception at
indianapolis was cold and nnenthusiastic.
There is no enthusiasm felt for Mr.. HARRISON
anywhere IN this country. and the country I'M
derstands why. He has none OF the qualities
which excite it. Personally he is cold and re-
pellant, narrow in his views and contracted in
his sympathies. Except for his hauteur, he is
singularly commonplace. His abilities are be-
low the abilities of the ordinary congressman.
He does not excel in anything. He does not
average anywhere near the public idea of what
the average president should be. His life IN
public and private is one OF mannerisms.
Everything he does is done mechanically. He
is man of no enthusiasm; of no force of
character.
This is generally understood, and nowhere
better than in Indianapolis. Ii is natural
enough that he should be least admired where
he is best known, but the GOODNESS toward
him was not confined TO indianapolis. He has
been travelling up and down and across the
country and the only recognition he received
was as coldly formal as he is himself.
1t Is impossible for man in his condition TO
hide himself from the eyes of the millions
watching him. The country has found him
out. He has hardly been six months in Office,
but ii knows him for a failure. There is no
respect for him, even In his own party. We
make jokes in this country about the unre-
liability of campaign pledges, but we are not
yet so depraved as to feel any enthusiasm for
president who in the most cold-blooded way
has methodically disregarded and violated the
platform pledges of his party, reinforced by
his own solemn assurances that if elected he
would administer the laws in liberal and
high-minded way.
In further justification of the feeling
of the people of indianapolis we would
mention the fact that the decent people of
this state have special cause to remember
the late election. After a campaign, in
which state pride was made central feat
ure, there is naturally an extensive revul-
sion of feeling when it is proven and con-
fessed that the state was bought for Mr..
HARRISON in "blOcks of five" No self
respecting citizen enjoys having his state
'Wanamakered," and especially under
cover of such pretensions of morality and
high responsibility as were made here be-
fore the election. The subsequent pro-
ceedings were calculated to have an
equally depressing effect. This is the
home of Judge WOoDs, and the locality in
which Mr.. DUDLEY and his allies were not
ing place of the presidents inspired organ,
which shed tears of ink over the pauper
wages of England during the cam
paiGu, and has since maintained
that s. per week is not pauper
wages for an Indiana coal miner. Here
also reside sundry civil service reformers
who, in their hot haste for political per
lection, dlsparaged the honest efforts of
Mr.. CLEVELAND and held Mr.. HARRISON
up to the country as a model for the
presidential office. These and other
causes which need not be mentioned, have
produced their effects, and while. under
the circumstances, we feel that Indian
apolis treated her guest well enough, We
must admit that he might appropriately
MARBLE
"The old homes not what il used to be,