The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-27
ADVICE TO THE STATE CONVENTION.

ADVICE TO THE STATE CONVENTION.
The Republican State convention,
which will meet at Fort Wayne to-mor-
row, promises to be unusually large and
interesting. The denomination of Presi-
dent Harrison gave the finishing touch
to Republican confidence and enthusi-
asm, and the result is apparent in a re-
markably long list of candidates for the
various offices to be filed. This shows
ageneral belief that this is to be a Repub-
lican year In Indiana, and the Journal is
pleased to add that the belief is fully
justified. The candidates will be pres
ent in person, the delegations will be
full, and the attendance of spectators
and clubs promises to be unusually
large. From present indications the
convention will be one of the largest
held for many years. There are also in
dications that it will be we'll taken care
of. Being the first State convention ever
held in Fort Wayne, the people of that
tl0urishing and hospitable city are united
in a determination that as far as local
accommodations and treatment are con-
cerned nothing shall be lacking to make
delegates satisfied with the place of
meeting.
1t Is on all Republican lips that the
duty of the convention is to nominate a
first-class ticket On a first class plat
form. This means a winning ticket.
Delegates should remember that they
will come together IA tho representa-
tives of nearly 100000 Republican
voters. charged with the duty of doing
the best thing possible, not for any in
dividual. any class or any section of the
State. but for the whole party. They
are. for the time being, the trustees Of
the Republican party in Indiana, the
guardian of Republican interests, and
their every act should be lone with n
full sense of this fact. If any delegate
has made up his mind to support or OPP
pose any particular candidate. he should
go to Fort Wayne prepared to recon-
slider his determination and abandon OF
reverse 1t If, on full and fair considera-
ton of the case, he finds that the inter-
ests of the party require 1t. This may
be q hard thing to do, but it is the duty
of every delegate to maintain precisely
that attitude.
In order to make the ticket as stronR
as possible, every individual candidate
should be the strongest possible. This
implies a careful consideration of abili-
ty. fitness, availability, popularity, cam
~paigning qualities and equipment for
official duties. After these, but of less
Importance, comes geographical loca-
ton. None of the other factors should
be sacrificed to this. If two candidates
clearly and distinctly the best In all
other respects for any position are
found in the same portion Of the State,
or even in the same congressional dis
trict, they should be nominated. The
masses of the people do not look closely
at such matters. They take larger and
broader views. The ticket should be
made as strong as possible for cam
paigninG purposes. Every candidate
should be able to handle intelligently
and well before the people the tariff
QueStlOu, Tic Cbutc ucDt uuu tuA UucS-
tions, and other important issues of the
campaign. This should be regarded as
an important factor in the list of quail
fications.
No attention should be paid to the
Democratic chatter about the admins
tration being in favor of or opposed to
this. that or the other candidate, or
about opposition to any candidate be-
cause he Is a poor mar. Nothing of the
kind exists, and that kind of talk should
not hurt or help anybody. 1t should
simply be ignored. II any candidate is
plainly and distinctly the choice of the
people, of the masses of the party, the
fact should be recognized and accorded
full weight. But care should be exer-
cised not to mistake an artificial or
counterfeit choice for a genuine one.
In every case the man who possesses
the most and greatest elements of popu-
lar strength is the man to nominate, but
the convention should be sure that it
make no mistake in this regard. In
fact, all tho advice the Journal has to
offer the convention car be condensed
into the brief but earnest ~adinonition
that 1t make no mistakes.