Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-16
MIR. BYNCM AND MR.. COOPER
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

4 DUH PdIlleS always Oh sue
cess, and were never more so than now.
The democrats are sure they will hold their
own, and that to then Is virtually a vic
tory, for they have about all now. State
and county officers and members of Con-
gress are to be elected. OF the congress
| sional districts, only two OF them are repub-
lican, and they have majorities running up
| into the thousands, SO the democrats do not
| expect to gain In that direction. They have
| all the state offices, hence can make no
| gains there. To the republicans any meas
ure of gain will be victory.
As l sai3 both parties are confident, but
| the republican confider ce may be classed as
| bsing of the jublant order. The fact is, the
| air of confidence to be found among the re-
| publicans Is such that a democrat couli
hardly breathe il without becoming enthu-
| siastic. The danger to the republicans lies
/ in that very eNuberance of feeling. II has
run away with their discretion, and they
have forgotten the lessons of the past.
| Those lessons ought to teach them that sue
| cess in Indiana only comes to the vigilant,
| the earnest, the hard worker, the persistent.
| Talking or confidence, singly or combined,
| do not win victories in the hooser state.
1t requires the closest and most complete
| organization. This is the opinion of those
| who have fought battles here in the past.
Odds i'm Their Favor.
A careful study of the situation reveals
this state Of affairs: The republicans have
| the best of the argument, the most en-
thusiasm. the advantage of the disgruntled
state of mind of the people, brought about
by the depression of business, while the
democrats have the better organization.
In fact. it cannot be said that the repub-
licans have an organization at all, in the
true sense of the term. They have commit
tees and clubs, but the clubs and committees
are depending largely upon democratic dis
affection and mi StaE 20 bpir
asm and confidence for a Political upheaval.
They are not organized for close and thor
oUgh work among the voters On the other
hand, the democratic organization is thor
ough in every part of the state. and reaches
down even to school and road districts.
They know just what they are doing and
have the results of their work before them.
They are Tot talking much, except on the
stump, and the character of the speeches
made there would lead the shrewd political
observer to believe they are only made 10
create a smoke TO hide what they are really
accomplishing by their thorough and sys-
tematic work. Two years ago the repub-
licans were just as enthusiastic and conf
Gent as they are now, but they were badly
whipped.
Notwithstanding the thorough organize
ton of the democratic party and the earn
est work il is doing, the chances are largely
against them. Had the election taken place
the LIST of September the republicans would
IL is believed, have carried the state by
3OoOO Had IL occurred a week ago, they
would still have had it by 20,oo0. Today the
D,OUO have dwindled to Loco. This change
shows either effective work on the part of
the democrats, or a growing belief among
the people that business revival is sure
to follow the practical operation Of the new
tarih law.ln six weeks, from one cause or an
other, the democrats have succeeded in cut
ting down The republican prospects one
half. Can they destroy the other half in
the remaining three weeks?
A Suicidal BIunder.
The first mistake of the republicans was
in agreeing to a joint discussion between
the heads of the tickets. The late Vice
President Hendricks would have classed
1t as blunder rather than a mistake He
often remarked that the party which would
consent to a joint discussion when the
drift was its way committed suicide Al
the opening of the campaign the drift was
very evidently In favor of the republicans
10 check that drift and turn it backward
the democrats were eager for a Joint dis
cussion. Another mistake of the republic
cans is In doing too much talking. That
Is, talking from the stump. Political ora
tors are not always wise, and comparatively
Few OF them can make a speech without
giving onense or saying something foolish
giving the enemy club with which 10
hammer them In these days stump speak
ing is much more likely to confirm an
enemy in his opposition than to win him
over. The democrats are also talking but
as they only have one purpose in view
TO hold their own-they are not SO liable
to suffer from giving oYense
The very best that can be said OF the
situation here Is that it is probiematicaI
There Is enough to encourage the impetu-
Gus Peters, and yet enough to confirm the
doubling Thomases, so far as the repuhIi-
cans are concerned. II large and enthus-
iastic meetings could be taken as a sura
lndex OF the real feeling in the state the
question would not be probiematicaf. and
grand triumph for the republicans might
be set down as certain. The chances are
still in favor of that party electing its state
ticket by plurality from 1900 to 1900. 1t
does not seem possible for the democrats
TO succeed in turning back altogether the
tide that has been setting so strongly
against them. There is so much uncer-
tainty in the situation that no one reed
be surprised IL the republicans pull through
only by beggarly plurality of thousand.
nor need there be any surprise IL IL goes up
to 10000 or even more. 1t will not even do
to say that democratic success Is beyond
the range Of possibilities.
In Congregational Districts.
The republicans Will make some congress
sional gains. OF that there can scarcely
be any doubt The situation in the first.
or pocket" district. is strongly in favor
OF the republicans. That party has In
the past carried the district several times
and Notwithstanding the usual democratic
plurality is something in the neighborhood
make republican success almost sure The
republicans talk Of carrying the second.
third, fourth and fifth districts but Il Is
pretty evident the republican leaders do NOT
know the people of those districts. The
fourth is the district OF Mr.. Holman. and
the fifth that Of Mr.. Cooper At every re-
curing election for twenty years the re-
publicans have been sure OF defeating HoI-
man, and on two or three occasions they
have had him badly scared, but his plurality
has never been reduced to any considerable
extent He is now undergoing the worst
scare Of his life, but the chances are nearly
all In his favor. Mr.. Cooper would be more
easily defeated. but II he Is retired this year
II will indeed be a political earthquake. The
republicans are also sure they will be able
to beat Mr.. Bynum In the seventh and II
looks as IL they have good grounds for
their faith, but Mr.. Bynum Is a hard man
to down. 1t is entirely safe to say the re-
publicans will gain the first, tenth and
eleventh districts, giving them FIVE I'm the
delegation. and that is all that IL Is safe 10
say. 1t Is possible for them to add to their
gains IN the seventh. eighth and thirteenth
districts, but a prudent man would not risk
any money on either Of those districts go
ing republican
The state legislature WIN be democratic
on joint ballot That seems to be as fixed
as the everlasting hills. The republican