The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-01
CAMPAIGN ON FACTS
REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE DISCUS
sEs THE SITUATION.
Gen. Harrison VIII Make Opening
Speech I'm This City i'm September
The ~POpulists' Gains,

Yesterday afternoon a conference OF the
Republican district chairmen, the advisory
committee and the candidates for Congress
and State offices. with a few other Repub-
licans. was held in this city. Chairman
Gowdy acted as chairman, and Secretary
Seeds was present. Of the State commit
teemen the following were present: L. J.
Brooks, Of Bedford; E. II. Trip, OF Mount
Vernon; A z. Newlin, of Lawrenceburg;
w. w. Lambert, of Columbus; George w.
Cromer, of Muncie; j. w. Fesler. of Indian
apolis; y. Filbeck, of Terre Haute; S. A.
Ward, Of Angola; O.. a. Osborn, OF Ma
rion; r. B. Oglesbee, of Plymouth. The
following members of the advisory commit
tee were present: NJ. G.. McLain, Of Indian
apolis; Robert Mitchell, of Princeton; Geo.
w. Self, of Corydon; A. c. Lindemuth, Of
Richmond; w. L. Overstreet, of Terre
Haute; Cloyd Loughery, of Rochester, and
o.. Il. Hubbell, Of Elkhart. L. z. Newly, of
Knightstown, and A. W. Wishard, Of the
executive committee. were also in attend
ance. The following congressional candi-
dates were present: j. A. Hemenway, of the
First; A. NJ. Hardy, Of the Second; Jesse
Overstreet, Of the Fifth. and Major Steele,
Of the Eleventh. All of the State candi-
dates were present except the two candi-
dates for the Supreme Court. Among the
others on hand by invitation were Hon. C.
w. Fairbanks. Hon. S. N. Chambers and
Hon. Jefferson Ciaypool. Every section of
the State was represented by men who are
thoroughly familiar with the situation.
Each representative spoke of his own To-
cality and the nature of the work which
should be done to secure the best results.
The reports were of the most encouraging
character. Excellent feeling is general, and
in certain localities the Republican voters
have not waited for the party committees,
but have gone ahead and held meetings.
From no section were the reports more
encouraging than from Democratic strong
holds, where bad county management will
be as potent an ally for the Republicans
as the national issues. The reports regard
ing the Populist movement were all to the
effect that nine-tenths of the additions this
year would come from the Democrats. In
the Southern part of the State this state
ment was based upon the membership of
several clubs. In one Of these clubs of
forty-three members all but two had been
Democrats. In a larger organization in one
city in the First district more than four
fifths were Democrats in 1892. The coal
had been made indicated that nearly two
thousand who had voted for Cleveland
would vote the Populist ticket; In Vigo
pathy with Debs voted as did Debs in 1892
the Democratic ticket-but now it has been
ascertained that they will vote with the
Populists. In the manufacturing towns in
the northern part of the State the gains
for the Republicans will be large. The
canvass shows in some localities that the
changes are larger than the Republican
organizers can expect to realize. Hon W.
ID. owen in private conversation, spoke
enthusiastically for a cautious man of the
nFeGRnf nr0Sne CTS i'm the Tenth district
The late contestants are falling into each
others arms to secure harmony" he said,
"and whoever is nominated for Congress
will have a good majority"
The policy to be pursued in the campaign
was discussed at length. and there. was a
striking unanimity of sentiment, which was
stated by one speaker as follows: Let us
60 to the people with the Republican cause,
present the Republican side clearly and
cy did for the Nation in a quarter OF a
century and that Democratic failure has
involved the country in disaster. Give facts
and arguments; avoid abuse and detrac-
ton. Let us go to the people in the school
houses with plain talks, and not with ora
tory one candidate for Congress in the
southern part of the State said that the
only way to get to the people was in the
township meeting, and that he proposed to
speak in every. township in his district.
Another, who had been a good soldier,
said that it was no longer good sense or
good politics to go back to the war except
to demand decent treatment for the broken
~
1t was the general opinion that the CAM
paign should be opened by speaking be-
tween the first and middle of September,
and the opinion was quite unanimous and
emphatic that General Harrison should be
urged by the State committee to give the
keynote of the campaign in Indiana.
There was no wild boastins, no wildfire
enthusiasm, but a confidence that under
the existing conditions, the general har-
mony and earnestness, the indications of
the spring elections and the action of the
Democratic regime, the Republicans, by
earnest work, can carry Indiana by a good
majority and lay a foundation which will
make it as surely Republican as Ohio.
The conference was followed by a meet
ing of the State central committee. Acting
upon the suggestion of the conference, the
committee voted to open the campaign
with a meeting in this city, about Sept. D,
and that General Harrison be invited to
make the opening speech, which should be
regarded in the nature of a keynote. The
meeting will be followed by other meetings
in the larger places, to be addressed by
ex-Speaker Reed. Governor Mckinley and
such other speakers of national reputation
as can be obtained. The district and coun-
Nv committees will make arrangements to
have home Speakers to address meetings in
- -, ..h0nlbnrCa I'm tho State