Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-04
It Will Be a Factor in the In
dianapolis Election.
A CLOSED OR Wide OPEN TOWN
The Result May Influence the
Voting in New York.
4 10 T G A MP Al G n

Indianapolis will hold an election for
city officers next Tuesday, and far more
than local interest has been aroused. And
this for two reasons.
% The hoos:er capital is the home of cx-
President Harrison, and he has been in
duced to write a letter in favor of the re-
publican ticket. Ordinarily. there would
have been no call for such a letter. Gen.
Harrison's party loyalty is never a matter
of question with those who know him. But
1t SO happened that the republican candi-
date for mayor had always been an anti
Harrison man in the factional fighting in
the state, and the democrats were inti-
mating that the ex-President and some Ct
his friends would remember this >on cleo
tion day. Gen. Harrison put the story
promptly and effectually to rest He Ge-
clared for the full ticket, and in .,oing so
also declared for an impartial execution of
ali the laws applying to the good govern
ment of the town.
The Excise Question.
(2p The excise question is up and the two
parties are divided on it pretty much as
Trey are in New York. There are some diff
ferences in the question as presented. In
New York republican city government is
executing an excise law enacted by q
democratic legislature. The local democ-
racy. therefore, in opposing this policy,
makes warfare on its own offspring. The
republicans charge that the law was never
enacted for impartial execution, but to he
used club for the leyying of blackmail
The democrats complain that the law, in
the hands of republican executives, is SUBJ
jected to puritanical twist and made to
operate against the comfort and conven-
ience of the people. In Indianapolis the
excise law iS of raDJ1h1ican finn
publicans enacted 1t, and republicans are
executing 1t. This makes the issue be-
tween the two parties direct and altogether
simple The republicans are in favor of
closing the saloons on Sunday; the demo-
Gratis are not.
Some Want the Saloons Open.
The campaign has been wageo with al
most unexampled vigor on both sides. In
dianapolis. until this legislation was cit
acted and enforced, was a ''wide-open
town on Sunday. Liquor could be FRO
cured without any sort of trouble. This
radical ,hange, therefore. has produced no
little feeling. The foreign-born residents
of whom there is a good per cent-the club
men, the men about town. and, of course,
the HqIor sellers, all object to the change.
The usual argument is employed. Such a
policy. 1t is held. initiates against the
prosperity Of 4 growing town. Indianapo-
Her situation is central and many travel
ing men have heen in the habit of stopping
there over Sunday. They are the sort of
men to be cultivated. They advertise a
town where they have been Hospitality en-
tertained. They likewise advertise a town
where the local regulations are hard.
These men, 1T is claimed, will shun In
dianapoiis II the present regulations con-
tinue.
An Orderly Sabbath.
On the other hand are those people who
stand for an orderly observance of the
Sabbath and put that above the mere mat
ter of a days profitable liquor sales.
They want the best customs to prevail.
They insist upon the old-fashioned Ameri-
can Sun day. and say that judged even
upon the plane OF money and Improvement
the old customs are the best. They are
for the law as 1T stands, and for its en-
forcement.
1t will be seen from all this that Tues
days returns will have something of a
bearing on the New York city campaign.
If the saloons and their friends carry the
day in Indianapolis the saloons and their
friends in New York will be by that much
encouraged, and between that day and
their own November day will exert them
selves all the more strenuously to win.
On the other hand, if Sunday opening
loses in Indianapolis Tammany will be
certain to feel the blow.
A Matter of Improvements.
1t may be mentioned that the excise
question, while the most exciting is not
the only local question involved in the
Indianapolis contest. The city has been
making some expensive improvements, and
this has sent the tax rate up. Both parties
are said to be responsible, and the democ-
racy lost power partly as the result Of the
high leves. But the republicans being
now in power, and the rate being still high.
they, too. may suffer by the exercise of a
capricious public sentiment.
Both sides express confidence in the re-
suit. The saloon influences on the one
hand are thoroughly organized, while on
the other hand the church influences have
been strengthened during the past fort
night by several deliverances of prominent
religious bodies in favor of Sunday closing.
Indianapolis is city of churches. There is
a question, however, as to whether these
deliverances have come soon enough to
affect that campaign.