The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-17
THE POLITICAL HORIZON OF IN
DIANA is CLOUDED WITH PER-
PLEXITTES.
NOBODY SURE OF VICTORY.
FUSION BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND
PoPULIsTS AND WHAT 1T
MEANS.
FAcTIoNAL auARRELs GALORE.
Chairman Martin of the Democratic
Committee Makes Some Sweep
ing Claims.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 16.-During
great political conflicts it generally
happens that the eyes of the nation are
riveted on Indiana It has always
| been a close state politically and poll
| ticians are popularly supposed to grow
on trees all over the commonwealth.
| This year it is a. battle royal between
| the two great parties in Indiana.
| Everybody talks politics and even the
women and children have become in
/ oculated with the general enthusiasm
The money question is the only issue
| discussed, and the very air is laden
with an intensity of feeling that is
sometimes painful. For months past
every downtown street corner in In
| dianapolis has been the scene Of daily
! arguments on present financial condi-
| tions and the relief necessary, and long
| ago a point was reached where it be-
came necessary for the police to inter
! fere in order to keep the streets clear
/. so that traffic could be carried on as
| usual. The holding of the National
Democratic convention in this city Sept.
2 and but added fuel to the flame,
and since then the rivalry between the
two parties has been intense. Promi-
! nent Democrats are now actively ideA-
titled with the gold standard Democra-
cy, while equally prominent Repub-
licans are espousing the cause of free
silver with great fervor.
Prior to the Chicago convention the
most sanguine Democrats in Indiana,
the men who have for years had the
management Of the party, were ready
to acknowledge that there was no
! hope Of carrying Indiana. They also
ccncede with equal frankness that the
| Republicans would win a national vie
| tory with ease. But after the free sill
yer wave had passed over the country
hope began to glimmer on the political
horizon, and the campaign was en-
tered. upon with a vigor that had not
been anticipated. The sudden activity
! of the Democrats aroused the Republi-
! can leaders from the lethargy into
which they had fallen through a gen
! eral feeling that success was certain,
and from that day until the present
! not a single stone has been left un-
turned by either party to increase it's
| prospects for victory.
When conditions are normal Indiana
| IS a doubtful state. This year the de-
fections from the Democratic party are
confined to cities and manufacturing
| districts, while the Bryan ticket will
| show a strength largely in excess of
| the normal Democratic vote in the por
/ tions of the state where agricultural
| interests predominant. The indica-
/ ti0ns now are that the free silver Re-
/ publican strength in the state will out
weigh the gold standard Democratic
strength. However, this. is largely a
matter of lottery. There are elements
in this campaign, aside from those al
| ready mentioned, that are very uncer-
| tain. In the first place the railroad
| vote of Indiana amounts to about 65,-
| 000 Heretofore a majority of the rail-
| road employees have voted the Demo-
cratic ticket, but this year the Repub
| licans lay claim to almost the entire
vote. Whether this claim is well
grounded or not will be largely a mat
| ter of speculation until after the cleo
| ton, since, under the Australian ballot
| law, coercion is not the splendid sue
cess it has been in days that are gone.
| Then again the manufacturing, whole
| sale, banking and corporate interests
| are indorsing the gold standard and
! the vote SO controlled is another guam
tity very uncertain.
In this state fusion between the Dem
| ocrats and Populists was not accom-
plished until a short time ago, but
since it's accomplishment it has, so the
Democratic managers claim, added
| 10000 to the total vote for the state
and national Democratic tickets, as the
figures named indicate the voting
strength of the Populist party in In
diana Not only have the Populists
and Democrats fused on national cleo
tors, but in several instances they
have joined forces on congressional
nominees.
1t would seem that everything po-
| had combined fdic in In
diana to make the political battle
/ desperately hot one, and when the
smoke clears away it will be found
! that many aspiring leaders have had
their wings badly singed. For six
! months there have been factional fights
| galore in both parties, and they are
bound to have an effect on the gen
eral result. For months prior to the
campaign the Republican state cen
trail committee was a seething vortex
Of contending interests and the re-
election of John K. Gowdy as chair
man did not serve to give the troubled
waters a shower bath of healing OIL
Then, w. r. McKeen, of Terre Haute,
! ex-president of the Vandalia railroad
and G. w. Fairbanks, Of this city, who
/ was temporary chairman of the Re
| publican national convention at ST.
Louis, are both desirous of succeeding
| Mr.. Voorhees, as United States sena-
| tor, and their interests are continually
clashing in way that is not calculated
to insure harmony in the Republican
| party.
On the other hand the declaration
of the Chicago platform in favor of
| free silver found Sterling R. Holt, a
| strong gold standard advocate at the
head of the Democratic state commit
tee. While Mr. Holt at once publicly
indorsed the Chicago platform and
| nominees and proclaimed his intention
of making the fight of his life for Demo-
| cratic success, there was large and
| constantly growing element of the par
| ty that chafed under his leadership
and at once set up a. howl for an out
and-out free silver man to be placed
at the head of the state committee
This feeling finally reached point
some three weeks ago, where Mr.. Holt
| thought it best to resign, and he was
succeeded by Parks NJ Martin, who
| had for some time been an ardent ad-
| yocate Of free silver. But the change
was made after the campaign organ
iZation was well under way, and as
no two men have the same methods it
caused more or less trouble, and the
Republican managers yelped with de-
] light Notwithstanding these factional
! fights, both parties have settled down
for long, hard pull and in the esti-
nation of many shrewd politicians the
| result in Indiana is so much in doubt
that either party is liable to carry it
by a majority ranging anywhere from
| twenty-five to fifty thousand. Today
the G. L o b correspondent called upon
Chairman Gowdv. of the Republican
state committee, to secure, If possible.
his estimate Of the result In Indiana.
Mr. Gowdy was informed that the peo-