Evening star., 1896-09-28
That is the Outlook for the State of
Indiana.
some SENSATIONAL CHANGES MADE
The Democrats May, However,
Control the Legislature.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.


INDIANAPOLIS, September "A, 1896
Kaleidoscope changes in politics have
about ceased in Indiana for this campaign
and matters have settled down to a hard
steady pull for the mastery, the silent
vote being the uncertain quantity, and
the quantity both parties are pulling after.
For the first few weeks after the Chicago
Convention the changes were on the SEN
saticnal order. Republicans who had al
ways been among the stalwarts came out
for Bryan, while lifelong democrats an
nourced that fer the time being they had
ahaL dored their party. Every morning the
papers were filled with cards from those
thus changing their political connections.
Now what cards appear are simply of an
explar atory nature. The changes were not
corfined to the rank and file, but embraced
those who had been leaders, some of them
having served with high distinction in
Congress. The campaign from the very
outset promised to be sensational, and UP
to the present time it has fulfilled all ex-
pectatiCI s..
OF course, the committees and party Or
gaEs on both sides are setting up claims
to the earth and the fullness thereof, such
claims being regarded being due to
their party allegiance. stranger would
be puzzled to determine anything about
the situation from the party papers. and,
in fact, up to within a very short time it
would have puzzled the best observer to
correctly diagnose the situation.
Reports Colorcd.
The political newsgatherers for the pa
rers have known from week to week pre:-
ty reerly how matters stood, but most of
them work for party organs and have been
| required to cast up the summary at the
end of each week to suit the politics of
! the paper. Then, too changes were being
rdniIlV a mn hat n on.
could formulate anything like a respecta-
BILE guess as to how it would stand in No
veMter. Had the election taken place
within two weeks after the Chicago con-
vention Mr.. Mckinley would have been
badly worsted in this state. 1t would have
been reversal of the landslide of two
years ago. The free silver republicans be-
gan to catch the full drift of the Chicago
platform, and theY started back to the
| republican camp in droves. Then followed
the breaking away of the sound money
| democrats, until it looked for awhile as
If the whole state was going over to Nc
| kiI!ey in a body.
A full state ticket is to be elected but
| in the contest between Bryan and Nc
| kinley 1t has been lost sight of except by
| the candidates themselves. So completely
| has 1t been lost to sight that it is hard to
| hnd man who can tell the names of the
candidates of his party. No one. on either
| side, seems to care anything about the
| state ticket, or to take it into consdera-
| ticn. There is one part of the ticket how
| ever, that the democrats have not lost
| sight of, aid that is the legislative Two
| years ago was the first time since 1879 that
| the republicans have controlled both
| branches of the state legislature A Sena-
tor is to be elected, and the democrats have
| been putting forth the most strenuous ef-
| forts to save the legislature.
Liquor League.
In this they are materially assisted by
the State Liquor League. Two years ago
| Iol
straint of the liquor traffic, and succeeded
in driving about 700 saloons out Of busi-
ness. This has been resented by the league
| and it has taken hold of the Legislative e
| campaign in earnest. The democrats start
| ed into the fight having a very decided,
advantage in the districting of the state,
which was partly offset by the republican
majority of hold-over senator's. With tn.
active assistance of the league and through
the lack of interest exhibited by the re-
pubicans, the democrats expect to control
on joint ballot and elect the successor OF
Mr.. Voorhees,.
In some of the counties there has been a
fusion between the populists and the dem
ocrats on the legislative ticket and the
fusion is likely to cost the republicans a
few members of the house, and possibly
one or two senators. Owing to this peculiar
condition the state may give 10000 plural
| 1ty for Mckinley and vet the democrats
be able to elect a Senator. Never before
did just such condition prevail.
| Notwithstanding democratic claims, there
| Is no good reason to doubt the reelection
| of Congressman Johnson Overstreet Faris
Henry, Steele and Royce, and to these will
be added Lands, republican, in the ninth
and Crumpacker in the tenth. The chances
are largely in favor of the republicans re.
electing Hemenway in the first and Leight,
in the twelfth and adding Sulzer in the
fourth. In fact, the election of Sulzer is
| practically assured. The sound none,
democrats decided to put up candidates il
each OF the districts, but it has been de.
| termined not to do so in the first fourth
and twelfth, as such a course might resul,
In Letting the free silver candidate slim in
! The sound money democrats are very
strong in each one of those districts. and Il
40 per cent of them vote for the republican
candidate he will be elected.
In the Districts.
In the sixth district the democrats have
taken off their nominee and united on the
popuist candidate in the hope of defeatin
r.Johnson, but as he has reliable repub.
lican majority over the combined vote OF
the democrats and populists of about 4O0t
| it is hardly likely that his defeat will h.
compassed. The ninth district is one OF
the republican districts of the state, and
there the democrats and populistS united
In nominating ex-Congressman Cheadle q
| free silver republican, but SO MANY old-timf
democrats have declared against him as tt
practically put him out of the race. AL
the regular republican districts will give
| largely increased majoritieS over those Of
two years ago in the same counties. The
majcrities in the sixth and ninth will MOI
be as large as the candidates received twc
years ago, owing to changes in the make
up Of the districts.
careful and fair estimate of the situa
alton as 1t stands at present is that Mckin
leys plurality in the state will be fully al
large as was that of the republicans two
years ago. and it may be much larger. The
, loss through free silver republicans goint
to Bryan will not reach 30 per cent of wha
was estimated month ago. This loss will
, be more than made good by the gains from
! the sound money democrats who will open
ly vote the republican ticket, while Palmer
will get at least 10000 votes which will bt
q direct loss to Bryan. The manufacturing
centers are much more distinctly for the re
publicans than they were two years ago
while the gains among the railroad mel
t will count up into the thousands.
Railroad Men.
Never before have the railroad men take
s SO great an interest in an election, and the
; are practically united for Mckinley. TIL