The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-04
Indication showed Even ut Noon that
Republicans Were Making
Enormous Gains.
BULLDOZING OF POPOCRATS
THEIR ONLY HOPE TO HOLD BACK
THE sOUND-MONEY VOTE.
An Arrest Grows Out of Efforts of SIT.
=. verites tn Have an Illegal
Vote Cast.

Election day was perfect, so far as the
weather was concerned. A mackerel sky
oVerhung the city at daybreak, and old
weather prophets stilled the fears of the
politicians by the declaration that the
signs were for rain a day or two hence, but
not Tor the day in question. The prophets
were wise, for no rain came to interfere
with the Republican landslide which was to
come Towards evening, about an hour be-
Tore the polls closed. a few Bryan people
declared they felt a few drops of rain fall,
but one had to be alert to discover them.
One Popocrat declared that the weather
was enough to defeat them. He attempted
TO prove by history that q disagreeable
election day made Democratic votes. His
logic was not appreciated. but his predic-
ton was accepted.
Throughout the city there was more than
the usual exertion on the part of the two
leading parties to get their forces to work.
ing and to get their vote out. And it
came out early. AT the opening of the
polls there were long lines of men waiting
In almost every precinct, and the rush con-
tinued for considerable time. Then again
at noon there was another strong squirt.
and by 3 o'clock 1t was estimated that 90
per cent. of the entire vote in the city was
polIed.
The day passed off very quietly.
The provisions made by the po-
lice department for looking after
the voting places were carried out
excellently, and there was no trouble re-
ported. Both parties were extremely
watchful of the other. guarding against
any possible attempt at fraud of any kind.
The vigilance of the Republicans was not
unnecessary. There seemed TO be a. deter
mined policy on the part of the Popocrats
TO bulldoze new voters in a precinct. In
one or two Instance legal voters were
scared out Of casting their votes, but in
most cases there was backbone enough
In the Republican election officers to see to
II that no legal voter was refused the right
of suffrage. In some parts of the city this
policy was practiced throughout the entire
day by the Popocrats. 1t was in the heav-
lily republican precincts where it
was worked the hardest. not with
the expectation of being sue
cussful in stopping a legal voter. but with
a hope Of delaying the voting so that late
Corners could be crowded out by the clos
Ing OF the polls. These tactics were used
throughout the northwest part of the city.
where there are many colored voters. They
We're slow in preparing their ballots. and
the PopocratS expected to hold a lot of
their own men until late in the afternoon
and then get them in line and occupy all
the time and prevent Republicans Voting.
The scheme was baked at almost every
place IT was attempted: and 1t is doubtful
anything was gained by it.
The Republican organization throughout
the city was almost perfect The ward
committeeman in each ward kept in touch
with what was going on in all his precincts.
and through him the county chairman was
kept informed Hundreds of young men
anu boys acted as couriers and kept up
a constant lnfQrGhanQa IF noSonUn- 10
tween those who were looking after the
Republican vote. They also proved inval-
liable in looking after tardy voters. Oft
times a man could be located by a wheel
man when a wagon could not have
been spared to make the search. A
wagon could then be despatched for him
without loss of time. The bicycle corps
proved to be of great service.
GOLD DEMOCRAT VOTE.
The vote Of the gold Democrats was the
uncertain element which worried the Dem
ocrats all day. In the factories and work.
shops, among the railroad men and with
the merchants were many men who have
been exceedingly quiet about the election.
Men who have been looked upon as DEM
Scrats, but who have not. in this silver
and sound-money controversy. come out
sQuareiy and publicly for one or the other.
were counted by Popocrats. while the Re-
pubiicans marked them as doubtful. The
cf-CtlOn SHOWS mat many or them We're
Indeed entitled to the marx of doubtful"
:or they cut loose from Popocracy and
voted for Mckinley electors. There were
more OF this class than the Popocrats be-
Eeved. They thought they had the sound
money men all spotted, and made their
calculations accordingly. but it is evident
that most OF those spotted were out
spoken Palmer and Buckner men. There
was a big slump in Popocrats, according TO
the poll books.
1t was evident early in the day that the
county would go Republican, and the only
question was as to the size of the pltl-
rality- At first the Popocrats worked hard
TO keep this as low as possible. but i'm some
parts of the city the fight was given up as a
hopeless case long before the day was done.
In some OF the precincts in the northern
part OF the city the Popocrats who were
working in conjunction with the committee
TO get the vote out absolutely refused to do
any more. They declared that IL was use
less in the face OF the showings. and gave !
II up in disgust An unprecedented Repub-
ican plurality was admitted by the Pom
ocrats themselves before the polls closed
When the polls in the ten precincts of the
Second ward closed Ass votes had been
cast. and of this number 1884 were count
ed by the Republicans.