The Portland daily press., 1896-08-24
THE PROSPECT IN INDIANA.
Reasons for Believing that by Hard
Fight Bryan can be Defeated There.

New York, Aug. GA Washington
despatch to the Sun says Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois have always been good fight
ing ground; although almost uniformly
since the establishment of the Repu bill
can party Ohio, lying furthest to the
east, ana Illinois, lying furthest to the
"est, nave been carried by the Republic
oans IN Presidential elections From 1856
10 lo9@, both years included, the Repnb-
Means secured majority OF the electoral
vote in Ohio. Illinois Joined the Repub-
llcan column one Presidential election
later, IN 1860, and fell away from 1t one
PRESIDENTIAL election in 1892; but
fromlS60 to 1888, both elections inclusive,
Illinois was carried by the Republicans.
INDIANA lies between the two States and
par5akes OF the same character of popu-
lation. That State, however, has wavered
continually In It's political allegiance. In
recent years it has been carried by the
Democrats for President in 1876, 1884,
and 1892, and by the Republicans in 1879,
1851 and 1888. In other words, victory
has alternated between the two political
parties IN Indiana for more than twenty
years. This condition of uncertainty has
not been limited to Presidential contests,
but has appeared in State contests also.
The present governor is a Democrat, and
three OF his predecessors since 1870 have
been democrats, namely, Gray, Williams
ana Hendricks. In the same period there
nave been three Republican governors,
Chase, Hovey and Porter.
The political battle in Indiana
this year promises, from all reports, to be
very close. There Is, in fact, at this time
no certainty as to the result, though
superficial appearances are generally
favorable to Mckinley. He was the fifst
choice of the Indiana Republicans for
nomination at st. Louis; whereas Mr..
Bryan, his opponent, was without Indiana
support at Chicago. In fact, the Indiana
~ nad candidate OF their ow
in GOV. Matthews. In the Populist con-
vention at st. Louis twenty of the In
diana delegates voted for Bryan and ten
for his Middle of the Road competitor,
Judge Norton. In 1892 ths Populist vote
for Gen. Weaver in Indiana was 30, 900.
AT the last State election the Populist
candidate at the head of the State ticket
polled nearly 80, 900 votes, his strongest
support coming from Vanderburgh
county, the chief city of which Is Eyans-
vile.
In any consideration of tho political
situation in Indiana it is necessary to
take into account the fact that the State
has much smaller foreign-born popu
lation than either Illinois or Ohio. The
foreign-Born population of Illinois Is
twenty sight per cent. of the total and
Of Ohio fifteen per cent. Inuiana's per
centage Is only seven. Otherwise ex-
pressed, there were by the last Federal
census 800, 600 fol eign born male resi-
dens of Illinois over the age of twenty
one, and 216, 600 in Ohio Indiana had
only 73,000 Another thing to be kept
in mind is that whereas Ohio and Illinois
have many large cities, such as Cincin-
natl, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayto
Toledo and Youngstown in Ohio, and
Chicago, Peoria, Springfield, and Quincy
in Illinois, Indiana has only one large
city, indianapolis, and only one other
city rerurnd by the last census as having
more than $4,000 population, the city of
Evansville. The citizens of Indina are,
therefore, practically, all American and
mostly rural, and the conditions which
prevail in other States in the Ohio Valley
} are not duplicated there. In most Nor TIL
ern States indiana among them, the
hard money Democrats are seen to be
most numerous, most influential, and
best organized in the large cities. The
J absence of large cities in Indiana will
probably restrict the vote for third, or
outside Democratic candidate, to much
under what he will receive in Ohio and
} Illinois. Again, the German American
) vote, very important factor in Ohio and
Illinois, and clearly committed to the
cause OF sound money, Is OF much less
: Importance in Indiana. Indiana has
only one-third as many German voters
} |
Illinois.
All these conditions are favorable to
Mr.. Bryan, but they do not exhaust the
J list of factors which will enter into this
years fight in the Hoosier State, with
probably result favorable to Major Nc
Kinley
! The Democratic organization in Indi-
ana lie this year in poor fighting oondi-
ton. The old leaders who carried the
Democratic standard to victory have
either died or retired or become no long
er active. Senator Voorhses's term ex
pirss on March 4, 1897. The present leg
islature consists of ia Republicans and So
Democrats and already the Republicans
are planning to elect @. W. Fairbanks,
who was the temporary chairman of the
Republican National convention in st.
Louis. Moreover many of the former
Democratic leaders in Indiana have re-
fused to give any support to the Bryan
Popullstic ticket, and are actively organ
izing for the nomination of third can
didate on Sept. 2. These leaders are es
pecially numerous in the city of Indian
! apolis, long the home Of Harrison and
Hendricks
There does not appear to be at present
any dispute of the claim that Marion
county, which includes the city of Indi-
annapolis and which gave the Democratic
electoral ticket "a majority Of nearly 1,010
In 1892, will giyo Mckinley 5000 to 1000
in November. To the bad internal con-
dition of the Democratic party in Indi-
ana and the lack of efficient leadership,
must be added the fact that the Republi-
cans of Indiana are thoroughly united,
ably led, and not embarrassed either by
defections or by faotional differences.
Yet another point of Importance in the
contest for the fifteen electoral votes of
the Hoosier State is this: Indiana, and
more especially northern Indiana, has
, been developing manufacturing interests
at a lively rate during the past ten years.
Major Mckinley will get in the towns of
Northern Indiana this year, according to
the most authentic and reliable advioes,
large Democratic vote on other issues
than those connected with the currency
Some of the earliest supporters of Major
Mckinley were in northern Indiana and
Allen county, including Fort Wayne,
Democratic by vote of two to one at
the last Presidential contest, is likely to
go Republican this year. The machine
shops, car shops and wagon factories of
Fort Wayne give employment to nearly
2, 900 men. Northern Indiana is very