The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-27
HoLMAN'S OLD DISTRICT.
a Spirited Fight FOR the sucressor-hip to tho
watchdog of the Trrnsnr,.


The Republicans of the Fourth Indiana dis
trict. IN tho town of Columbus, Bartholomew
county, have nominated Major Charles w. Leo
of Vcvny, Switzcrl md county, TO succeed the
lato w. 8. Hu m IL in Congress-. The Democrats
hRvO already n compromise candidate In tho
field, and the fight between the two is likely TO
be pretty lively. Mr.. Holman was one OF the few
Congressman who may no said to have left no
recognized successor, for at no time since
the death of "Bluo Jeans" Williams has
there been q man in southern Indiana VINO
has filed, in tho popular estimation, the
place of Watchdog Bill' Holman. Indiana is
a homcly state, whore blue jeans and overnlls
are more often a title to favorable consideration
by the voters than chcviot or broadcloth. and 1t
is one of the cherished traditions OF the State
that when Blue jeans" Williams ran for Gov
ernor there twenty-five years ago against Ben
jnmin Harrison, the latter was defeated by tho
votes OF thos, farmcrs and towns'olk who
thought him n aristo' rat, and called him, de-
risivcly, Xxi Glove" Harrison.
The Fourth In lana district, which Judge
Holman represented ut tho timo OF his death,
was what is called in Hoosier language q pocket
district. 1t was made up of eight counties on
the Ohio River border line. extending clean up
the State to the southern boundary Of Marion
county. which includes The city OF indianapolis.
man in political life in the United States per
haps met with more Obstacles and annoy
anccs in his aspirations in public life
than Judge Holman from tho rcIistrict-
was wax undeplaSly1 G a popular hsF'f man. No H mann OF
his generation in Indi ma. perhaps. was moro
popular in his own district than Holman. He
lived in the town of Aurora, not far from Rising
Sun on the south or H0 man on tho north. He
was born in Dearborn county, and rs long "a he
Republican advcrsarics, unable 10 beat him in
an ordinary fight Tor political honors in this
able to shut him out from success by gerry
Numbering his district, But no matter how hard
R Rent op lRPs HoIm, IN . lln@'Snf ip9aSia Tried c, to pre- 5S
P6ani; for he was s!ntes%%Sn WIZ
features. or otherwise, The Fourth Indiana dis
tri9t, as it is. now called, has been changed over
ing Holman. but Holman returned 10 Wash
ington hiennially just the same. He was a
he was a Judge before he became a prosecuting
attorney. Then he went up TO the Legislature
at indian polls. then he became = Judge Az in.
and then he was elected to the Thirty sixth Con-
grSss IN the year before the war.
To the Thirty-seyenth and Thirty.eiEhth no
ninth his certificate wns given to his opponent
under a claim OF 66 majority, Judge Holman
tion, and they elected him 10 the Fortieth Con-
gress by a IN 'Iority OF 1000. To the Forty-tirst,
for ,Gn Ho2mar Eor'y,,hirt !; 80 and foEty:o"Eth i,
the most vigorous efforts made TO defeat him,
and notwithstandin the alterations made in tho
district, which brought into it the counties OF
Randolph and Wayne. Overwhelmingly Ropub.i-
can. Tom Genera Tom"-was the
Republican candid tic in two fights. 1875 and
1874, against Holman. and Brown was as
popular in the two added counties as Holman
was in those fur her south. Brown beat Hol-
man twi,e e, but Holman Kept on. and he was
ele,t ted in turn to the Forty-sevcnth. Forty
eighth, Forty-ninih. Fiftieth. Fity.irst. Fifty
! second. md Fifty third Congresses without a
break. SO TINT he came TO be REGARDED as invinci-
bic. They changed the district again In 1894.
dda HU man was bat N hy a couple Of bundrrt
votes in a total Of 80 900. but the very next year
Holman went into The dSht ngnin, and he was
spccessful by a ma oTity Of $500, and resumed
his place in Congress and AS the watchdog of
Geienre against extravaganza.
AT The time o; his death Mr.. Holman was still
a member of Congress, his service. interrupted
by occasional defeats. having extended from
1858 to 1896. He was last a candidate on the
Bryan ticket, and ii HIS been said OF him that
no candidate for Congressional honors In Ameri-
can history overcame so successfully AS much
opposi' ion as Holman did or came out OF the
orte ii or the fight u victor in so many contests.
A special election is to he held Tor the choice of
his successor. and, viii the commanding figure
OF Holman removed from the light, the indiCa.
tons are said to be favorable to the election OF
the Republican candidate. though In Indiana
politics IL is never very safe TO count "a battle az
won until the votes have been counted.