The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-05
CAMPAIGN OF SANDER.
Interesting Talk with Perry s. Heath
ON the Ohio Situation.

Ialk Rerry =. Heath
ON the Ohio Situation.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4.-Perry s. Heath
first assistant postmaster general who is
just back from a three weeks sojourn in
Ohio, characterizes the campaign that
closed on Tuesday as the most brutal and
the dirtiest, muddiest campaign he had ever
seen or known about. THE large cities,
notably Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus
and Toledo" he said, were storm centers
of the fouest viifcations and abuse of Re-
publican candidates and things Republican.
One sensation after another was sprung,
and one set of gross calumnies after an
other discharged from the Democratic bat
teries. A reign of terror was organized in
the four cities named. Decent people were
afraid to participate in the campaign for
fear of becoming targets for filthy abuse
by Democratic newspapers in Cincinnati.
The lying and slanderOus attacks of the
press and of campaign speakers were par
ticularly venomous and irrepressible. The
dust and mud stirred up by these methods
obscured the real issues, and it was alb
solutely impossible to get the people to
listen to or consider them. Discussion of
local scandals and Slanders took the place
of national issues entirely in the communi-
ties, and it was hopeless to attempt to get
them off discussing details of the filthy SEN
sations. In the country it was different;
there were no local issues to dwarf the
larger questions and 1t was the country that
saved the day. In the cities, where sound
money sentiment unquestionably predomi-
mates, the people simply would not take
any interest in that topic. Their whole
minds were concentrated upon the local
political scenery and given up to answering
lies which should have been passed by in
silent contempt. The farmers were sensible,
however, as they were grateful for the re-
turn of prosperity, and, in appreciation of
the efforts of the Republicans to restore
good times they turned out in strong force
and saved the day.
1--WE owe debt of gratitude to the Demo-
Gratis for bringing William Jennings Bryan
into the State. But for his presence the last
week of the campaign L believe we would
nave been beaten. If he could have been
brought to Cincinnati and given a chance
to speak there the Republicans would have
carried Hamilton county by five or ten
thousand. The managers realized the mis-
take they had made in bringing the boy
orator into the State when it was too late
to back out, but they cancelled the. date
they had for him in Cincinnati and showed
him off to Cleveland. They knew that
Cleveland was lost to them and argued that
he could not do them any harm. But he
did them damage, nevertheless, throughout
the State by calling the attention of luke
the real issue Bryan was our first gleam
of daylight. He was worth twenty thousand
votes to the Republicans, if not more.
Il was amazed to see how impreSSionable
many people are. They were willing to give
hearing to the vilest calumnies ever cir
culated against honest men and to allow
SW9V00
absurd on their face. and it was with diitl-
Guilty that they could be brought to listen
to reason and common sense, but then l
never encountered such Villa1nouS cam
paign before in all the course of my life.
] may say in confidence that never care
to encounter such another.
1.-The victory which Mr. Hanna won was
a triumph such as he may well be proud of:
1t was won in the face of an avalanche of
abuse and misrepresentation such as few
men could stand up against. He displayed
throughout marvellous courage, endurance
and good temper. The assaults against him
were of the bitterest character and designed
especially to prejudice the workingmen- In
the face of the evidence furnished by his
own employees, who number thousands, that
he is a most humane employer and pays
top wages. the lies were Kept up about him
to the very end.
Asked What there was to the report
about revolt against Senator Hanna
islature which would prevent his re-elec-
ton, Mr. Heath said: There Is
not the slightest foundation to the
stories: they are put in circulation merely
to scare somebody. There is no substance
whatever in the yarns. The fight was made
on Senator Hanna. He won. and will re-
the credit of conceiving and conducting the
campaign of abuse and vilihcation pursued
by the Democrats is given to tq,,,5s Allen len Q.
ard (Jayhawker), and Tom Campbell What
'Pickaway' couldn't think of in the way of
deviment the inventive genius of the others