The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-03
PORTER CAMPAIGN OF.'8O
MOST MEMORABLE ONE IN HISTORY
OF THE STATE RECALLED.
Dissolution of the Ex-
Governor Brings to Mind the
Exciting Season.

The death of Ex-Governor Porter this
morning recalls to mind tie memorable cam
paign of 1889. There never mas been, before
or since. a campaign in Indiana such as this,
in which. as the gubernatorial nominee of
the Republican party, he was one of the
central figures. Indiana was one of the few
States that still held their elections in Oc-
tober and was the only one of them that
was regarded as doubtful, West Virginia
being as certainly Democratic as Ohio was
Republican. The strength of both the great
national party organizations was there
fore concentrated upon Indiana and Bar
NUNS mules became a feature Of the
campaign.
Barnum was chairman Of the national
Democratic committee and the expression
became famous through his shipment of a
lot Of 81 bills to Indiana with instructions
to buy mules THE solid South was
about worn out as an issue and the tariff
was just beginning to nave prominence,
though General Hancock, the Democratic
nominee, dismissed it with the airy asser-
ton that it was "a local issue" With
issues cutting so little figure the campaign
depended almost wholly upon political or
ganiZation and political work. They do say
that coolies of money was sent into the
State by the national committees. and each
side charged the other with all sorts of
fraud and corruption. How much was
thought of the value of money for cam
paign purposes was evidenced by an inter-
view with John Gilbert Shanklin, Demo-
cratic nominee for secretary of state, in
which he declared that w. II. English had
been nominated for Vice President because
he had innate that he would contribute
100000 to the campaign, and Franklin Lam
ders had been made the Democratic nom
inee for Governor upon his representation
that he had been prosperous in business
and would 'pu up" literally. The dis
gusted Shanklin announced that these
statesmen had failed to make good their
promises.
Every inch of ground was fought over,
every vote in the State was c~anvassed and
there were ample evidences of repeaters by
the score sent from other States. The
torchlight, the brass band, the campaign
uniform, the long cavalry parades and all
sorts OF expensive campaign displays were
things of daily and nightly occurrence,
while every voter in the State was mar
shaded in some campaign club or other.
one of the most famous of these was the
knights of Columbia" IN this city. an or
ganiZation composed entirely of working
men opposed to tariff reduction.
FRENZY OF THE LAST WEEK.
BY the time the campaign reached it's
last week, the people were worked up to
such a frenzy that business in this city was
practically suspended and the days were
given up to big parades and demonstrations
while the nights were devoted to still
larger and more brilliant displays of politi-
cal strength and enthusiasm. On the Satur-
day before election a big rally was held
in every city of the State by both parties
ana there was more or less trouble all
around, the most serious riot being at Shell
byville, where Sheriff McCorkle was shot
in the melee and died a couple of days
afterwards. The Republicans devoted their
Indianapolis rally to an old soldiers jubilee
and it was attended by about $4,000 people.
all that year to get up a night parade of
several thousand men on a few hours no.
tice. Business men would rush out of their
stores, grab up a broom and join a pro-
cession upon the first sound of the drum
and every man held himself ready to march,
argue or fight upon the slightest proVoca-
On Monday evening, before election,
somebody fired a pistol in the alley behind
the Denison. where Republican ~headquar-
terS were located, and in a moment the
thousands of people gathered in the vicin-
ity were a Seething mass of excitement,
and it looked as if there would be a gem
eral riot right away. For three or four
days before the election the newspapers
contained double-leaded "screamers" eX-
posing nefarious plots of the enemy to
perpetuate gigantic and infamous frauds,
to intimidate voters and to indulge in
wholesale corruption of the ballot. The
high tension of public feeling was illus
trated when a public meeting was called
for the morning before election, and the
Criminal Court was damned with the most
prominent business men of the town gath
cred to devise means of preventing riot and
bloodshed at the polls. Senator Mcdonald
suggested a nonpartisan committee of five
to confer with the Governor and Mayor to
devise some way Of preventing the calam-
ffr that nearly all falt Xy1G imnnndinG and
there was talk of s~tationing troops at every
polling place. Judge Gresham succeeded in
quieting the troubled waters with a digni-
fed speech, by which he got through a res
%olution. declaring it the sense of thn meet
ing that the election should be carried on
in peace and dignity, and advising all cit
liens to disperse to their homes after cast
ing their ballots.
Election day passed off without any of
the serious outbreaks that had been antici-
pated and at ) o'clock the next morning
the Journal got out an extra showing, that
least 5000. Thus began the most remark
able outburst of political enthusiasm and
jollifcation Indianapolis or any other city
has ever seen. The extreme tension of
weeks was over and men were like children
in their wild hilarity. The demonstration
began at s O'Clock in the morning and
grew as the Republican news became more
wgs a blaze of light and bowling wilderness
of noise. The Journal headed it's election
news with a cartoon of the Republican
eagle holding the Democratic mule by the
nape or Its neck IN lS peak ana the line
beneath it, There's your mule" became
the cry on all sides.
A WILD JOLLIFICATION.
At Z o'clock crowds began to gather at
the Journal and postoffice corners, and con-
CALCULATIONS and handshaking began. Hun
dreds soon grew to thousands, and the
streets were densely packed. AS precinct
after precinct was heard from and the news
put upon the bulletin boards and carried
from mouth to mouth, cheer followed cheer
until the welkin rang. Men shouted until
they were hoarse and then shouted again
and again. Impromptu professions were
formed. a thousand men falling into line
in a minute. There were drums and bu-
giles and fifes and horns. Hundreds of flags
were carried in these professions, III which
with their banners and transparencies.
Songs were sung, everybody joining in the
chorus of John Browns Body" Tramp,
Tramp. the Boys are Marching" and
Wei Rally Round the Flag, Boys"
A collection was taken up in three min
utes and two brass bands were stationed
at the postoffice playing patriotic airs. Gen.
Harrison was discovered on the sidewalk
and in a winkling he was carried on the
shoulders of the crowd to the steps of the
postottlce, where he made a speech. Other
prominent men were made victims in the
same way and the speaking continued I'M
til 4 o'clock in the afternoon. At o'clock
d great procession formed and marched
to the Grand Hotel, where Governor Por-
ter was dragged out. He said a few words
in the midst of the cheering and general
din.
AS the day went on the crowds became
denser and more demonstrative. Staid and
elderly citizens frolicked in absurd process