Evening star., 1898-07-16
Republicans Are Confident and the
Democrats Hopeful.
ADVANTAGES TO FHE FORMER PARTY
A Good Chance to Garry the Leg
E5 e.
isIative Ticket.
SEN Alto RIA L NTS
Correspondence Of The Evening Star,

never slumbers nor sleeps Wars may
come and fleets and armies may be de-
stroyed They cause. ripple on the sur
face for little while, and then the weary
plaint Of the politician IS heard, and the
people turn from war to the discussion of
political issues and to speculating on the
outcome of the next election. In times
past Indiana has filled a large space in the
political eye of the nation, and the people
still imagine the whole country looks with
deep interest the political movements
here. This is the ''off year" and the cam
paign has not fully opened, but the move
ments on the chess board are being made.
The democratic party is in the field with
full ticket. A full state ticket, with the
exception of governor and lieutenant gov
ernor, is to be elected, together with three
members Of the supreme court. and a
legislature that will be called upon to
choose successor to Senator Turpie.
Both Parties Full of Hope.
1t would take a wise man to guess, thus
early, how the state will go. The conf
dence is with the republicans, but the
democrats are full of hope. The repub-
licans bank a great deal on the large plu-
ralties they had at the two last elections,
and the feeling that the war will make the
people cautious of changing the admins
tration at this time. The nrst may prove
to be very broken reed. The great plu-
rality of 1894 was occastoned by the de-
preston in business, and the dissatisfac-
tion with President Cleveland. Hundreds
of democrats voted with the republicans as
q rebuKe to Mr.. Cleveland, while hundreds
of others remained away from the polls
for the same purpose; None OF these in
tended to repudate their democracy, but
still claimed to be democrats, and are, to
all intents and purposes. Prosperity haV-
ing come they now are back within the
fold.
In 1896 a similar condition existed, with
the added sentiment for sound money.
Hundreds of workingmen voted for Nc
kinley on the tariff question. l have just
been out among the workers who thus vot-
ed. The common expression with them is
that this year they will be found back in
the ranks of their old party. They say
they have accomplished their object in vot-
ing with the republicans two years ago,
and as they are by nature and education
democrats, there is now no reason why
they should operate with their old-time
political enemies They say that protec-
ton is an assured fact, and will not be dis
turbed even should the democrats win.
On all other issues except protection they
are democrats. With this feeling the re-
publcans will lose several hundred votes
in the gas belt, they had two years ago.
The republicans profess to believe that
the silver issue is still prominent factor
and that laborng men and gold democrats
will vote with them until silver is dead in
deed. 1t may be, So but a careful study
of the sentiment among the people will
change this opinion. The republican mana
gers point with confidence to the fact
that two years ago there was a fusion be-
tween the democrats and populists and yet
they had majority of about $4,000 over
this combined vote, while this year ttere
is no fusion and that the democratic
vote will be reduced by this disaffection
of the populistS. .5a
The Gold Democratic Vote.
They fail to realize that their own vote
was largely increased by gold democrats,
and that had the gold democrats voted
with their own party the election would
have scored a very decided democratic VIC
tory. One of the important questions this
year is where will this gold vote go? The
silver democrats for two years have been
very angry at their gold brothers and have
been doing what they could to drive them
permanently from the party. Now and
then gold democrat will be found who
says that it will take one more crushing
defeat to drive their party from the silver
heresy and that they will this year again
vote with the republicans, with that end
in view. 1t Is only one here and there,
however. who takes this stand. It is frue
that the silver sentiment Is not IlSlr so
strong as 1t was two years ago, and, not
Withstanding. the democratic convention
unequivocaily declared for free silver at
the ratio of sixteen to one, yet. outside
OF a few Of the most blatant ones II is
generally considered that the issue Is a
dead ono. Indiana democrats, however,
are noted for hanging to an issue ~fong
after IT has been dead and buried in every
other civilized community and this may
account for the declaration in their plat
form.
The same convention that declared so
unequiVocally for free silver nominated
a ticket largely composed of pronounced
gold men. some Of them having openly
voted for Mckinley. The great leader of
the silver wing was slaughtered without
mercy when he asked a nomination at
the hands of the convention. The ticket
being SO largely composed of gold demo-
Gratis 1nsures 1t the support of that wing
OF the party, and the silverites are stand
ing loyalty by the ticket The chances
are the republicans will stand alone this
year. without allies while the democratic
party viii be practically united, with tho
popullsts keeping in the middle of the road.
The latter, however, owing to the return
OF prosperity. are not likely to cut much
OF a figure, and it Is doubtful if they will
cast more than fifty per cent Of the vote
they did in 1894. If this proves to be the
case. the republicans will likely get most
Oh Jhe votes Is, the populists lose. The re-
puhlicans VIII lose the gold democrats and
the democratic tariff workingmen and
only have this small gain from the popu-
lists to offset this loss
On the legislative ticket, however, the
republicans start in with marked ad-
vantage, and, as the legislature will elect
a senator, they are looking after that end
or the fight with a good deal Of vigor. OF
ehiC t"Sitly HOiu-ONeT ScHdtOTS the re-
publlcans have nineteen and the democrats
SIX. This gives them great advantage
or the twenty-five to be chosen they can
reasonably count on eIecting ten. This will
give them twenty -nine, a majority of
eight. For the house the outlook is in
favor Of -he democrats, but can they elect
enough to overcome the advantage in the
senate OF the republicans?
Senatorial Candidates Abundant.
OF senatorial candidates the supply is
abundant. Among the, democrats Senator
Turpie has the advantage, but he has many
enemies especially among the sound money
democrats. and they may be strong enough
to defeat his denomination. His strongest
opponent at the present time is ex-Gov-
ernor Matthews. but he. too, was a silver
follower of Bryan William e. English Is
the dark horse. He Is at present in Cuba
with the army. He served short term
In Congress, and has for several years had
his eye fixed on the Senate. Personally he
Is very popular. Sonenthree years ago he
inherited great wealth from his father, the
late William H. English. He Is man of
fine education and of marked ability. He
Is the favorite of the gold democrats, and
@ ant fha NJ t. 81 xryf1l