The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-12
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING.
"Reminiscences of a Speaker Who Has
Figured in Many Party Contests.

TO the Editor Of the indianapolis Journal:
My journal shows that 1 made my first
political speech outside of my own county
just twenty years ago In June. 1875 was
nominated by our state convention for at
torney general and renominated in 1880 and
1882. Prior to 1878 l had some experience as
a literary but none whatever as political
speaker. My first speech in 1878 was made
at Newport Hamilton county, and was fol-
lowed by thirty others that fall. In 1850 L
made seventy-five In 1882. 1884, 1886 ana
1888 each year forty speeches in INDIANA;
total, 265, besides forty in other States under
the direction of the Republican national
committee. / have spoken in every county
in this State from two to four times except
Pike and Posey How odd the omission OF
these two P's, and that l never set foot in
either county The fall of 1873 was fearfully
hot, and the rooms worse than ovens.
Twenty years ago the issue. curiously
enough, was war currency" Then it was
to be in greenbacks instead of silver Then,
as now, the underlying and philosophic
question was, Must the measure of value
have value. or can the supreme power in
a state create anything las the Indians did
wampum) as a standard of value?" All this
currency racket which has kept the country
should be charged up to that very much
overrated body. the Supreme Court of the
United States, which has invariably blum
dered upon all great political and socia.
questions. Witness the bred Scott de-
cision, the legal-tender cases, the income
tax case, ana ana so on to the end of the
chapter That tribunal started with decid-
ing mat only gold and silver were consli-
tutional legal tenders. Then they wobbled
and reversed that decision and held that
greenbacks were a constitutional legal ten
der, but placed their legality upon the act
as a necessity of war. But afterWard in
an evil hour, they held Congress could make
paper legal tender in a time of peace and
this opened the Pandoras box out of
which nat money, Populism and 10 to l
Sprang to veX and demoralize the country
and the end is not yet.
To return to "reminiscences: AS the cam
pa1gr OF 1873 progressed my speeches at
tracted attention. The Indianapolis Journal
published one made by me at New Castle.
lished in the Chicago Tribune and ln;er
Ocean, in each case with an editorial-the
former indorSing and the latter crricising
1t. Being green in the business l carried my
books round with me and did great deal
OF hard study at all sorts or oud times
seldom repeating the same speech. But the
question, Wen, how does the thing look p
had to be answered a score of times each
day in each county to which / was sent.
In short time l caught on to the tricks
of the spellbinder and before October could
set an audience aroar well as the best
VI lHShl. II Is HdTuly necessary 10 add that
the Republican ticket was defeated that
yearS-a verdict that was reversed in 1886
The campaign of 1873 was as childs play
to that of 1850. l doubt if there ever was
better conducted political fight in Indiana
than the campaign of 1885, Governor Porter
headed the ticket, a superb mixer as well
as capital stumper. The Republican
ticket was admirably constructed. T.. r.
Hawn, with his gigantic hulk; the amiabe
and lovable Roswell S. Hill, a one-legged
soldier; E. r. W0lfe, of Rushville,. an ex-
cellent talker; Tom Hanna, Dan Royce and
Frank Dice all strong men and vote get
TALL. good share of my work lay in the
Democratic counties on the Ohio river
Everybody was at the top-notch of enthu-
Siasm. OFTEN l spoke twice day No room
was big enough to hold the crowd. FIRE.
quently / would be carried twenty miles
from scoolhouse TO schoolhouse, between
speeches. That year we had grand music
and did not bother with currency, but gave
our time to Garfield and the bloody shirt.
Space forbids ne to write about the cam
paiens of 1882, 1884, 1886 and 1850. In 1890
fell from grace and helped elect Cleveland in
1859 under promise if the Democratic party
suit was tariff like that of Mckinley as
two peas-when one Is smaller than the
other. Cleveland Indignantly repudated the
measure as one of bad faith. Since then as
both parties agreed on protection, the tariff
has ceased to be an issue. The campaign of
1896 settled the 16-to-1 question, and as all
parties agreed upon the war against
Spain the campaign of 1898 bids fair to be
like that OF 1866--a campaign of good feeling
and without a good hating or fighting issue.
But this is only temporary matter. There is
no political progress except by antagonism.
Before Monroe'S term was out the country
was torn in two by the agitation which re-
suited in the Missouri compromise. and 1t
will be so again before the next Presidential
election. D. p. BALDWIN.
Iogansport Sent 10