The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-07
Political SaIubrity.

Under the head Cities that Are Full of
Pride" an article In the. Chicago Tribune
gives sketches of several cities which are
noted for one thing or another. Baltimore
gets credit as the greatest oyster market of
the world; Leavenworth, Kan, as the great
est apple packing center; Denver as having
more bicycles in proportion TO It's population
than any other city; Albany, n. Y, as bav-
ing a s2o.00O,000 Statehouse. and SO on. OF
indianapolis it says:
indianapolis boasts of the finest climate
In the United States in respect 10 political
salubrity. A few years in its atmosphere
will convert farmer boy into a President
or Vice President, while its output of am
merely regarded as an incident 10 the more
important work In hand of turning out ma
tional presiding officers: AT present Indian
consular posts. One is minister 10 Austria
Just now the postmasters at Havana, Ponce
and san Juan, the three important cities OF
our new acquisitions, are all from lnc1an-
apolis. But the city has more unique rec
ord than this. 1t has had representation on
national tickets for the longest anbroken
periot of any city in the country. In a pc
Rod sof twenty years, beginning win 1872,
there was not national election when the
wthoH aR
home was at South Bend, but who spent
much OF his time in Indianapolis, is con-
sidered an lndianapolitan, this period is eX-
tended another four years; and on top or
this, an lndianapolitan was lationdl ear
didate for Vice President in the days before
the war. The unbroken stretch of twenty
years. when bona fde residents of the city
were on national tickets, is as follows: In
1872 five electoral votes were cast for George
w. Julian for Vice President and torty-two
votes for Thomas A. Hendricks for PEST
dent; 1876, Hendricks was the Democratic
nominee for Vice President. 1880, William
II. English was the Democratic nominee for
Vice President; 1854, Hendricks Was the sue
cessful candidate for Vice President; 1888,
BENJAMIN Harrison was the successful nom
inee for President; 1892, Harrison was the
defeated Republican nominee for President.
In 1868 Colfax was elected Vice President.
In 1S5. Julian was the nominee for Vice
ticket.
Barring some slight Inaccuracies, this is
not altogether bad, though it fails to men,
ton some things for which the city should
receive credit. Neither Schuyler Colfax nor
George w. Julian could fairly be credited
to Indianapolis as candidates, for the for
mer lived in South Bend and the latter did
not become a citizen of indianapolis until
long after he ran for Vice President. The
postmaster at Havana is an Indianapolis
man, but those at Ponce and San Juan are
not. Thanks, however, to the discriminate
ing judgment Of First Assistant Postmaster
General Heath who is an Indiana man,
there are several Indiana men in responsible
positions in the postal service of Porto
Rico. They were brought up in practically
the same political atmosphere that of
Indianapolis. 1t might have been men,
toned that this is the only city in the
United States that is the residence of two
Republican United States senator's, one of
whom is the only senator who has visited
the Philippines in person and who, since his
return. has proved inaccessible to the re-
porters Of enterprising newspapers. If AL
bany has a s2o00o,0O0 Statehouse, Indian
apolis is the only city that has a State
house that was built within the original
appropriation and without a suggestion OF
jobbery iii connection with it, 1t should
| have been stated. also, that Indianapolis has
| more miles of asphalt streets and cement
sidewalks than any city of its size in the
United States, the most expensive and beau
| tiful soldiers monument in America, and
| the reputation of furnishing more and bet
ter ice cream soda for nickel than any
| other city.